Learning a New Pixel Art Form
One of the most helpful sources for learning this new pixel art thing has been Brandon James Greer. His videos have been insanely useful for learning the basics of pixel art and changing the way you approach creating new art. Please give that guy a subscribe!
Select the Smallest Detail That You Want Visible
Select Your Canvas Size
Depending on what your ultimate goal is, this one might actually be your first choice. Knowing which resolution to design in will ultimately impact the amount of detail you can realistically include. In my situation, I’ll be using my pixel art to animate walk/run/jump/idle cycles, and create spritesheets and tilesets for a retro inspired arcade game. With that in mind, I’m using the original resolutions of classic console hardware as a starting point for my designs. The NES console’s resultion is 256×240. With that information, I can start designing my character within the context of the entire screen so I’ll know just how that character will look and feel within the space of the entire screen.