Pixels to Pikachu

Meet Bashawn! He works with instructor Matthew as part of Game-U’s Accelerate program. Bashawn’s taken to digital arts like a duck to water, using pixels to create Pokemon, anime, and Pikachu.

Since pixels represent the fundamental unit of digital display, they naturally find an important place in digital arts. These teeny-tiny dots of color come together to create breathtaking vistas, colorful interfaces, and sometimes, Pokemon, Pikachu, and anime. With Matthew’s help, Bashawn’s learning how to use pixels to his advantage. Take the line tool! Every drawing, digital or tangible, needs lines. Bashawn used the line tool to trace a Pokemon drawing, where the lines are so powerful that they don’t need color or shading to bring the Pokemon subject to life. Line tool thicknesses can be adjusted according to pixel size, spanning one pixel, two pixels, fifty pixels, etc., so Bashawn also tried a different project using one-pixel lines. It’s safe to call the result a success! His anime girl clearly has lots of spunk and plenty of expression, and Bashawn did it all with pixels.

Bashawn even put the line tool to work tracing a Christmas Pikachu – or, as he likes to call it, a Santachu! This happy fellow just begs to be colored in with red and white, and definitely deserves a few plates of cookies after climbing down so many chimneys this holiday season.

Bashawn also manipulates pixel color to create his art. Magnifying an image or canvas to paint it one pixel at a time allows the digital artist to create outlines and shading. Check out the fierce little Pokemon Gengar! Notice the shadow beneath his body, and the highlights on his face and arms? They contribute to the effectiveness of the portrait and show how good Bashawn’s gotten at pixel art.

Awesome work here, Bashawn! Thanks for sharing your art with us and explaining the role pixels can play in digital media. We’re looking forward to seeing your pixel creations featured in a game someday!