Yesterday, I dug deeper into pixel art, and it was a blast!

First, I learned some cool trivia: Even though Gold and Silver launched the Game Boy Color, Nintendo limited Pokemon sprites to just four colors to showcase backwards compatibility with the original Game Boy. Talk about dedication!

Next, I tackled character sprite size. Since pixel art often goes hand-in-hand with indie games, I considered how dynamic environments and player interaction affect things. The screen size is a big factor, of course – unlike the limited 160 x 144 of the Game Boy and GBC, today's options are wide open! That will definitely influence the tile size for my game board and the height of my characters.

When it came to creating some assets, I experimented a bit. For example yesterday, I found sprite sheets for characters from published games. I tried using Pixilart or Photopea to select colors for edits, but that wasn't quite what I had in mind. So, I got creative! Using the magic wand and palette editing, I turned those Pokemon Crystal characters into something entirely new. The result Kris and Eusine from Pokemon Crystal with different hair colors. ( Amateur insight: Add white to pallet, otherwise the results will be a scary eyeless pngs.)

Speaking of creative techniques, I also learned about dithering, which is similar to hatching and cross-hatching in traditional art. Pixel Parmesan has a great explanation, and that led me to HD Index Painting, which we talked about yesterday.

To fuel my pixel art journey, I explored some fantastic online resources:

• Pixilart: This one includes a built-in browser editor, super handy!

• PixelJoint: While the UI might seem a bit dated, their community forums are really well-organized.

• Pixelation: This community is vibrant and welcoming, just what I need!

There's also Dotpict, an app-based social media platform with a built-in pixel art editor for iOS and Android, and The Spriters Resource, which looks like a treasure trove for all things sprites.

And to the meme of the day!

No meme for today. Go out and enjoy your day!

Yesterday, I dug deeper into pixel art, and it was a blast!

First, I learned some cool trivia: Even though Gold and Silver launched the Game Boy Color, Nintendo limited Pokemon sprites to just four colors to showcase backwards compatibility with the original Game Boy. Talk about dedication!

Next, I tackled character sprite size. Since pixel art often goes hand-in-hand with indie games, I considered how dynamic environments and player interaction affect things. The screen size is a big factor, of course – unlike the limited 160 x 144 of the Game Boy and GBC, today's options are wide open! That will definitely influence the tile size for my game board and the height of my characters.

When it came to creating some assets, I experimented a bit. For example yesterday, I found sprite sheets for characters from published games. I tried using Pixilart or Photopea to select colors for edits, but that wasn't quite what I had in mind. So, I got creative! Using the magic wand and palette editing, I turned those Pokemon Crystal characters into something entirely new. The result Kris and Eusine from Pokemon Crystal with different hair colors. ( Amateur insight: Add white to pallet, otherwise the results will be a scary eyeless pngs.)

Speaking of creative techniques, I also learned about dithering, which is similar to hatching and cross-hatching in traditional art. Pixel Parmesan has a great explanation, and that led me to HD Index Painting, which we talked about yesterday.

To fuel my pixel art journey, I explored some fantastic online resources:

• Pixilart: This one includes a built-in browser editor, super handy!

• PixelJoint: While the UI might seem a bit dated, their community forums are really well-organized.

• Pixelation: This community is vibrant and welcoming, just what I need!

There's also Dotpict, an app-based social media platform with a built-in pixel art editor for iOS and Android, and The Spriters Resource, which looks like a treasure trove for all things sprites.

And to the meme of the day!

No meme for today. Go out and enjoy your day!