Course 02 · Intermediate · A complete project
Pixel Art Fundamentals
The four decisions behind almost every pixel sprite: silhouette, outline, flat fill, and light. Finish with a shaded 24 by 24 mushroom you built in the right order.
You finish with
A 24 by 24 mushroom with a clean outline, a controlled palette, a readable shading ramp and a dithered transition, plus the habits that make the next sprite faster.
One project, 6 small steps.
0/6 complete- 01
Plan the Silhouette
5 minDecide the whole shape before you commit a single color.
A recognizable mushroom silhouette in one flat color.
- 02
Draw Clean Outlines
8 minTurn a filled blob into line art with edges a reader can follow.
Line art with an unbroken outline and an empty interior.
- 03
Fill With Flat Color
7 minAdd one base color per surface before any lighting.
Fully colored art with no highlights or shadows yet.
- 04
Build a Shading Ramp
9 minAdd light and shadow from one decided light source.
A shaded mushroom with a consistent upper-left light.
- 05
Blend With Dithering
8 minSoften the hard edge between two values using alternating pixels.
A dithered transition that reads as a smooth mid-tone.
- 06
Export a Clean Asset
6 minCheck the edges, verify transparency, and export a file a game can use.
A transparent PNG at the correct size, plus an editable project backup.
A few things before you start
- Use the same saved project as you move through the lessons.
- Joining halfway through? Every lesson has an editable starting file.
- Complete the result checklist after practicing. Your progress stays in this browser.