Pixelart proportions

[TheRoger]

Is it just me or it seems that small resolution games characters have a head slightly bigger than human normally have, for example in monkey island or technobabylon. What proportions do you use when you make small resolution character sprites?

[Shane 'ProgZmax' Stevens]

This is merely convention and not in any way required.  Some games, like Beneath a Steel Sky or The Dig, forego this to have a more proportionate character but mainly it's an issue of getting more details to the face for expressiveness, especially in the case of games like Monkey Island 1 and 2, where Largo's stickup couldn't be portrayed as humorously if Guybrush didn't wipe away tears after having all his riches stolen, or make that look of embarrassment when his spittle dripped down his lips.  It's one of those low-res 'tricks' pixel artists use to get more out of the small resolution than would be reasonable if, for example, they made the entire body 100% proportionate.  I tend to use this for more light-hearted games or when I want characters to show expression without the use of a dialog portrait.

[Ponch]

I tend to use this for more light-hearted games or when I want characters to show expression without the use of a dialog portrait.

Exactly. It's a stylistic choice. My characters, for example, have boobs slightly bigger than normal when I want to show boobies without the use of gratuitous closeups. 

[Shane 'ProgZmax' Stevens]

Are you sure that's not just because you give them all huge boobs, anyway?

[Ponch]

Are you sure that's not just because you give them all huge boobs, anyway?

Shh! You'll give away all my game design secrets! 

[cat]

And at least in your Halloween game there were also boob-closeups 

[Anian]

Well with realistic proportions, usually then a separate portrait is made, expressing emotions on a character is important in adventure games, especially when there's no voice acting.

[Snarky]

Are you sure that's not just because you give them all huge boobs, anyway?

Shh! You'll give away all my game design secrets! 

http://nonadventures.com/2011/09/02/das-reboot/

[Ponch]

And at least in your Halloween game there were also boob-closeups 

Shh! You're giving away my other game design secrets! 

And Snarky, awesome comic!

[Shane 'ProgZmax' Stevens]

The t-rex with boobs is priceless.  I could totally see that in a Barn Runner game.

[Dualnames]

The t-rex with boobs is priceless.  I could totally see that in a Barn Runner game.

Barn Runner isn't about the boobs!!

It's about...
Who am I kidding??

BOOBS GALORE!

[Ponch]

The t-rex with boobs is priceless.  I could totally see that in a Barn Runner game.

Barn Runner isn't about the boobs!!

It's about...
Who am I kidding??

BOOBS GALORE!

Thank you, gentlemen. It's nice to see that someone understands the deeper message I'm trying to teach the world with me games. 

[TheRoger]

 Whoa....resized bit too much   Anyway, for first time in my life I tried to do a small resolution SPRITE. It's 20x50 pixels. It seems that I can't fit quite well in this size. There was no room for glasses... What size of sprites you usually make?

[gameboy]

I make them about the same size, a tad bit bigger perhaps (~25x70 pixels). I find it to be suitable size for 320x200 resolution.

If you would also choose to add few pixels of height and width you will also be able to draw smaller details such as glasses. Example in my case