Hello and welcome to the the first level of the Pixel Course: the Fundamentals
Through this pixel course, Tim Von Rueden takes a closer look at creating pixel art while in Photoshop CS5 using a Wacom Intuos4 tablet.
To gain access to this course you can signup as a Citizen member of the CG Cookie network for just $10 USD per month. You can sign up for a Citizen account from our membership page HERE.
As a Citizen member you get access to the complete streaming course, including all project files and the ability to download each individual video. To make this series more accessible you now choose to either stream or download any of the videos. To stream the videos, simply click on the thumbnail for that portion and it will automatically load at the top of the page.
What you’ll learn in this course
This course is set to teach you the fundamentals of pixel art from learning the different terms to setting up Photoshop to work specifically for pixel art. We will go through the pixel specific terms such as anti-aliasing, dithering, pillow shading, and outlining, to help better understand pixel art. From there we will take a quick look at color and how to use techniques such as hue shifting to give your work a boost in value and saturation on such a small scale. For each of the objects we will be creating (rock, tree, character) I will take a classic and modern approach to show different ways of going about the many different styles of pixel art.
The resources included in this course
The resources are in the downloadable source files and contain the following: The pixel art brushes that are used throughout the course, a custom font for quick pixel writing, a chart explaining each of the pixel art terms, a collection guide giving a step by step look at how to create the rock, tree, and character, the pixel .PSD containing every pixel creation that was made during the course along with examples for you to look at, and finally a Pixel Character Base, which you can take and create your own character to post in the gallery below!
Note: the introduction is freely available for anyone to view to help give you a better preview of the course, Enjoy!
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Getting Started
Download HD Video
(8:45)
Anti-Aliasing
Download HD Video
(7:14)
Dithering
Download HD Video
(3:20)
Pillow Shading
Download HD Video
(1:50)
Outlining
Download HD Video
(5:56)
Color
Download HD Video
(11:53)
Rock - Classic
Download HD Video
(9:45)
Rock - Modern
Download HD Video
(16:06)
Tree - Classic
Download HD Video
(9:24)
Tree - Modern
Download HD Video
(11:06)
Character - Classic
Download HD Video
(11:13)
Character - Modern
Download HD Video
(32:13)
Outro
Download HD Video
(00:47)
NICE ONE!
I really love pixelart and always wanted a course like this! My dream becomes true – Thank you so much
Thanks! This has been something I’ve wanted to do for a LONG time now, and I’m glad it’s finally out and ready to watch, Hope you enjoy it!
the downloads of part4 and 5 are switched
Very awesome, I can’t wait to watch it all!!!
bah my login isn’t working, however I might get citizen just to see what you have for this, did you go more for pixel aesthetic (looks like pixel art) or the palette optimized (fewer colors) pixel art.
Judging by the video titles and preview images above, they did both. “Rock – Classic” is definitely pixel art. “Rock – Modern” is … debatable. Some would say it isn’t “pixel art”, but just “art that uses pixels”. There is also “tree” and “character” the same way.
Exactly. I wanted to cover many different styles of pixel art so while the larger ones might not be considered traditional pixel art they are still in the realm but I also included the smaller sized ones with the limited color palette as the more classic approach to pixel art!
As a pixel artist myself the “classic” one is highly debatable too. Games never looked like that, it is the kind of “hipster” pixel art if I may say so. Most pixel-artists would just frown down on it as bad craftsmanship. An example how a “proper” classic PA could look like: http://www.pixeljoint.com/pixelart/56472.htm
Pixel art has such a wide range of styles that it comes down to personal preference. More modern games like Sword and Sorcery use this kind of “hipster” art but it is not frowned upon but rather praised for it’s modern take on pixel art. I love the pixel art community and the different styles that come with it per artist’s perspective.
Now that I have my Wacom Bamboo Create, I’m ready to conquer the world…er um, conquer Photoshop with some Pixel Art! Super excited!
Glad to hear it, I hope you post your character results!
Hi Tim,
As Ben said downloads 4 & 5 are reversed, does that mean they should be viewed in that order? Also, download 11 (Trees – Modern) contains 2 identicial compressed files.
Think I am going to really like this one as the art style brings back so many memories of Doom, Quake & the like. In any case, it looks like it is going to be a lot of fun. Going to get to give my Intuos 4 tablet (Christmas present from my sons) and CS5 (got a special deal from Adobe for owning PSE-9 just before they released CS6) a good workout.
Love what you guys are doing with these courses, it really gives added value to being a Citizen. These sites just keep getting better & better.
Thanks,
-Danny
No, they are in the correct order as seen here in the series!
I hope you enjoy the series and I would love to see the results when you finish!
The order is correct, but the numbering is flipped, dither is numbered 5, and pillowing is numbered 4 on the files.
Also as already stated part 11 still contains 2 copies of the video, this just cost you guys for the additional bandwidth, and for those that pay for data which seems to be many countries.
Wow, this is awesome!!! Thank you. I’ve been looking to do this for a long time.
=] Hope you post the results!
Thanks Tim for this amazing series…I’ve wanted to see for a long time
No problem, I hope you enjoy the series!
I definitely enjoyed this series. I definitely learned things. In particular, hue shifting for the light and dark areas finally hit home.
Thanks!
Awesome! Yeah it was great taking the time and sitting down to really dig into color theory, I learned a bunch and I had to resist spending too much time in color for the tutorial because I think color deserves a full blown course!
Question, I use gimp 2.8 are these brushes only for Photoshop? I try to use ABR viewer 2.0 to convert and get error “version of one or more brush sets not supported”
What if we try placing the .abr files directly into the brushes folder. To do that go to “File”, “Preferences”. From there scroll down until you see “Folders” and click the “+”. Click on the brushes icon and it will show you the location that the brushes are stored in. If you copy the .abr brush file into this location, it should work =]
Thanks for the fast reply – I updated to Gimp 2.8.2/copy brush/got the following error:
“Failed to load data:
Fatal parse error in brush file ‘C:\Users\.gimp-2.8\brushes\CoCo_PixelArt_Brushes.abr’: unable to decode abr format version 7.”
The training is wonderful and I can use the font so will work on without the brushes, again thank you.
Yes I have the same issue. I don’t know if photoshop lets you, but can you save the abr brush file as a v6? v7 is just what PS5 uses and GIMP can not read the new version.
This is fantastic Tim – thanks very much for putting this together! I come from a programming background but am very keen to learn and improve my artwork, so this is invaluable – I’ve learned a lot from studying this course. I’m determined to climb out of the “programmer art” pigeon-hole, so please do keep ‘em coming!
Good to hear, I would love to see the results!
OMG… TIM VON RUEDEN = PURE WIN!!! I love you man… so AWESOME!!!!!
Thank you! =]
Hello Tim,
I see your tutorial on pixar art.. I really learn alot from there. Thanks =D
But I got one question to ask you – on the video you say masking (than there’s a black and white thing clip to the new layer you create) I try to do that masking but could not found and how to do it, all I keep found clip masking is there any solution to this? Really Thanks a lot Tim!! =)
Regards,
Pandric
If you have an object on a layer and want to use that object to create a mask on that layer or any other layer…
1. With the CNT key held down on your keyboard select the thumbnail representation of that layer with your pen.
2. Select the layer you want the mask on (a new layer or any other layer).
3. Select the create mask button. It looks like a black rectangle with a white dot in it. If your not sure which one it is hover the pen over it and a message will tell you.
Thanks @Verticies for the written explanation. =]
Yeah, I was thinking of doing a tip tutorial on just masking. It is a technique I use often in concept art and it definitely deserves recognition.
Great subject for a Tutorial! Was on the fence about renewing, this may just push me over to do it! Can’t wait to start watching & learning from this. Am interested in how some of these techniques/processes could be adapted to MacOS’s Pixen program. Pixen is a Pixel-Art editor w/animation abilities. hmm…
Yeah, this was a fun course to work on! I’m going to check out Pixen, it sounds rather interesting.
Just a suggestion for ppl who don’t own PS.There’s grafx2 and Aseprite, two great programs to make pixel art. And of course, there’s always Gimp
Awesome! I am in the middle of building a side scroller game in Corona and need to start creating some assets…..This is exactly what I needed. You guys rock!
P
Thanks! Hope it helps you out with your game!
hey man not yet done anything from your tutorial, but im in the process of downloading them… it appears to me that when you try to download the 4th video it comes up with number 5??
i signed up as a citizen for this tutorial ..^_^
Tim, I want you to know from the bottom of my heart how much I appreciate you. I do not have an artist ability to even draw the hangman for a game of hangman. Color I get because I am a house painter by trade but your approach to teaching in all that I have seen here on cgcookie has.. well taught a blind man to see. Thank you!
Good Lord!
Thank you, Tim!
I have been wanting to do pixel art for ages and looked on the Net for tutorials but, although they are there, they are not practical at all, it’s all jargon and fuzzy thinking.
This course, however, is everything I need.
You are my hero.
I’m sorry, but you’re misleading people with this course. This is -not- pixel art, you don’t use a soft brush in pixel art, you don’t use gradients. You use limited colours and draw pixel by pixel, using this guys technique you will never learn to produce clean, quality pixel art. Do not waste your money.
I’m sorry you feel that way, but if you watch the course I talk about the correct way of shading using dithering and limited colors. The “gradient ones” are my personal preference for a modern pixel take but I also go through creating a rock, tree, and character in the traditional style.
Don’t worry Tim, by the hardcore definition using anything larger than a 1×1 brush disqualifies it from being pixel art.
But the key word is art, so f*$# them and keep on going!
Fantastic tutorial, and thank you for the handy Photoshop resources too!
Thanks and you are most welcome!
I would love to see more pixel related tutorials! Especially ones regarding animation and styles.. But this is great so far! Thanks again. :3
The next course in progress is the Pixel Animation course! Can’t wait to release it!
Sweetlicous! If it’s anything like this, it’ll be nothing short of amazing. Thanks for sharing this, I’m sure it will help many game designing hopefuls out there.. Like myself. :3
Awesome to hear, Hope this helps you out!
Great tutorial! BTW. In the 9th video “Modern rock”. near the beginning you “grab the colors” from the classic rock layer and it makes a swatch on its own layer!! Was that a keyboard shortcut?? Ive been googling “grab colors” but its only giving me eyedropper shortcuts!
Hey there i have problems to follow the cleaning step. I cant see if u switch your brush to eraser while u are cleaning your black outlines. If you do so, what settings do you use for the eraser. because my eraser tool always do not erase at 100% if i go over my black lines. thx
fixed it. you have to switch the eraser mode to pencil ^^
Hey,
I got the course when I was citizen month ago, but I forgot to grab the brushes. Is there a way to make it downloadable? Or maybe give me a hint on how to make that dithering brush, where overpainting already painted areas won’t mess up the dithering pattern?
Thanks!
Woo, shaley.
Hello dude, where you from?
I am from Wisconsin but currently reside in Illinois.
Tim, you can share the palette of colors too? Please!
http://cgcookie.com/concept/2013/01/18/resource-color-palette/ Here is the color palette resource that you are able to download!
i haven’t made it all the way through the videos yet (i am on number 8), so maybe you cover this, but how do you handle having to re-size a piece of pixel art without getting anti-aliasing / softening of the edges?
With vector art you are able to re-size without any blurring but when working with pixels, if you are re-sizing the image then it will become slightly pixelated and fuzzy. It’s a bummer but try to work at the exact size you are looking to hit right from the get go.
So I’m trying to level up my art skills (I’m a programmer), so I’m getting more familiar with photoshop while I watch these videos. I ran into a simple problem I hope someone can help me with. In the antialiasing tutorial, I can’t get my brushes to lightly anti-alias the edges of the moon when using the same settings you are around the 4:25 mark. You activate “Transfer” but as you brush around the edges the brush seems to spill into the adjacent pixels. When I attempt to do the same, nothing happens. Just the same painting. I see you don’t have your tablet pressure settings activated. Any ideas on what I’m doing wrong? (I’m using Photoshop CS 5.1)
A few questions for you: Are you using a tablet? A mouse won’t give you the transfer settings because of the lack of pen pressure to give you that effect. If you are using a tablet make sure that not only “transfer” is checked on but make sure “opacity jitter” is turned on with the control setting “pen pressure”. Let me know if that works for you!
Can those techniques in this video be used with only mouse and keyboard? Because I don’t have a table or can buy one at present.
Very sorry for my bad english, I hope you understance what i mean.
They can most certainly be done with a mouse and keyboard but having a tablet would make it that much easier!