In the example on the left I’m using the same palette you are, the AAP-Mini12. When I drew this green dude I didn’t have any light green color, so I went with the nearest hue I had available, which was yellow. The same thing happened with the shadow, I chose blue because it was the closest dark one. But what if I went the other way? I could get a brighter blue and darker red, right? Well, not really:
How to start making pixel art #1
This is a little article on how to start making pixel art, intended for those who are really starting out or never even opened a pixel art software. For now I’ll cover only the very basics, how to create a file, setup the canvas size, and work with a color limit.
This article was supported by Patreon! If you like what I’m doing here, please consider supporting me there 🙂
Also, this is the part 1 of a series of articles, read the whole series here in the Pixel Grimoire.
Before Starting
Before jumping into pixel art, remember: pixel art is just another art medium, like guache, oil painting, pencil, sculpture or its close cousin mosaic. To make good pixel art you need to be able to make good drawings. In general, this means studying anatomy, perspective, light and shadow, color theory and even art history, as these are all essential for making good pixel art.
You don’t need anything fancy to make good pixel art, and you can do fine even with just a good mouse and free software. My setup includes a small Wacom pen tablet, a good mouse, a good keyboard and my favorite software is Aseprite, but you should use whatever your’re most comfortable with.
Here’s a list of software commonly used for pixel art:
- Aseprite: Great professional editor with many time-saving features (paid)
- GraphicsGale: A classic, used in many games. It’s a little complex, but full of great features (free)
- Piskel: Free online pixel art editor (free)
- Photoshop: Powerful image editor not intended to make pixel art but you can set it up to use it (paid)
Aseprite
Aseprite is my favorite pixel art software right now. It’s incredibly powerful, packed with features and yet simple to use. I chose Aseprite as the software for this tutorial but I’m pretty sure you can adapt it to any other software you use with minimum changes. You can also get the free trial for Aseprite, but keep in mind it won’t save your files, which I guess it’s OK if you are just practicing.
Just click the “New File…” link in the home screen or go to File > New File so we can start drawing.
Let’s create a new file. 16 by 16 probably seems a little too small, but I think it’s a good starting point. Bigger resolutions can distract you from what you should focus now: understanding the interactions of pixels with their neighbors.
You can leave the color mode in RGBA, that is the most simple and intuitive for now. Some pixel artists like to work with an indexed palette which allows some pretty cool color tricks, but comes with some drawbacks too.
Keep the background transparent or white, it won’t change much for now. Just make sure that Advanced Options is unchecked (but feel free to experiment with them later) and you are good to go!
Beginning Artist Education 101
From Sept. 10-16, help us celebrate National Arts in Education Week, during which “the field of arts education joins together in communities across the country to tell the story of the impact of the transformative power of the arts in education.”
Whether you are a beginning artist who decided to turn your passion for art into action, or a veteran who wants to explore a new medium, knowing exactly where to start can be a challenge. But don’t worry, artists. You’ve come to the right place!
Below is a list of five educational guides jam-packed with just-starting-out goodies, from learning painting mistakes to avoid to trying your hand at the basics of drawing. These articles are great for understanding the fundamentals of painting and drawing so you can begin your new artistic journey.
Conquer Common Painting Blunders
We all know practice makes perfect. But, with practice also comes trial and error. Lucky for you, we’ve listed eight of the most common mistakes to avoid when learning how to paint. Discover what they are, and how to overcome them, here.
Put Your Art in Perspective
An essential skill to learn as a beginning artist, whether drawing or painting, is perspective. If you want to achieve three-dimensional art, knowing perspective is key, including how to find the horizon line, determine the vanishing point and an overview of linear perspective. Here is what you need to know.
His parents were anti-apartheid activists
Kentridge’s parents, both lawyers, were anti-apartheid to their bones. William’s father Sir Sydney Kentridge represented three recipients of the Nobel Prize during his career: Nelson Mandela, Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Chief Albert Luthuli. He played a leading role in the Treason Trial (1956–61), and defended the family of activist Steve Biko during the inquest into his death in police custody (1977). Kentridge’s mother Felicia (born Felicia Geffen) co-founded the South Africa Legal Resources Centre, a human rights organisation that still provides free legal services to marginalised people today. In 2010, Tottenham MP David Lammy called Sir Sydney Kentridge one of his heroes: “Kentridge is one of many lawyers to whom I will forever be in debt, and whose everyday fights against injustice should inspire us all.”
William Kentridge, Drawing for The Head & The Load (The trumpets we used to blow), 2018.
Africa’s colonial past is woven into his work
Kentridge’s work responds to the injustices of apartheid and the legacies of colonialism. His art is by no means documentary – it’s fragmentary, humorous, and leaves room for ambiguity. In one work a coffee plunger drills down through the earth into the depths of a gold mine beneath Johannesburg. In another, blue water flows from the breast pocket of a man in a striped suit, a pool rising around him in what seems to be his melancholy and grief. Real events inform his work: Ubu Tells the Truth (1997) combines testimonies from South Africa’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission (1996-2003) with Alfred Jarry’s 1896 play Ubu Roi (Ubu the King) and Jane Taylor’s 1997 drama Ubu and the Truth Commission, which was directed on stage by Kentridge. In his reimagining, the protagonist Ubu becomes an agent of the secret police during Apartheid. Felix in Exile (1994) was made just before the first general election in South Africa and questioned the way in which the people would remember those who died in the fight against apartheid. Some of these works feature Kentridge’s alter egos Felix Teitelbaum (the titular figure from Felix in Exile) and Soho Eckstein, the former a compassionate figure and the latter a ruthless capitalist.
William Kentridge, Video still from Notes Towards a Model Opera, 2015.
He established The Centre for the Less Good Idea in 2016
Taking its name from the Tswana proverb – “If the good doctor can’t cure you, find the less good doctor” – The Centre for the Less Good Idea in Johannesburg is used by young artists to experiment. It presents a twice-yearly programme of public performances and offers workshops and mentorship activities. The concept came from Kentridge’s own practice and is very much based on the idea that failure can inspire a creative response in the search for an alternative solution.
24 September — 11 December 2022
This autumn, William Kentridge stages his biggest UK exhibition, in a show spanning his 40-year career. Visitors will find four-metre wide tapestries, his signature charcoal trees and flowers, and the breathtaking three-screen film, Notes Towards a Model Opera. Many pieces have never been seen before, and some have been made specially for our show and galleries.
