r/PixelArtBeginners

My first oc. Should I give him feet or if he fine like this

Pixel Art Digital retro game 2d 64-bit design illustration sprite fanart Over the garden wall

I've been trying my hand at pixel art for a while now, but am just getting back into it after over a year. I decided I wanted to try portraits. It's definitely something I will try again but I am looking for some feedback to consider going forward. I know it's not one for one, but I think it looks pretty good. Any advice?

It was the first pixel art animation I ever made, years ago, and he will still be one of the mascots of many of my future projects. I'm thinking about making a more updated version of it. How do you think I could improve it?

Hello, I've been practicing with pixel art for a week, I'm doing a project that requires horrorish pixel art and this is the portrait for one of the characters. I'm still trying to figure how shading really works and how it's supposed to be the effect on the different elements of the character so any tips is more than welcomed! (also any tips in general)

I’m making a steampunk platformer, and needed art to polish it up and remove placeholder art. This is my first attempt at a main character. What workflows or tips do you wish you knew earlier?

A concept of a spiritual succesor of one of my favorites arcade games, snow bros 2, with elements of similar arcades games from the era, I may not have nailed an artstyle as good as those arcade classics, but I'm very happy with the results

This is my first art with shading in it

Não é nada impressionante, mas eu gostei bastante do resultado. Ainda sim gostaria de dicas para melhorar ele ainda mais

For my next meme, I figured I’d try my hand at pixel art again. I haven’t really done that since Reel Danger. 👾

I even used the NES/Famicom color palette and stuck to only three colors for each sprite… well, except one. 👀

lucky for me I've got a nack for pixel art after a week of learning I'm done this a thew ores stone and fruits. going to animated other side views when I get home just wondering if a pro pixel artist can give me any pointers and a review on my animation for main character

Pixel Art Digital retro game 2d 64-bit design illustration sprite horror fanart ARG Minecraft World that doesn't exist

Any feedback is really appreciated!

I want to make a game and I am having a bit of trouble with pixel art.

If you have any tips or feedback that could help me out I would appreciate it a lot.

I took inspiration from Challacade

I'm just new at pixelart and I don't know much about it. I'm trying to design some characters for my future videogame and I think something is missing. Some help, please? My bf said that something is odd with the clothes shape with the ones below, but I don't know what or how to fix it. I would appreciate any advice. Thaanks★

So, I recently got into pixel art, but I've really taken a liking to it. Does anyone know how I can improve? The last photo is a "model" I'm using as a base for my pixel art—any suggestions?

# Pixel Art Looks Simple. Making It Good Is Anything But.

The funny thing about pixel art is that the less you have to work with, the more every mistake matters.

You'd think creating something with fewer pixels would be easier.

I mean, how hard can it be?

It's just little squares, right?

That's what I thought too.

Then I started making pixel art.

I quickly realized that one tiny pixel can change what you’re trying to express.

Move one pixel, and the character suddenly looks angry.

Move another, and the face looks sad.

Remove one, and the whole expression disappears.

Add one in the wrong spot, and your character looks like it’s staring into another dimension.

Seriously.

**Every pixel has a job.**

---

## You Can't Hide Behind Details

That’s one of the hardest things about pixel art.

With a large canvas, you have room to hide mistakes.

You can add shadows.

You can add texture.

You can add more details.

You can keep working until small problems fade into everything else.

Pixel art doesn’t always let you do that.

There may only be a few pixels representing an entire face.

A few pixels for a hand.

A few for a shoe.

A tiny cluster that needs to express an emotion.

And if those pixels aren’t right...

You notice.

Eventually, you will.

The more you learn, the more you start seeing things you didn’t notice before.

---

## Sometimes Adding More Makes It Worse

This was another lesson I had to learn the hard way.

When something doesn’t look right, my first instinct used to be:

**Add more.**

More highlights.

More colors.

More shadows.

More details.

More everything.

And somehow...

it looked worse.

That’s when I started to understand that pixel art isn’t always about adding.

Sometimes, it’s about removing.

Taking away the pixel that doesn’t belong.

Removing a color that makes the palette messy.

Simplifying a shape.

Cleaning up a silhouette.

Letting a character breathe.

That’s harder than it sounds.

Because when you’ve spent hours on something, removing part of it can feel like wasting your effort.

But the pixel doesn’t care how long you worked on it.

If it doesn’t belong, it doesn’t belong.

---

## A Good Silhouette Can Say Almost Everything

One thing I appreciate more about pixel art now is the importance of the silhouette.

Before you see the details, you should be able to recognize the shape.

The pose.

The attitude.

Maybe even the personality.

That’s something I think about constantly when creating characters.

If I remove the colors...

Remove the face...

Remove the little details...

Does the character still feel like the character?

If the answer is no, I probably haven’t solved the design yet.

And that’s humbling.

Sometimes you realize you’ve been decorating a weak idea instead of fixing the idea itself.

---

## Color Is Another Whole Problem

Then there’s color.

You’d think fewer colors would make things easier.

Nope.

It can actually complicate things.

With a limited palette, every color has to earn its place.

You need to think about contrast.

What’s the focal point?

What’s in the background?

What should stand out?

What should fade away?

Too many colors, and the piece can lose its identity.

Too little contrast, and everything starts blending together.

Sometimes the best solution isn’t finding another color.

It’s figuring out how to use the colors you already have.

That requires a different kind of discipline.

---

## Pixel Art Taught Me Patience

I think that’s one of the biggest lessons I’ve gained from making pixel art.

Patience.

You can zoom in and spend twenty minutes fixing something that’s practically invisible at normal size.

Then you zoom back out and realize...

Nobody would have noticed.

But you noticed.

Maybe that’s part of the point.

You’re training your eye.

You’re learning to care about the little things.

Not because every viewer will notice every pixel.

They won’t.

But because you’re becoming more mindful about what you create.

---

## I'm Still Learning

I don’t see myself as someone who has pixel art completely figured out.

Far from it.

I’m still experimenting.

Still messing up palettes.

Still creating characters that don’t look quite right.

Still staring at a piece and wondering why something feels off when I can’t explain it.

But that’s part of why I love it.

There’s always something new to learn.

And the more I learn, the more I realize how little I actually know.

I think that’s a good state for an artist to be in.

You should be confident enough to keep creating...

but humble enough to understand you can still improve.

---

## Simple Doesn't Mean Easy

That’s probably the biggest misconception about pixel art.

People see a small image and think:

*"That’s simple."*

And visually, maybe it is.

But simplicity often comes from hundreds of decisions.

Knowing what to leave out can take more experience than knowing what to add.

A simple face can be harder than a detailed portrait.

A small palette can be tougher than having hundreds of colors.

A clean silhouette can be harder than covering something in detail.

The goal isn’t to see how much you can fit into a tiny canvas.

The goal is to figure out **how little you need to make the idea work.**

That’s where the magic happens.

---

## Every Pixel Is a Decision

That’s what I love about this art form.

There’s nowhere to hide.

Every pixel asks a question.

Does this belong here?

Does this improve the expression?

Does this make the silhouette clearer?

Does this color actually help?

Does this detail tell the story?

Or am I just adding it because I’m afraid the piece looks too empty?

Those questions have changed the way I think about art in general.

Sometimes the strongest decision you can make...

is to stop.

Take something away.

Leave some space.

Let the idea speak for itself.

---

Maybe that’s why I keep returning to pixel art.

It’s small.

It’s limited.

It’s unforgiving.

But somehow, within all those limitations, there’s so much room for creativity.

You have a tiny canvas.

A limited number of colors.

A handful of pixels.

And somehow you can still create a character with a personality.

A world with a story.

A feeling.

A memory.

That’s pretty amazing when you think about it.

So the next time you see a tiny pixel character and think,

*"That looks easy."*

Maybe take a closer look.

Because behind those little squares are hundreds of decisions.

And sometimes...

**the hardest thing about making something small is knowing what to leave out.**

Thank you for reading! Pixel art is so dammnnnn.... hehe Let's connect! Here's my X's profile!

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