#rebold

1: Resolution.

Clarity is key, and the number one way to ensure your art is clear and readable is to make it small. And I mean SMALL, damnit! Pixel art excels at the tiniest resolutions! Even when making large, detailed character or environment pieces, DO NOT start at your final resolution! Start small, block your shapes in, and scale up later!

At most, I design everything at a tiny 16x16 to 32x32. Only when the design/pose is absolutely clear and readable at that size do I consider scaling it up, refining the design/pose, and adding more detail. No matter what you're drawing--characters, skylines, objects, logos--this method ensures that the most important elements can be deciphered at any scale.

2: Contrast.

Also on the subject of clarity, use more contrast! And also less contrast. Let me explain.

The best character designs are clear and recognizable at any size and angle. How do they achieve this? They make sure contrast exists between areas of interest--and almost nowhere else.

You may see obvious examples in cartoony characters like Mario or Klonoa, but it exists in all good art--even hyper-detailed paintings. Always keep contrast high between defining elements like limbs and clothing, and low within the boundaries of those elements. If you're having trouble with this, design your piece in greyscale and then colorize it later!

Contrast is also important in shading. Shading is the second most powerful way to separate important features! One of the most common errors I see in newbie pixel art is that the shadows aren't dark enough--usually because pixel artists look at their art zoomed in where the line between shades is obvious. Zoom out to 100% frequently--if your shading disappears, it needs to be darker!

3: Silhouette.

This is a more specific technique I picked up from the character designer on Team Fortress 2.

Design the silhouette of your character first. Make sure it reads as a character with a strong, defined pose first--only then can you expand and add details like clothing, color, and facial features.

Here's a demonstration with all 3 techniques at play.

First, a strong pose at a low resolution, making sure there's contrast and division between the most important elements--even with only one color.

Then, scale up and add detail. Add color, making sure there's contrast between elements at this stage as well.

Finally, add depth with shading.