Pixel Art Research

This week, I discovered that ibis Paint X has also added a couple of brushes that create a pixelated effect. I have always imagined a checkered background and adding those pixels that line up with the background to be kind of the process when it comes to pixel art, but with this brush, I can just draw and the brush will create the effect for me. So this week I had a lot of fun with that.

  

So for this blogpost I am going to review the artist watt.designs and see what techniques he uses to get various effects in his art.

****Research*****
Now after going through some of his art, I noticed that he has been going through a daily prompt to practice his art. Despite the wide variety of prompts, I can still see unity in the way he creates his art and with what he is making his art about. For watt.designs I have noticed his art is either video games/cartoons, or nature which as a result creates a unified look in all his pieces despite following a different prompt for every single one. Also, I have always imagined pixel art to be very simple with little shadows. After looking through this artist’s art I have noticed that this is not the case and that the shadows are really what is building the dimension and character to these pieces.

 

Gradient:
One thing I have trouble figuring out is how to get a nice blend from color to color through pixel art rather than a harsh one color to another. From some of his pieces when he wants to create this effect I noticed he uses a checkered pattern that as a result blends the two contrasting colors. In the case of the fortune cookies, the artist blends the really dark shadows with a milder shadow.



I have also noticed that he uses this same pattern to soften the highlight in a scene like a slug shown below.



I have also noticed that I should not be trying to blend colors every time for pixel art as sometimes the contrast is more beneficial in the art.



Patterns:

I have also noticed that for his more nature-themed artwork that rather trying to include every single blade of grass in a scene the artist just follows a simple pattern that represents grass. He also does this with leaves on a tree. One thing that I have also noticed overall with the artist’s work is that everything is more simplified so rather than focusing all the little details on a lawnmower the artist just gets the general idea of a lawnmower so it is noticeable to the viewer.

Overall, I am enjoying creating pixel art but I do not want to completely abandon what I am doing now and focus on this but rather incorporate this along with my digital drawings and 3D models into my art.


Work Log:
Monday:modeling dad’s clothes
Tuesday:modeling dad’s clothes
Wednesday:modeling mom’s clothes
Thursday:modeling mom’s clothes
Friday:Adding material to models