In the digital art world, pixel art is still a popular form. There are many reasons for this. The reason may be nostalgic or simply fun and cute. Whatever the reason, pixel art is here to stay. And what’s good about pixel art is that there are many ways to create it! This blog post will explore 15 unique ways to use a pixel art generator. Whether you’re an experienced artist or just starting, these tricks will help you create better pixel art faster and easier!
What is Pixel Art and How is it Created
Pixels are amazing. They’re how you’re reading the text on this screen right now. A pixel is a measurement unit and also a way to make art.
Pixel art is digital art that looks created with pixels. Each block is like a brushstroke. And when they’re all put together, they create a whole artwork. In this way, pixel art has a mosaic-like quality. Many mosaics are made up of tiny squares similar to the ones used in pixel art.
In the beginning, pixel art was the only type of computer graphics that could create because the technology wasn’t advanced enough to produce anti-aliasing.
However, as time went on and computer graphics became more lifelike, pixel art transformed into a retro style reminiscent of early computer graphics.
Although it has evolved significantly, pixel art dates back to the 1970s. Back then, however, creators were limited because of emerging technology and a lack of understanding regarding digital creation tools. Some early forms of pixel art were simple, like square and rectangle images.
SuperPaint was developed in 1972 by Richard Shoup and later used animation illustrations by NASA to display its discoveries and data. The program was eventually canceled in 1979 by Xerox PARC, the company that created it. Although SuperPaint didn’t have many capabilities past basic graphics and animation, it paved the way for modern graphic programs like Adobe Photoshop we use today.
The software showed people what the future of digital art could be, with features like adjustable paintbrushes, pixel image magnification, and the ability to create full-color images. Its menu was replicated on subsequent graphics applications like MS Paint and MacPaint.
SuperPaint was a revolutionary way to create graphics. However, by today’s standards, it falls short. As technology has progressed and computers have become more powerful, developers and creatives have been able to do more with less. Even with limitations, video games included more detailed graphics and pushed the limits of what was possible.
The results were iconic characters and graphics from the 8-bit and 16-bit eras. If you’re unfamiliar with what 8/16 bits are, it refers to the tonal variation of an image. An 8-bit picture will have fewer tones available per color. The more color tones available, the more detailed your output image can be. Early Mario is an example of 8 -while Sonic hedgehog is an example of 16-.
With the release of Playstation and N64, it was plain to see that pixel art was no longer as popular. These systems allowed developers to create 3D models for characters, making side-scrolling games feel outdated. The public wanted the three-dimensional quality that games like Mario 64 or GoldenEye 007 could provide.
Around the mid-2000s, three-dimensional graphics and gaming started becoming more popular. This popularity emerged while pixel art was labeled outdated.
