Ter's Begginner Tut

A simple tutorial for your first pixel sig!

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What is pixel art??

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pixel_Art

2nd post) Pixel sites - Are there any good pixel sites???

1) Program - what program should I use??

2) Size - How big should I make it??

3) File type - What do I save it as??

4) Time - How long should I spend on it??

5) Starting - Ok then, now I know the basics where do I start??

6) Adding colour - I've done my linework, now what??

7) Posting - I have a sig, now how do I post it on the forum???

8] Flexibility - Is that the only way to make sigs???

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1) Program - what program should I use??

There are many programs that will give you the same result with pixel sigs, the most commonly known is ms paint, it has everything you need to start off, if you have never used this I'd suggest clicking the help button on the top menu as it actually explains everything you need to know.

But other programs are just as good if not better, but tend to be harder to use and have 80% more than you need, Like adobe photoshop for example, to make pixel sigs you'll need to use the pencil tool on size No 1, and check the transparency is 100%, theres no need to use that until you know how to..

Though I've never used it, I've heard Graphics Gale is pretty good, it's downloadable, has more colours on offer than paint and it's much more pixel friendly (designed for pixelers).. But you'd have to see it for yourself cus as I've said, I've never used it. :oops:

As I suggest you use paint im gonna show you the basics of what I know in that, most of you have it imbeded in your computer anyways.. :wink:

2) Size - How big should I make it??

If your planning on using your pixel drawing here on tip.it forums, I suggest you make it a solid 300x150 canvas as we keep that as our sig limitations. Size it correctly on paint by clicking on attributes under Image on the task bar. Also make sure the final image is under 30kb :wink: or it won't work here.

3) File type - What do I save it as??

Well if you've made normal sigs before (abstract, grunge etc) you'll be tempted to save it as a Jpeg, but don't.. As soon as you do that your work is ruined, jpeg tries to automatically smoothen your work, loosing that sharp clean look.

Like this..

I'd suggest you save it as a PNG.. It keeps 100% quality, saves it looking like what you were working on.

Like this..

Plus Jpeg's tend to make the image much larger, if you look at those examples the Jpeg is saved at 16kb, whilst the PNG is only 6kb.

4) Time - How long should I spend on it??

It basically depends on what result you want, obviously the longer you take the better it'll most likely be. But don't over do it, adding more won't necisserly mean it'll be better, sometimes you can ruin it. If it looks finished, leave it at that :lol: .. And only alter it more after getting a second opinion, posting it on here will get you good crits.

But please don't rush it, take your time cus it leaves you room to think about what to do. Rushing is the difference between...

This..

]

Baaad (I made it as an example of rushing, dont think im dissin someones work :P )

And this..

5) Starting - Ok then, now I know the basics where do I start??

For this im gonna use my first sig to illustrate :lol: :D ..!

Making your own sig make sure you draw out some ideas to what you want to see, practice layouts.. (these are drawings done after I made the sig, cant find originals.)

And either scan in or draw straight into paint..

If you have a scanner, use whatever program you need, resize to 300x150 and trace over using the line tool.

Heres an example taking a section from my plan page.

You'd do this with the whole sig plan, draw it much more detailed before though.

With my first sig I didn't have a scanner so I had to just copy it from what I drew, finally coming up with the linework.. With only Black and white.

The reason for using the line tool is to make sure the linework is clean.. Don't be tempted to draw using the pencil tool, only use it to alter pixel by pixel.

6) Adding colour - I've done my linework, now what??

Well you first have to colour it in quickly in the colours you want...

Don't limit yourselves to the default colours, and in the palette, don't limit yourself to just the top half, because they tend to be more bold, cartoony and pretty much uglier... The further down is basically a lower contrast but looks much more friendlier to the eye..

For black dont just go for the deepest black you can find, look to the bottom of the palette and lower the lightnest slightly.. Still recognised as black but can be seen well against everything else.

Next you'll shade your sig, bit by bit.. :wink: .. But take your time, theres no rush.. :lol:

Decide where your light source is. Here the sun is the main and only source of light..

For the shading im gonna show you some basic techniques but im not going to teach you how to 'shade', If you don't know how to you should be either learning yourself, or just not pixeling.. :roll:

take this flat green canvas, I want it light at the left and dark on the right..

You could always use gradient shading where you slightly darken the colour bit by bit.. But for on a smaller scale just use more drastic changes in the darkness of the colour..

This is where differing comes into play, from close up it just looks messy, but zoomed out looks much smoother.. This is because it tricks your eye, when you see two colours together closely it tricks you into blending them together without thinking about it....

Plus gives it a nice texture.. change your dithering techniques depending on what your shading,

If you've got some wit about ya, you can alternate your colours to create the effects you want..

Blue and Red dithered make a textured purple.

Works very nicely If your trying to limit the colours your using..

Heres a red ball too, just to show how you can use different techniques..

After you've shaded it should look pretty nice :D , then all you need to do is post it into Tip.it for crits.. But make sure you are happy with it.. If you think it's gonna be flamed, work on it until you are truely happy with it..

REMEMBER TO SAVE IT AS A PNG!

AND CHECK IT'S UNDER 30KB

7) Posting - I have a sig, now how do I post it on the forum???

Your best bet is imageshack..Click the frog and you'll be taken there.

click upload.

find image on your pc.

select it.

press upload and wait for it to change page.

copy the bottom link that says direct link.

paste on either your signature box in profile or in a new thread

once pasted, highlight.

click the Img button above.

it should do this .

with the link to your image surrounded by the img signs it opens it up as a picture to be seen on the forum. Hey presto your sig appears when you press submit..

8] Flexibility - Is that the only way to make sigs???

Once you know how to use the program, and know how to make sucessful images It's up to you what you do, practice different ways that suit you.. I've got into the habit of drawing straight onto the pc like I would sketch in rl.. then working on the linework.. It saves time and I just find it easier..

Here are some examples of what I mean, a bit fast but just to show the step by step progress..

As you can see by these you don't have to stick to Black lines, but it does help to begin with as it can be very confusing at times.. Atm i've ditched lines all together and decided to work in silhouettes, just to loose the hard line feel to it..

latest one I finished like that..

and my latest wip.. (work in progress)

Goodluck Pixelers!

If theres anything else you want added just post and I'll try whip something up, this is all I can cover tonight :x .. Too tired..

Hope what I've wrote helps...

-Reserved for pixel sites-

-www.spriteart.com-

Has tutorials

-http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pixel_art-

Explains pixel art

-http://rhysd.syntesis.org/tutorial/-

Isometric tutorial

-http://www.pixelfreak.com/-

Great isometric work

-http://www.natomic.com/hosted/marks/mpat/-

He uses Graphics Gale And has a tutorial.

-http://finalredemption.com/index.htm-

A-Mazing site for pixelers.

-http://www.lolaart.net/pixel/-

If you want to be a cute pixeler.. :oops: aww

-http://www.drububu.com/tutorial/-

some useful info here..

-site10-

-site11-

-site12-

-site13-

-site14-

Very nice

should be helpful for all beginners, hopefully they use it.

Awesome job, but WHAT ARE YOU DOING posting that barrows one without a sample or name on it?! That's just calling to be ripped. I would hate for The Termeister to get ripped again. That would be unfortunate.

Great tutorial. And I can see what you're working on :x :D :wink: Can't wait to see it. I might withdrawl from that...he doesn't seem to interested in mine anyhow. I don't know, I may finish it.

Looks great Terly.

I my self like the silhouetting, i've done that with an avatar I made, worked well :).

Very good guide Terley. I like how it goes alll the way from introducing the programs to even how to upload and post the final products. I'll add this to the User Tutorials Sticky if you don't mind, it will help out all those times people ask how to get started in pixeling.

It helps to have a graphics pad for sketching though

Dear God my eyes! They burn! The flashy thing at the start looks like it could give someone a seizure....

The tut was really good, and I learned a few things too. Nice work.

Nice work. It amazes me that people can do that with pixels. You see my pathetic adobe sig below, and here is what I cando in paint. Shh... no laughing. :wink:

Don't laugh..... at least I tried... I can't get the shading.

...The Termeister...

Must...restrain...

Bwahahaha! Sorry for the spam, but I just really thought that was hilarious, I don't know why.

Nice tutorial, ...Termeister! :lol:

 

...The Termeister...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Must...restrain...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bwahahaha! Sorry for the spam, but I just really thought that was hilarious, I don't know why.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nice tutorial, ...Termeister! :lol:

:lol:

awsome man great tutorial for beginers..anyways your logo/sign lol verry flashy ..lol i migh get a sezure

LP - Cheers, just wanted to make something begginers can use, I see too many people posting rushed pictures made in paint, going against everything pixel related.

diophantusdan - Yeah and Hopefully they'll find it, :lol: .. Most beginners just do what they like and hope for the best..

jabmeister - hahah, thats a good nickname for me :wink: , I tend to watermark everything I do, ever since I made that sig for r2pleasant.. Just don't know if I watermarked that :shock: ... That sig for teenagelooser is just a gift, unless your talking about NuZza's sig, that competitions ova..

Nad - thx, I picked that up from what Random did, seemed interesting and it worked.. :)

xman - cheers, I tried to cover the basic questions people would ask, start to finish..

lemonfish - tablets do help, but not everyone has one, and for a first sig I doubt people will invest in one..

Aeriath - Hahah, that logo was meant to catch peoples attention.. I'll replace it soon in case it does give someone a seizure, glad you found the tut useful mate..

frogact - thx for the compliment, its not too hard to made something attractive in pixels, just stick to what you know and take your time, hopefully you'll learn from your mistakes and improve slightly each day. heheh thats a nice pic, maybe this beginners tut will help ya in the future..

Fortress - Thats pretty good mate, you've got the grass looking grassy, but it would hurt to put darker shades of green further away from the sun and lighter greens towards it.. Maybe a shadow under the tree and guy, and add some change in the sky, look up sky on google.. You'll find some reference pics usefull, with drawing the sun too.

http://www.healthsci.jmu.edu/hsa/IMAGES/isat%20blue%20sky.png

the sky it lighter to the bottom and darker to the top, varies where the sun is.

Godslayer - :oops: , I thought it was a good name :lol: :lol: , cheers.

Pureleader - :lol:

plya - thanks very much, flashy things always put a smile on my face.

lol, i forgot to post my comments about your tut :lol:

anyways very nice tut Termeister :wink: should be useful for beginner pixelers. What i like most about this tut is when u said to "make sure you draw out some ideas to what you want to see, practice layouts" and also your step by step examples, those 2 things are gonna help me :D

thanks Ter 8)

Is there anything else I need to add??

does anyone want to request a new section?

well.... i have problems making different types of poses, fighting poses, laughing poses, whatever

and i also have trouble making the face. face expressions

ok, :) i'll whip something up for basic characters..

how do you remove the sketchfrom behind the linework? and how do you resize without deforming the sketch?

If you scanned in the image, you should be able to resize it neatly with whatever program you used, I use photoshop.. Otherwise just use paint, it doesn't matter about the quality of the back sketch.. Just the linework you produce from it..

Getting rid of the background sketches is just rubbing it manually, which is why I made the linework at that point purple.. Just shows up against the black, once its just white and purple you can then colour it in black.

If you scanned in the image, you should be able to resize it neatly with whatever program you used, I use photoshop.. Otherwise just use paint, it doesn't matter about the quality of the back sketch.. Just the linework you produce from it..

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Getting rid of the background sketches is just rubbing it manually, which is why I made the linework at that point purple.. Just shows up against the black, once its just white and purple you can then colour it in black.

Ah thanks, infortunetly im at my gramma's house which dosent have a scanner and still has dialup :roll:

This is what i got from it

:? :oops:

Terley your hot right? :P Nice how old are you because I'm guessing a grown up becasue thats kinda of the level of your artwork.

im 16 :P