Pixel Art Fundamentals

The non-negotiables: where pixels go and why. Work through these in order — each entry says what it is, who made it, and what you should be able to do afterwards.

1. What pixel art actually is#

Lospec: Where to start (article, Lospec) — the single best orientation read: what makes pixel art a medium rather than "small images", common beginner mistakes, tool setup.
Absolute Beginner's Guide (article, saint11) — first sprites, canvas sizes, why big canvases are a trap.

You can now: set up a 32×32 canvas with a visible grid and make a recognizable object.

2. Clusters and pixel placement#

Cluster Sketching and Painting (article 2 in saint11's series) — the core mental model: you're not drawing lines, you're shaping clusters of same-colored pixels. This idea alone separates pixel art from shrunken drawings.

You can now: explain what a "cluster" is and clean up a messy sprite by merging them.

3. Shading and volume#

Basic Shading (article, saint11) — light sources, form shadows, and why fewer shades read better at small sizes.
Shading one-screen (one image, saint11) — keep it open while you work.

You can now: shade a sphere and a cube at 32×32 with three values, no banding.

4. Anti-aliasing and banding#

Anti-Alias and Banding (article 5, saint11) — when to soften an edge by hand, and the "staircase" artifact that quietly ruins sprites.
Alignment one-screen (one image, saint11) — banding, spotted at a glance.

You can now: point at banding in someone else's sprite (and, painfully, your own).

5. Outlines#

Outlines one-screen (one image, saint11) — black outlines, colored outlines, selective outlines, no outlines: a style decision, made deliberately. Farming games usually go soft or selective.

You can now: pick an outline style for your game and say why.

Capstone read#

Derek Yu's pixel art tutorial (article, the Spelunky creator) — one full sprite from silhouette to polish, every step shown. Read it end to end once you've done the sections above; it ties everything together.