El Pixel Art is booming again thanks to the boost received from mobile video games. As these work on mobile devices with limited battery life, Pixel Art is perfect so that the battery does not consume much and the game has an attractive appearance. To make creations in this peculiar type of art, there are magnificent online design tools. One of them is Piskele.
This editor is relatively easy to use, making the task of fitting pixel by pixel and forming images little by little, to create a spaceship or the main character of a video game, for example, very easy. Our skill and our imagination are what will set the limits.
What is Pixel Art?
The call "pixel art" It is an artistic discipline that, through the use of a computer and a graphic editing program, allows the creation of elaborate images pixel by pixel.
The golden age of Pixel Art It took place during the time of development of the first game consoles and the most primitive mobile and computer games. It must be said that in those moments more than an art form it was the only graphical solution that was available. With the evolution of digital technology, Pixel Art ended up being displaced by other graphic media that allowed the creation of increasingly perfect and realistic images that even put the graphic achievements of the first video games in ridicule.
It seemed that pixel art had been buried in history forever. Nevertheless, nostalgia and taste for retro made Pixel Art rescued from oblivion a few years ago by young artists. Talented creators who have been able to master and improve techniques to achieve new forms of expression. And all that, pixel by pixel.
This is how piskel works
Before starting with Piskel, it is necessary to make it clear that we will always get more out of this program if we already have certain previous artistic skills. For example, if we are good drawers, we know the Theory of color or we have basic knowledge of the history of art, our performance will logically be much higher.
You also have to know that to get a good work of Pixel Art with Piskel or through any other similar editor, you need to be thorough and patient. It could be said that this is almost a work of craftsmanship.
An interface with many options
Piskel allows us to create a preview image in real time of the work that we are carrying out, that is to say, that we observe our progress at all times. It has a very simple interface equipped with a series of tools that we all know well and that simplify the work process so that we can achieve that work of art that we want to express.
Some tools that we are going to find in this peculiar work table are the pencil, the mirror pencil to achieve symmetrical drawings, the paint pot to fill surfaces, the eraser, the hand or the wand to move the drawn figures, the lights and shadows applicators , rectangular or circular shapes, for example. In addition, some of the pencils allow us to select the thickness measured in pixels, of course: one, two, three and even four pixels.
In short, a lot of options with which we are going to be able to define all the details of our character or pixelated landscape.
It's not as hard as it looks. If you're familiar with other image editing programs, it's easy to learn Piskel's tools. Even if you've only used the Paint primitive, the idea is the same.
Images and animations
with piskele, our pixelated creations come to life. You just have to add a new frame (duplicate the image) and draw our character in a different position: running, jumping, moving his head, smiling... And that's it, we've performed the miracle of movement.
Sometimes a small change is enough to achieve an impressive effect. Logically, the more frames we use, the more successful the animation will be, although in the universe of Pixel Art the old saying “less is more” is strictly applied. Simplicity is part of the charm of pixelated images.
Once we have defined the changes, we can choose the way in which the image will be displayed. animation (or the sprite, if we use the appropriate technical language). It's not complicated, because a real-time preview is available at all times to see how everything is turning out.
Save and share our creations
Piskel also offers us the possibility of saving all the work carried out and even show them in a public gallery, (although of course there is also the option to save them privately). You just have to enter a description and press the “Save” button.
The animation of images gives us the possibility of creating Animated gifs, which we can share later. Another interesting option is import external images and convert them to pixelated images that, of course, we can also modify to our liking with the tools mentioned before.
offline versions
It should also be noted that, in case you do not want or cannot work on the Pixel Art edition with an internet connection, Piskel offers the possibility of downloading offline versions for Windows, Mac OS and Linux. This is especially interesting when we are involved in a project that requires a lot of time and dedication, so as not to depend on being connected to the web.
Conclusion
Piskel is a complete and easy to use tool with which an imaginative and skillful artist can create true wonders. Totally recommended for those who are nostalgic for the games and digital iconography of the 80s, but also for retro fans.
It is also a very practical instrument for test our creativity and show our artistic skills in the world of Pixel Art and character animation. If you are drawn to this simple yet fascinating art form, Piskel is the best way to start practicing and expressing your ideas. Do you dare to try it?
George Mata