16bit game art style

[Isaac]

I have an interest in pixelated 2d game art. Most will argue it's not a real art style and has no monetary value in this day and age. Who cares. I like it.

I still don't have a feel for it. This image above is my first attempt.

[Unix]

I think if you got good enough at it, you could throw this on t-shirts and make some dough. Especially if you did pixelated parodies.

[Isaac]

Haha true.

[Duper]

That's not too far off old FF or Zelda.

I'd recommend using slightly larger squares.

[Isaac]

I was asking my self what size pixels to use and if I should keep them on a gird.
I'll try again later with big pixels on a grid.

[Isaac]

Here we go..

[Duper]

Nioce!

[roid]

i like 16bit art.
fond memories.

geek Kitsch?

[Floyd]

that is 8 bit gfx, guys. 16 bit is already sufficient for most pictures and photos. these old systems had only 8 bit anyway.

[Xamindar]

Can't you just take any image and easily convert it into an 8 bit image by scaling down the resolution and colors?

[Thenior]

Anybody seen 3d dot heroes?

[Isaac]

@ Xamindar
Yes but drawing each pixel can achieve more clarity and it takes a certain level of logic since you don't have as many pixels to work with to get your idea across.

@Floyd
Yeah. I might try to do characters at the level of chrono trigger next. Which have 16-bit color and are of higher resolution. But not too high.

[Isaac]

@ Thenior
It looks interesting.

[Floyd]

you might want to give c64-fli graphics a try, it's even more challenging, since you can only have 4 different colors for each 8x8 box and only 16 colors in total
then there is hires-fli on the c64, which you need a special editor and viewer for, add color interlacing and you've got hicolor pictures on the c64 (somewhat glimmering though)!

if you've got no hardware, there's c64 emulators, or you can write your own drawing program/plugin for the gimp or whatever to set these limitations.

[Isaac]

I found a website related to what you're talking about.
http://www.studiostyle.sk/dmagic/gallery/gfxmodes.htm
It does look like what I'm doing, but I think I'll stick with my vertex art program since I can experiment more, even bend the rules, on this style. But I might end up trying it eventually since I'm curious about it.

[Isaac]

@ roid
Thanks. And yes it could be one of those. You'll have to walk up to him and press A to talk. :p

[Isaac]

HD:[link]

[vision]

Cool Pyro man; took me a second to see it (had to squint a little)

Here's another. Kind of makes me want to see Descent as an old school side-scroller.

[Isaac]

Here's another. Kind of makes me want to see Descent as an old school side-scroller.

Like RType or something. Yeah, I would like to see that happen.

[roid]

omg, 2D descent? that's an interesting idea

[Isaac]

omg, 2D descent? that's an interesting idea

[vision]

hahaha! hilarious!

[Sapphire Wolf]

hahaha! hilarious!

x2

[AlphaDoG]

Asteroids is 2D D3!

[Isaac]

lol

[Isaac]

Abstract:

for closer inspection

[Xamindar]

Man you need a grid. The squares aren't even lined up so it doesn't look 16 bit or whatever at all. Try using an image editor that you can set at the proper resolution like 32x32 pixels and that lets you zoom in to actually see them as you paint. Then you can enlarge the image without any filtering to make it big enough to see normally. I know the Gimp can do it, probably many others as well. Nice try though, what's it supposed to be?

[Isaac]

I kind of want that \"hand made\" look.

Aligning the tiles or using a pixel editor would be easy. But I'm not trying to replicate a video game image. I'm experimenting with the style. I knew I was stepping outside the rules of the medium.

But your irritation is an interesting reaction to the art. I might have to emphasize the incorrect alignment, by slightly rotating a few of the tiles. Or maybe even adding some shadows.** Please continue giving me feed back. Drawing is like tuning into people's emotions and I have not yet found the right 'frequency' for this style. **

[Xamindar]

I don't get \"art\" type people.

Oh, you didn't answer. What is it?

[Isaac]

What is it?

It's just an exercise. I'm just stretching my muscles.

A fountain that spews water and fire... I think. It could also be a leaking gas tank that's about to explode. I can't tell either.

[roid]

It looks like drawing with a a large fixed-size square brush.

[Isaac]

It's the most powerful water bong ever!

[DarkHorse]

I have an interest in pixelated 2d game art. Most will argue it's not a real art style and has no monetary value in this day and age. Who cares. I like it.

It is a recognised type of art. Monetary value depends on how you use it more than anything else. There's still commercial value in just about every genre of art ever conceived.

[vision]

I might have to emphasize the incorrect alignment, by slightly rotating a few of the tiles.

I felt the same way as Xamindar, but I thought the misalignment was intentional. I think the brain naturally wants to align the colors to a grid, because our experience dictates that. Perhaps a "broken mosaic" look would make it feel deliberate, especially if the misplaced "tiles" emphasized something in the image (static versus active motion perhaps).

But yeah, keep up the good work.

[Floyd]

I think the brain naturally wants to align the colors to a grid, because our experience dictates that.

not if you've seen linear zoomed bitmaps/sprites before

[DarkHorse]

The whole point of 8-bit art involves structure, though. Breaking it up just makes it look like you're trying to make art in Paint and not doing so well.

[Floyd]

a little and a little more blocky art.

[AlphaDoG]