The Ultimate Guide to Making Pixel Art in Photoshop
Pixel art, a form of digital art where images are edited on the pixel level, has seen a massive resurgence in the last decade. The rise of retro-style indie games like Stardew Valley, Celeste, and Undertale has proven that pixel art is not just a nostalgic gimmick, but a powerful art style that can hold its own against modern hi-res graphics.
Not only is pixel art used extensively in gaming, but it has also become a popular aesthetic for web design, user interfaces, and visual branding. According to a survey by Statista, 71% of game developers reported using pixel art in their projects in 2021, up from just 45% in 2016.
So what exactly is the appeal of pixel art? For one, it provides a distinct, iconic look that people immediately recognize and connect with emotionally. Pixel art also allows for a great deal of creativity within constraints – the artist must thoughtfully design each and every pixel to convey the proper shape and form.
If you‘re interested in leveling up your digital art skills, learning to make pixel art is a great avenue to explore. And one of the best tools for the job is Adobe Photoshop. As a digital artist and Adobe expert with over 10 years of experience, I‘ll walk you through the 3 essential steps to set up Photoshop for pixel art, plus share some pro tips I‘ve learned along the way.
Step 1: Configure Your Canvas
Before you begin pushing pixels, you need to set up your canvas with the proper dimensions and resolution. When it comes to canvas size for pixel art, I recommend starting small, usually between 16×16 to 64×64 pixels. This will give you a nice chunky pixel scale to work with. Here‘s how the common pixel art canvas sizes compare:
| Canvas Size | Pixel Scale | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| 16×16 | Very chunky | Icons, sprites, mini-pixel art |
| 32×32 | Chunky | Small characters, tiles, avatars |
| 64×64 | Medium | Characters, portraits, environment pieces |
| 128×128 | Fine | Large scenes, mockups, user interfaces |
In Photoshop, create a new document with your desired pixel dimensions. Keep the resolution at 72 DPI. This goes against the conventional wisdom of always using 300 DPI for digital artwork. But for pixel art, we actually want to work at a 1:1 pixel density to keep our artwork sharp and crisp.
By default, Photoshop uses a black background for new documents. But for pixel art, it‘s better to work with a transparent background so you can easily isolate your artwork later. To do this, simply select the "Transparency" checkbox in the new document settings.
With your properly configured low-res canvas, you‘re ready to draw. But first, you‘ll want to enable the pixel grid.
Step 2: Setting Up the Pixel Grid
Since you‘re working at the individual pixel level, having a grid to visualize your canvas is essential. Luckily, Photoshop makes it easy to configure a pixel perfect grid in just a few clicks.
Go to View > Show > Grid to toggle the grid overlay on. Nothing will show up yet because we need to adjust the grid settings first. Go to Photoshop > Preferences > Guides, Grid & Slices. Under the "Grid" section, change the settings to the following:
- Gridline Every: 1 Pixels
- Subdivisions: 1
Click OK to apply the settings. You should now see a grid overlaid on your canvas, with each square representing a single pixel. You can toggle the grid visibility on and off with Cmd/‘ (or Ctrl/‘ on Windows).
Having a proper pixel grid is critical for keeping your artwork clean and aligned. Gigi Bachtel, a professional pixel artist known for her work on games like Celeste and Luna Nights, says:
"I always work with a 1px grid on. It allows you to see exactly where each pixel is so you can make precise adjustments. Without the grid it‘s easy to make messy, misaligned shapes."
With the canvas and grid sorted, you can finally begin drawing. Let‘s talk tools and techniques.
Step 3: Pixel Perfect Drawing Tools & Techniques
While Photoshop is loaded with advanced digital art features, you only need a handful of tools in your repertoire for pixel art. Your primary tool is the Pencil (shortcut B). The Pencil is great for drawing hard-edged pixel lines and filling in large areas quickly.
Before you draw, double check that your Pencil Tool settings are as follows:
- Size: 1px
- Mode: Normal
- Opacity: 100%
Now you can begin plotting pixels, one by one, to gradually build up your shapes and forms. Use the grid as a guide to keep your edges completely straight and your corners sharp. A stylus tablet is recommended for maximum control and efficiency, but a mouse works fine too.
In addition to the Pencil, other helpful tools for pixel art in Photoshop include:
Eraser Tool (E) – For cleaning up stray pixels and refining shapes. Also keep this at 1px size.
Marquee Tools (M) – For making selections to fill, copy, paste, and move around. The rectangle and ellipse marquee tools are the most useful.
Paint Bucket (G) – Quickly fill an area with color. Make sure the Contiguous option is checked unless you want to fill all pixels of the same color.
Eyedropper (I) – Sample colors from your canvas so you can reuse them elsewhere. Saves a lot of time selecting colors.
Remember to constantly zoom in and out as you work to check your artwork at different scales. You can zoom in with Cmd/Ctrl+ and zoom out with Cmd/Ctrl-.
In terms of technique, I recommend keeping your palette simple and using large blocks of color as the base, then refining down to the pixel level. Don‘t be afraid to be bold with your lines and shapes. Pixel art reads best when the graphic elements are clearly defined.
As you practice, challenge yourself to convey more with less. Pixel artist and animator Pedro Medeiros, known for his stunning pixel art scenes, has this to say about working with pixel constraints:
"In pixel art, we are forced to represent complex ideas and emotions in a very small space, so each pixel must be carefully placed to convey just the right details. Limitations boost creativity."
By honing your skills with the basic tools and techniques covered here, you‘ll be able to create pixel art of surprising depth and complexity. Speaking of skills, the next topic is essential for leveling up your pixel prowess.
Mastering the Pixel Art Style
Pixel art is all about style. There are many different aesthetic approaches to explore within the pixel art medium, each with its own unique charm. Here are a few fundamental pixel art styles to study and try out:
1-Bit (Two Colors)
The most basic pixel art style uses only two colors, usually black and white. This is how many of the earliest video game graphics were designed due to extreme hardware limitations. 1-bit art is all about stark, bold shapes. Even with just two colors, you can achieve an impressive amount of detail and visual interest. Modern examples of 1-bit games include Minit and Return of the Obra Dinn.
8-Bit (256 Colors)
For many, 8-bit pixel art is the quintessential retro game aesthetic. 8-bit graphics contain up to 256 colors, which allows for significantly more detail and nuance compared to 1-bit. When working in this style, limit your palette to only the essential colors you need for your artwork. Some standout modern games with 8-bit pixel graphics are Stardew Valley, Undertale, and Shovel Knight.
16-Bit (Thousands of Colors)
The 16-bit era of gaming, dominated by consoles like the Super Nintendo and Sega Genesis, featured pixel art with richer colors and more complex sprite work. If you want to achieve the look of titles like Super Mario World, Chrono Trigger, or Sonic the Hedgehog, 16-bit is the style to emulate. For a stunning modern take on 16-bit, check out the game Owlboy.
Here‘s a breakdown of how these pixel art styles compare:
| Bit Depth | Available Colors | Characteristics | Example Games |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1-bit | 2 | High contrast, minimalism, bold lines | Minit, Obra Dinn |
| 8-bit | 256 | Iconic retro look, limited palette | Stardew Valley, Undertale |
| 16-bit | Thousands | Detailed sprites, richer shading | Hyper Light Drifter, Owlboy |
Beyond bit depth, there are many other stylistic directions to go with pixel art. You could explore an isometric pixel style to create a faux-3D look. Or try your hand at pixel painting, where you use advanced blending and shading to create lush, atmospheric scenes. The only limit is your creativity.
The key to developing your own recognizable pixel art style is consistent practice. Dedicate time every day to pixel sketching and studies. Fill a 16×16 canvas with as many unique character designs as you can. Try adapting your favorite cartoon characters into a pixel art style. The more you flex your pixel muscles, the more defined your style will become.
Resize and Export Like a Pro
We‘ve covered a lot of ground, but there‘s one final crucial step: exporting your pixel art. A key feature of pixel art is that it can scale to different resolutions cleanly, as long as you use the right scaling algorithm.
To resize your artwork, go to Image > Image Size. Enter a new Width and Height that are evenly divisible from your original dimensions. For example, a 32×32 sprite could scale to 64×64, 128×128, 256×256, and so on. It‘s essential that the Resample option is set to "Nearest Neighbor". This will ensure the pixels are scaled uniformly without any anti-aliasing or blurring.
When you‘re ready to export, go to File > Export > Export As. Choose PNG as your format. In the settings, turn OFF any anti-aliasing options and make sure the Bit Depth is set to 24 or 32-bit to preserve quality. Click Export and you‘ll have a crisp PNG file of your pixel art that can be used anywhere.
If you plan to create pixel art animations, you‘ll want to look into the Timeline panel and Sprite Sheet features of Photoshop. But for static images, the process above will serve you well.
Beyond Photoshop: More Pixel Art Resources
Photoshop is an incredibly powerful option for pixel art, but there are also many specialized pixel art programs out there. If you want to try a dedicated pixel art tool, here are a few top recommendations:
- Aseprite
- Pyxel Edit
- GraphicsGale
- Piskel
- Pixel Studio
For even more pixel art software options, artist reviews, and tutorials, I recommend checking out Lospec. They have a comprehensive list of pixel art programs for all skill levels and budgets.
If you want to dig deeper into the wonderful world of pixel art, here are some of my favorite resources and communities to get involved with:
- PixelJoint – A forum dedicated to pixel art, with challenges, critiques, and a gallery
- Pixel Art Academy – Premium video courses and tutorials from top pixel artists
- Pedro Medeiros on YouTube – An amazing channel with pixel art timelapses and breakdowns
- Pixel Pete on Twitter – Daily pixel art tips and inspiration from a pro
- Syosa‘s Pixel Art Tutorial – A classic in-depth pixel art tutorial for beginners
I also recommend studying the work of renowned pixel artists like Paul Robertson, Henk Nieborg, and Toyoi Yuuta. Analyze how they use color, shape, and detail to create their unique styles.
Conclusion
Pixel art is a unique digital art form that combines the nostalgia of retro games with the unlimited potential of modern digital art tools. As you‘ve seen in this guide, creating pixel art in Photoshop is a skill that anyone can learn with the right tools, techniques, and mindset.
We covered a lot, so let‘s recap the key steps:
- Set up a small canvas at 72 DPI with a transparent background
- Enable a 1px grid overlay for precise pixel alignment
- Use the Pencil and other pixel-perfect drawing tools to plot your artwork
- Explore different styles like 1-bit, 8-bit, and 16-bit
- Scale and export with the "Nearest Neighbor" setting for crisp results
I hope this guide has given you the foundational knowledge and inspiration you need to start your pixel art journey. It‘s a wonderful medium for learning about color theory, shape design, and the importance of every individual pixel.
Remember to be patient with yourself as you practice. Embrace the challenge of working within constraints. Limitations breed creativity. With dedication and experimentation, you‘ll develop a pixel perfect style all your own.
So go forth and make something awesome, one pixel at a time! Feel free to reach out with any questions. And be sure to share your pixel art with me on Twitter – I‘d love to see what you create.