Knowledge
beginner
Logical pixels and the grid
Pixel art is designed in logical source pixels. The grid governs silhouette, rhythm, and readability—not the size of the zoomed preview.
ContinuePixel art knowledge
Understand the essential ideas behind grids, color, animation, tiles, and pixel rendering.
Knowledge
beginner
Indexed color and palettes
In indexed mode, pixels point to palette entries. Editing one entry changes every pixel using it and makes the color budget explicit.
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Knowledge
beginner
Color ramps and shading
Pixel shading often uses small, related color ramps. Value, hue, and saturation share the job of describing volume and material.
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Knowledge
intermediate
Dithering is a pattern, not noise
Dithering uses deliberate pixel patterns to suggest intermediate tones or texture. Density and direction must follow the form.
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Knowledge
beginner
Frames, layers, and cels
A sprite animation combines a frame sequence with a layer stack; each intersection is a cel. This model clarifies editing and reuse.
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Knowledge
intermediate
Frame duration and motion rhythm
Motion rhythm depends on frame duration as well as frame count. Holds, uneven timing, and repeated poses create weight and emphasis.
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Knowledge
beginner
Tilemaps and tilesets
A tileset stores reusable tiles; a tilemap stores grid references to those tiles. Separating content from layout improves iteration.
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Knowledge
beginner
Integer scaling and sampling
Nearest-neighbor preserves pixel boundaries. Integer scaling maps every source pixel to an equal block and avoids uneven pixel widths.
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