/ic/ - Artwork/Critique

if it isn't a couple of hundred pixels squared, it isn't pixel art. It's officially '8-bit indie garbage'. Long name for an art form, i know but they really claimed it as their own.

A limited palette is important. If you're using gradients, or freehand lines you aren't doing pixel art any more. You don't need to place every pixel, you have to consider every pixel. Alone or within it's local pattern.

Consider this image. The last image only contains one more colour, it remains limited in palette. The right one is way bigger than the original left, and gets away from being le homage 8-bit indie game tier. Still, compared to high res pixel art, it's laughable. Low res pixellated art is an art style, not an art form. When you get into higher resolutions, with more technical skill needed, the differentiation between pixel art and other forms becomes apparent.