[Nanorat]

A yet again another go at my kabuto inu species. I really want them live but just never can get them to be exactly what I want. They only ever look perfect as sketch.. or when tiny sprites.

Anyone got any advice on how to do pretty pixel art? Ive got the most problems with paws (fingers ugh) and horns, I cant figure out thin parts. xP

Edit: Okkk, I tried and cleaned it. It sadly doesnt look like what I want in bigger sizes.. so, how is this? Any tips on how to improve it?

[FoxofVanaheim]

Draw a sketch and then pixel over it. That's a popular way of doing good pixel art, and the more you do it the better you get at making smaller ones. Fingers can be quite hard to draw at first, and I myself never really got the hang of it as I'm much more better at drawing animals than people. One thing to keep in mind is dimensions, such as 2D and 3Dism. Also realism, such as not making body parts too straight. The legs and backbone, to me, are the most important to draw correctly.

Is there anything specific you need help with? I can make drawn examples for you, if you want. (I don't bite x3)

[iiktome]

honestly I think these lines are perfect and you wouldn't need to change a thing with anatomy (i.e. paws, hands, and horns)
all you need to do now is learn how to clean up pixel lines! i'll post examples when i get home from school!

[Nanorat]

Thank you both! <3
I did draw a sketch and pixelled over it, and Ive been trying to clean up but it doesnt go too well - in such small size, I cant really fix the line from looking broken without it going too far away from where it's supposed to be.

Ill try making them a bit bigger, maybe it'll be easier when the horn is not exactly 2 pixels wide. xD

[iiktome]

here we go ! my short and sweet guide to fixing up pixels:
(note: 300x300 avatar option would definitely be a better fit !)



the difference between good and bad pixel lines is a horrible thing called corners !


taking a close look there is no corners in this lineart and it makes it look very smooth and clean


the red is the corners i erased to make it look that way !

honestly, this kind of pixel art is all about cleaning up lines and it'll probably take more time cleaning up the lines then anything else you'll be doing with the piece of art. it takes a lot of patience but the end product is definitely worth it and looks very professional! also, definitely avoid dark colors is what i've learned but don't let me hold you back if you feel like need to color in your pixels with dark colors. my pixel in my signature never uses black and the darkest color is that dark brown that seems to make my pixel lines look a bit messy but they don't seem to be bothering the piece too much, just be thoughtful with your colors!

the one that was in my signature:

[Nanorat]

Oh, thank you iiktome! That's a good guide! Ill try on 300x300 tomorrow and see if cleaning it will yeld more predictable results.