Pixel Art Workshop

**Pixel Art Workshop**

Welcome everyone! It’s been a long time since we’ve been able to get into hosting workshops, so we’re happy to introduce Jasper, also known as @Riotmode in the SDC Discord server. He’ll be speaking on how you can get into pixel art in covering the basics, cartoon mechanics, and some animations as well. The only prerequisites needed are:

* Learn how to draw first

Located in our Discord main stage: https://discord.gg/RAsYGyBPJD

**How to set up Aseprite**

Aseprite is bar none the best pixel art program you can use. It’s a truly robust program custom built with everything from tileset editing, level designing, animation, rotoscoping, and all sorts of bells and whistles besides. It even supports custom scripts to further flesh out its functionality, including tweening/animation paths, color ramp generation, and even perspective grids. The creator of the program is a nice fellow, and encourages people to compile and build it from source if you have a head for code and the patience to do so. You can find instructions here:
[https://www.reddit.com/r/PixelArt/comments/i387m1/guide_how_to_build_aseprite_from_source_aseprite/](https://www.reddit.com/r/PixelArt/comments/i387m1/guide_how_to_build_aseprite_from_source_aseprite/)

Alternatively, you can get into the beta test builds if you purchase the steam version, which is reasonably priced at $20 dollars and has proven well worth my money.
[https://store.steampowered.com/app/431730/Aseprite/](https://store.steampowered.com/app/431730/Aseprite/)

Alternatively, just use whatever art program is comfortable to you. There are many purists in the pixel art community, but they’re all turbo-nerds to be shoved firmly into their lockers because the rules are closer to best practices than they are to actual rules. As such, bending them is often the move to make, be it upscaled sprites to allow for rotation without weird pixel distortion or using rotoscope techniques to create an interesting visual flair that isn’t typical of the limitations pixel art is known for.It’s Pixel Art, Art is an expression of yourself and anyone that claims to be an authority on any artform is acting in direct conflict by injecting their own ideas into it. Working with that is a choice you make, not an obligation! Breaking the rules can be very effective for selling certain moods and ideas.A classic example is Undertale’s Photoshop Flowey boss, which breaks entirely from the pixel art medium to sell a jarring horror element. Another is Pizza Tower, which has very imprecise sprite work and high-frame count animations that gives everything a loose yet very intentional Zelda CDi Shitpost quality to the animation.