pixel art

Mr_Threepwood · Tue 04/10/2005 04:00:07

Im trying to draw small buttons and small backgrounds and Im using photoshop but I find it very difficult to work with photoshop on pixel art. Do other people experience this, or am I just too new to photoshop to know how to work stuff? If photoshop is very good for pixel art can someone please give me a rundown basics of how to do it, or point me to a tutorial. If therse a better program could someone suggest it?

Evil · Tue 04/10/2005 04:41:11

A lot is just how comfertable you are with the program. Be sure you're using the pencil tool or un-antialiased line tool. If you're one to often change an image around, PS isn't the best. Most people that use it for pixeling have a lot of experence with pixeling before using PS.

SpacePirateCaine · Tue 04/10/2005 04:46:27

I agree it's probably not the ideal tool for pixel art, but it's not a bad program for that matter either. I personally use GraphicsGale as it's designed for pixel art. Still, as Evil said, as long as you're working with a single-pixel pencil tool, it's hard to go wrong - and Photoshop has a handful of nice features that most 'lesser' programs don't.

I never figured out how to animate in photoshop, mind you, so if you're making character sprites eventually, that might end up tripping you up ultimately. It's handier to have something with multiple frames and an onion-skin option. Regardless, once you've zoomed in to 300 or more percent, the principle's the same.

Darth Mandarb · Tue 04/10/2005 05:20:25

I use photoshop for EVERY thing I do. I find it very easy to use for pixel art.

Granted I've been using Photoshop for over a decade, so I'm very comfortable with it.

If you're new to pixel art, and new to photoshop, I can understand that it would be difficult.

Ubel · Tue 04/10/2005 05:29:16

I don't think Photoshop is that hard to use for pixelling. I actually started pixel graphics with it (well okay, I started with MSPaint, but didn't everybody?) and learned it quite quickly. Sometimes I use both Graphics Gale and Photoshop for my pics.

MrColossal · Tue 04/10/2005 05:59:38

I started with MSPaint and then moved to Photoshop, I don't understand what Evil is saying in the slightest but.. differen't strokes!

http://kafkaskoffee.com/tutorials/hirestut.shtml

here's an old old tutorial I wrote that should help you understand photoshop a little better.

Caine: Imageready that comes with photoshop is what I do all my animating in, might want to check it out.

Eric

SpacePirateCaine · Tue 04/10/2005 06:34:36

Ah, yes. Imageready. Unfortunately, I only own Photoshop Elements, so it's all bare bones for me. Still, I do use photoshop for resizing scanned images that I translate into sprites (Also, consequentially, something I learned off of Eric's site). Not to mention that I don't really have the RAM to run two adobe products on my computer at the same time.

And speaking of that tutorial, what ever happened to the RON game that tutorial refers to? Also - sorry for all the tangents - I don't see a navigation bar on your site at the moment, or I'd have linked the sprite tutorial myself.

MrColossal · Tue 04/10/2005 16:27:55

the server broke and it deleted everything, now have to wait for AGA to fix the site so my shtml works.

The RON game is still being worked on, just hard to find the time/motivation. It's almost done and it is sexy.

TheYak · Tue 04/10/2005 16:38:32

Just a note on Elements. I'm using Elements 1 and it'll export a .gif animation. Using layers with transparency and .gif exporting, it's *almost* decent. Damn, I need to go to something a little higher-end.

CodeJunkie · Tue 04/10/2005 21:52:52

I use Paint Shop Pro 7 for pixelling and just about anything else, and it does everything I want. I get the feeling that PS is little different, so it's probably just the way you use it. If you don't already, try using a 1px 100% opaque brush, and use layers for objects at different depths. With layers you can draw an animatable object onto your background, and then just make more layers on top for different stages in the animation, so that you can always compare it with the background. I'm no professional artist, but that's how I do things.

Minimi · Tue 04/10/2005 22:51:27

For GraphicsGale tutorial goto : http://www.solidussoft.tk

I made a tutorial on pixelart backgrounds with GraphicsGale. Goodluck with it!

Mr_Threepwood · Wed 05/10/2005 01:20:27

From the screenshots I see graphics gale does look easier to use then PS, Im sure PS would be great if I really got into learning it, but if there's an easier alternative I'd rather do that.Ã,Â Graphics gale doesnt appear to be free however, I dont really want to buy another program and all it offers is a 30 day shareware.Ã,Â Did those of you who use graphics gale purchase it, or is there something I'm missing?

What I mean about photoshop is Im sure there's a way to do things like onion skins and such to see animations, and easier ways to edit the pixels that are much less frustrating then how I've been going about it. But photoshop is so gigantic its really difficult to learn, and learning it would take away from time I could either play games or do AGS, and I'd really rather be working on my actual game then tinkering around with the pictures.

MrColossal · Wed 05/10/2005 01:28:33

which is why I posted the tutorial I wrote, follow that and you'll know everything you'll need to know to pixel with photoshop.

besides, if you start using Graphics Gale you'll have to learn that program anyway.

DanClarke · Wed 05/10/2005 02:20:34

My advice for photoshop is to learn the keyboard shortcuts, youll find you'll be able to do things a lot quicker than with a mouse.

Evil · Wed 05/10/2005 02:48:38

Quote from: MrColossal on Tue 04/10/2005 05:59:38I don't understand what Evil is saying in the slightest but.. differen't strokes!

My point was it doesn't matter what program you're using if you don't know how to pixel well. If you can't drive well then what does it matter if you drive a car or truck?

Most people start with MSPaint before then move up to something bigger like PS. It's a lot easier to know how to pixel and have some idea of what you are going to pixelate before you mess around with transparencies, layers, auto-a.a., etc.

MrColossal · Wed 05/10/2005 03:03:19

what I ment was this "If you're one to often change an image around, PS isn't the best."

confused me.

Shane 'ProgZmax' Stevens · Wed 05/10/2005 03:36:17

I'm not really a big fan of Photoshop for pixel art, and I've been using programs for it since the late 80's...blah blah yackity schmackity....ramble...snort...Oh yeah, my point.

Ever since I moved away from the Amiga (with much sadness ;<) to the pc world I was looking for that 'perfect' DPaint IV clone. I found it in Pro Motion about six years ago and haven't looked back since. It doesn't require any 'setting up' or tutorials to pixel with, so if Photoshop confuses you I highly recommend it. Just buy, open it, click on the screen and you're there (course there's a bit more to it than that, but the controls are so monumentally easy to use you shouldn't have any trouble). That's not to say I dislike Photoshop; I use it for alot of touch up, layer and filter effects, and it's great for nice looking fonts- but it was never created specifically as a pixelling tool, and therefore you will find other programs designed for only doing pixel art that do the job better and with less stress. Pro Motion is such a product. I am NOT a cosmigo whore, I am NOT a cosmigo whore, I am NOT...

Evil · Wed 05/10/2005 04:16:40

For beginners in pixel art, those who might change large aspects of their art, Photoshop can be hard, with the automated blurring and transparencies and the liking.

Kinoko · Wed 05/10/2005 05:06:05

Paint Shop Pro, Paint Shop Pro, Paint Shop Pro... best art program ever ^_^

SpacePirateCaine · Wed 05/10/2005 10:44:05

As far as GraphicsGale being a commercial program, I indeed shelled out the (about) 20 bucks that it cost after getting myself hooked on it around the beginning of the ATC this year (Granted, it was my first venture into sprite art, and that usually tends to be the one people stick with).

It's nice and inexpensive, but if 20 bucks is still too much, Human Balance also offers a free version here with .gif, .ico, .cur and .ani functionality removed. My advice as always is that if you're going to buy any program, try out the 30 day trial, and if you don't think it's worth it, try something else. I thought the price was right, and I have a credit card of my own, so I went for it.

If you're going to pay for an art program specifically for sprite art, though, it sure beats the hell out of paying four times as much for Paint Shop Pro, or 30 times as much for Photoshop (Though I suppose you already have that one).