How to Setup Photoshop for Pixel Art

[aftershockpivot]

I use Gimp for pixel art, because it's preset for aliasing

[RebelINS]

Thanks for the positive feedback guys. I do plan on making more layer manipulation tips later.

However, I had a feeling that I would be spending more time defending my choice in program than responding to actual feedback.

Anyways, why use Photoshop for a pixel art with a low number of colors? Totally pointless.

For your information, the color picker for Photoshop is superior to ms paint's in every way possible. It also supports color profiles and different settings. A program with a robust amount of features can easily be downsized to your needs (pixel art) and maintain the same functionality, but a program with very few amount of features cannot be upsized to reach that same level of functionality.

It does have the BASIC hotkeys, and cropping is pretty useless in most cases. Layers in Paint? Why would I need them in Pixel Art? For nothing. And as for pixel art, I have more than you can even imagine. And recolor is different from edit that is different from custom. Custom is created from zero with some or no inspiration, editing is reallocation of pixels to create something using this or that base, recolor is enhancement of the current palette or palette swapping (like that Shaman King guy that simply went to Photoshop, changed the spritesheet to greyscale and posted it). Just recently I have been using Photoshop a little more than usual, but I like to try doing complicated things, unlike your amateurism.

It actually has no hotkeys for any of the tools, which means that there's no hotkey for pencil, brush, eraser, eyedropper, or anything. Enjoy your archaic workflow. I don't care at all about your classifications of recolors vs edits, as that's all irrelevant justifications.

Gives you TOTAL control, if you don't know. Try holding ALT on CTRL while hovering an anchor point, N-E-W-B-I-E!

You don't seem to understand that pen tool uses a vector-based algorithm to determine the shape of the curve. Anything algorithm-based looks like shit with pixel art. You should probably try to understand what I just said before you criticize. Control in pixel art term refers to the ability to manually control what goes into the work, pixel-by-pixel. Your definition of total control proves to me that you have no idea what you're talking about; ie. it has absolutely nothing to do with the use of automated tools.

Me? Usurp? Look at you! I bet that 90% of the things you have "done" are actually someone else's work! So, please, go back to Paint and learn a little more before speaking to a PS intermediate-pro guy... Like me, an AUTODIDACT.

You're grasping at straws here at this point in your post. You should post proof that I plagiarize if you're going to bring that up. In any case, I should take you up on that 90% challenge. All I have to do is count the total number of my artworks, and post over 10% of my original .psds. lmao

Keep in mind that I am a moderator of this section, and all of your criticisms of me are backed with personal attacks (U mad?, you're a n-e-w-b-i-e, amateurism). I could easily criticize your artwork, but this neither the time nor place to do that. Perhaps you should do the same, because this isn't my personal art thread? You do a lot more boasting about your skills than actual posting of your skills. You should probably calm yourself down before making a response. I can tell that you're getting a bit "u mad", based on the number of personal attacks with little actual rebuttal to the facts I present.

[Chu]

As a user of Photoshop myself, I'm going to add a few tips that I find useful:

-Keep the Navigator window open to the side if you're doing larger images, like GG2 maps. The layers, color, and swatches windows are optional but are helpful if you're using them.
-This is a nice tutorial on making a custom swatch, so you can easily keep tabs on how many colors you're using.
-You can click the buttons next to the letters in the color picker window if you want to change the number you're controlling in the slider bar. I personally stick to Hue so I can stay in one level and adjust the saturation and luminosity to achieve tints and shades easily.

[SCBG]

Mmm, BLU Color Mod would be much easier to make with this.

Also, Tsuki (or should I say Elmind Blacksky ), why don't you actually post one of your works instead of resorting to calling RebelINS' work amateur without any substantial evidence that you're experienced or understanding enough to critique his work? Aside from the horribly mediocre F.O.E. in your signature and the bad, obviously MS Painted swords in your DeviantArt Gallery, I'm finding nothing that can even so much as stretch the definition of pixel art to include itself.

[ubd]

Layers in Paint? Why would I need them in Pixel Art? For nothing.

Most wrong sentence involving art '10

[SCBG]

Oh, hey. A new episode of Let's Use Tsuki's Own Words Against Him


"Edited from the basic sheet for Megaman 8-bits. It was PAINFUL to edit."

Source

[SH James]

As a user of Photoshop myself, I'm going to add a few tips that I find useful:

-Keep the Navigator window open to the side if you're doing larger images, like GG2 maps. The layers, color, and swatches windows are optional but are helpful if you're using them.
-This is a nice tutorial on making a custom swatch, so you can easily keep tabs on how many colors you're using.
-You can click the buttons next to the letters in the color picker window if you want to change the number you're controlling in the slider bar. I personally stick to Hue so I can stay in one level and adjust the saturation and luminosity to achieve tints and shades easily.

So, that's what Swatches are for... I never really use them.

Oh, hey. A new episode of Let's Use Tsuki's Own Words Against Him


"Edited from the basic sheet for Megaman 8-bits. It was PAINFUL to edit."

Source

Thanks for reminding me to clean up my deviants. Doing so right now.

PS: Also, this is what I meant about vector controls in Photoshop with the Pen tool:

This is a cropped screen capture.
The 1st shape is, obviously, done with the basic "click-and-drag" pen and tool.
The 2nd shape is done by copying the very same shape then "alt-clicking" each anchor and dragging out, to reveal the "control", which I moved at will. This way you have 100% of control over the shapes you create with it.

[Intel Gourd]

RebelINS just owned you. YOU HAVEN'T BACKED ANYTHING UP. Instead of avoiding him, just say flat-out you were wrong.

[RebelINS]

You still don't understand that total control in pixel art is the ability to create lines and curves 1 pixel at a time. I've said this three times now. The point isn't to use a vector based tool for a low res rastered image.

Also, the tips are much appreciated Shawnachu. I'll gladly add your tips to the second post. Anyone is welcome to add helpful tips as long as you know what you're talking about. 

[SH James]

RebelINS just owned you. YOU HAVEN'T BACKED ANYTHING UP. Instead of avoiding him, just say flat-out you were wrong.

No, I ignored his poor excuses. Also, just because he is a moderator it DOESN'T mean he has all the rights of... Let's say.. Admin and Global Moderator. He's just another member with small privileges, and like some here, ends up abusing them. So, no. If he wants to prove I'm wrong, he must first learn to do his job well. And by well I don't mean just removing post, sticking threads and such. There's more than that. Also, by replying to my arguments he's trying to fight back. And even did it with hostility in his first response to me, which qualifies him less as a mod.

You still don't understand that total control in pixel art is the ability to create lines and curves 1 pixel at a time. I've said this three times now. The point isn't to use a vector based tool for a low res rastered image.

Actually, I can doubt of it. Some pixel artists DO use the Pen Tool for curves if they are tracing a picture. Others resize the picture they are going to trace and edit pixel by pixel, creates from scratch, copies from another picture as much as they can. Don't generalize it. It's like when I said this place is full of trolls, which is WRONG because there are SOME people here that are cool and kind. If you generalize that every pixel artist goes pixel by pixel, doesn't that make you as wrong as me?

[Intel Gourd]

You officially are the most dense motherfucker I've ever seen. Your hostility is way out of line when the only thing between you and a ban is a moderator. He's shown his art and cometely shamed your argument. Now you're bringing up moderation to defend yourself.

[RebelINS]

Tsuki, that's your last post in this thread. You have been give ample time to read my reasonable counter arguments and let that sink in. Since you squandered that opportunity to post offtopic criticisms of my moderation and stubbornly ignore all my major points to sidewind your arguments into entirely new things, you have proven that you're incapable of having intelligent discussions. 

[Speed of Dark]

Tsuki is worse at arguing than I am. And that's saying something.

[Dusty]

There's some days i just want to punch people through the internet.

There's others where I wish I could nuke their neon blue cat heads off through the internet.
[/offtopic]

Either way, I don't use Photoshop because I'm to lazy to pir- I mean, buy it.

But this looks well written and I feel like I could use this to make Pixel Art in PS

[Kizzi]

Rebel, there any way to bind a hotkey to toggle contiguous (sp?)?