At the end of the 19th century, a pictorial technique emerged that revolved around the ability of the eye and the mind of the viewer to combine small spots of color in a wider range of tones. It was called pointillism and was adopted by artists such as Seurat, Signac or Van Gogh. One hundred years later, computers and software embraced a very similar concept for creating both still and moving images. Although it was born due to technical limitations, Pixel Art has marked an era in 20th century graphic design. Against prognosis, it continues in force, transcending until it is considered an art.
The term pixel defines the smallest of the elements that make up an image: the Picture Element , where “pix” comes from picture and “el” from element. The pixel makes possible the idea of talking about the resolution of an image , or what is the same, of the quality that it offers when we visualize it. The higher the number of pixels, the higher its resolution. They are essential in the digital environment since each element that we see on any screen is made up of modele pixel art, being generally square or circular. Grouped in a certain way, when we observe them from a certain distance, they form the whole of a complete image. And that's where Pixel Art comes in .
Pixel Art is a form of digital art based on the use of raster graphics editing programs and where images are edited at the pixel level. In the collective imagination, it is recognizable by the appearance of video games during the first decades of its existence, which is why it is also often called retro style, low-res or even 8 bits, although it is not strictly correct in some cases . Although it began its development limited by the technical deficiencies of the time, with the passage of time it even became a benchmark of the playability of a game due to the quality that had been achieved in Pixel Art. they got better and evolved over time, so did Pixel Art.
Despite technological advances, today it is still a valid way to carry out some aspects of modern software projects, standing out where some current heavy image formats exceed the specific needs required. The Pixel Art option is very useful when a higher image quality is not required, facilitating the saving of resources when developing software. Although it has been largely displaced from the map of the technical field, there has been a trend for a few years among many artists and users who see this technique as a very interesting form of art . Among them, Alexander , a student from 42 Madridwho has spent many hours developing his creativity through pixels. It reminds me that “since I was little I have liked to analyze things in detail. I remember one day, while playing Mario Bros on Nintendo, I was paused for a moment, just looking at the character. I went beyond the colors and wanted to understand how it was made. Later, I understood that it was made pixel by pixel, and that more than a game, it was an artistic expression that had long impacted generations of people.
Before learning that 42 was coming to Madrid from Fundación Telefónica, Alexander had sought out many educational centers to acquire digital skills. All the ones he encountered did not quite attract his attention, either because they were very expensive, or because he did not like the methodology they used to teach. "When I finally found 42, I saw that it was something unique, that you don't need a teacher to learn to program, that the methodology of leveling up in the course is like a video game which motivates you to improve every day, without stopping on the other hand, it has very good facilities to be totally free. When I saw all that, I said to myself: I have to pass the initial challenges as much as possible ”, he justifies. Pixel Art is still a hobby for him. What's more, his real interest lies in the field of AI, where he plans to specialize in 42 Madrid: “when we go into detail and talk about AI applied to neural networks, we realize that the technology will go much further than we can imagine. It is going to mean a very big change in sectors such as healthcare, business development, transportation, and many more. I, without a doubt, want to be part of that future.
No professional software is required to get started with Pixel Art. Alexander shares that “over time, I discovered new tools for creating this art, which are very intuitive and allow you to create canvas and animations with them. The most recommended in my opinion is Pixilart. It is an online platform where you can create your designs, animate them and publish them in a gallery so that others can see your work. Then there are some that are a bit more complicated to use, like GrafX2 and GIMP ”. Therefore, any basic drawing program would suffice to get started. In fact, many specialized artists began their work with tools as simple as MS Paint. For the more experienced, it is advisable to use more sophisticated software that uses custom layers and grids. Some such programs, apart from those recommended by Alexander, they are Inkscape, Photoshop or Graphics Gale. Learning to create Pixel Art meanslearn to innovate creative solutions to meet very specific needs. It is much more than just drawing . You have to plan, pay attention to detail, adapt to the limitations of technology, and devise a strategy to overcome those limitations.
Although the most obvious expectations might be that Pixel Art would die out once the technology reached the point where it was more practical and feasible to use vector graphics and 3D CGI, it has not. There is demand and its market does not stop growing as its scope of application is expanding. If at first it was inexorably related to video games, now it is applied to website designs, interface design, textile design, infographics, mobile games, television graphics, comics, movies or as an independent art form that manages to reach be exhibited in galleries and fill private collections. And more. Some artists with interesting work? Here is a small varied selection: Octavi Navarro , Waneella, Mazeon , Kirozake , Uno Moralez , Diego Sanches , Excalibur , Craig Robinson or the eBoy collective.
