intro The ability to accurately depict humans is a high effort, high value skill. Although we all inhabit a body, and are capable of instantly recognizing people from the most subtle features, accurately conjuring our likeness on a canvas does not come easy. Even amongst skilled artists, very few can naturally depict the human form without extensive practice, and use of references. At least that’s what I tell myself, as someone who perpetually struggles in the department. I find the main issue is consistency. No matter how strong of a foundation I build, it instantly begins to rust and crumble ..read more

Intro Throughout all of history, man has inevitably engaged in war, over and over again. With little signs the plot will ever change, we find ways to cope with our intrinsic darkness. One silver lining I can find is the inventiveness bore from conflict. While evil in purpose, the drive of battle has resulted in many technological marvels. Like most boys, I found great appeal in machines of warfare. Guns, tanks, jets, and the glory of victory, how could I resist? As an adult, I acknowledge the grim reality behind the tools of war, but I can still admire the ingenuity and design aspects involved ..read more

intro Our story starts in 1991. Out of nowhere, my two older brothers come home with the newly released Super Nintendo. When I first saw the box, my excitement dampened nearly to anger. Like any healthy 8 year old boy, I was ready to move on from the the kiddy Mario brand, to the blood and guts offered by Sega. However, I was quickly convinced they made the right decision when I discovered F-Zero, which was also brought home that day, along with U.N. Squadron, and the pack-in Super Mario World. You’d never believe it, but the console came with 2 controllers and a game. And that was expected ba ..read more

Intro A title like that might be the opposite of click bait, but for a pixel head like me, it sounds like a party. While some brick and stone assets have appeared in past lessons, they lack in comparison to my explorations with natural textures. After my umpteenth iteration of grass tiles, the prospect of focusing an entire lesson around brickwork actually sounded refreshing. Spoiler: I had fun! What started as simple patterns quickly became so much more in another display of the magical efficiency of pixel art. Follow me down the pixeled brick road, on a journey that promises to yield great f ..read more

Intro Stoic sentinels of the field plant their roots where they stand to hold vigil between sun and earth for generations. These mighty servants of nature generously provide both shelter and sustenance to all manner of crawling, flying, and slithering forms of life. Beautiful in its breadth of greenery, for both form and goodness of provision. Wether standing among like kind in a sea of green, or a singular keeper of a field, reverence should be held for these wooden guardians. From tiny seed of life to towering giant, all miracles of nature are symbolized in this great gift from god we call t ..read more

Intro We’ve been down this road before, on our way to the green pastures of quaint pixel art worlds. Of course, I’m talking about the joys of tile design. Originally, tiles were used to save vital memory on the wimpy computers of the 20th century. Without such limitations in the modern era, some may question the use of tiles at all. Sure, it’s technically possibly to create massive custom assets, but how feasible is that from a production standpoint? The larger the asset, the more time it takes to make. Also, consider the difficulty of modifying the layout of large images that are already bake ..read more

Intro Coming into prominence in the 1980’s, the cyberpunk aesthetic has established itself in the visual arts over decades. With the mere mention of the word ‘cyberpunk’, one is prone to envision neon laden futuristic cities inhabited by robots, humans, and everything in between. Indeed, the aesthetic heavily focuses on city life and the cultural impact of advanced technologies. While these visions may appear optimistic on the neon lit surface, a closer look often reveals the oppression of the people by the societal structure and the very tech they are dependent on, giving rise to the famous c ..read more

intro Long before the polygon, game creators have sought to bring 3D worlds to life by whatever means necessary. When the only means is pixel art, one must rely upon the good ol’ art of illusion. I have always felt the illusion of 2D art, as in traditional painting, or pixel art, is more compelling than realized 3D in the form of sculpture, or modern 3D graphics. The lack of information in the 2D form kicks on the viewer’s imagination to fill in the gaps, while true 3D spoils this interaction by giving you the full 360 degree view. Furthermore, I present a lesson of 3D concepts achieved by han ..read more

Intro The shifting forces of the atmosphere are ever present in nature. Growing up in Kansas, I’m especially familiar with winds that make the landscape dance for days. Furthermore, I often find myself depicting wind in my pieces. However, the howls of mother nature are not just a point of inspiration. Animating wind is a practical and effective way to breathe life into a piece without disturbing the overall composition. So hang on to your hats, as I present a variety of animation concepts that can easily and effectively depict wind. Swirls Wind is visually perceived through the movement it i ..read more

The long haul Hello, hopeful new recruits. I know your triggers are itching to blast some mecha goons out of space after all these years of development. I moved gamedev updates to my Patreon content years ago, but as we sit on the cusp of release, a full blog post is warranted to cover the happenings and my thoughts as we near the end of our long journey. It’s too hard! We began beta testing in late January, which is still ongoing. Overall things have gone pretty smooth, and we’ve made many major improvements thanks to our testers’ feedback. While the graphics and audio have received much pra ..read more