2d pixel art

Pixel Art -2DA lot of old or ‘Retro’ computer games used graphics known as ‘Pixel Art’. In pixel art you can see each pixel and can, most of the time, even count how many pixels make up the image you are looking at. It is a very simplistic looking and is quite effective. Pixel art just shows you the image and nothing more. No shading and no textures, just coloured pixels making up a shape or character.

In my opinion I quite like pixel art as it is quite retro and I like the pure simplicity of it. There isn’t anything that doesn’t need to be there. Just colours that make up an image.

Pixel Art – 3D Isometric

In the fields of computer and video games and pixel art, the technique has been popular because of the ease with which 2D sprite- and tile-based graphics can be made to represent a 3D gaming environment. Because parallelly projected objects do not change size as they move about the game field, there is no need for the computer to scale sprites or do the complex calculations necessary to simulate visual perspective. This allowed older 8-bit and 16-bit game systems (and, more recently, handheld systems) to portray large 3D areas easily.The use of isometric graphics in video games began with the appearance of Sega’s Zaxxon, released in January 1982. It was one of the first video games to display shadows.Another early isometric game was Q*bert. It showed a static pyramid drawn in an isometric perspective, with the player controlling a person which could jump around on the pyramid.

Concept ArtConcept art is a form of illustration where the main goal is to convey a visual representation of a design, idea, and/or mood for use in video games before it is put into the final product. Concept art is also referred to as visual development and/or concept design.In recent years concept art has embraced the use of digital technology. Software, such as Photoshop and Corel Painter, has become more easily available, as well as hardware such as Graphics tablets, enabling more efficient working methods. Prior to this (and still to this day), any number of traditional mediums such as oil paints, acrylic paints, markers, pencils, etc. were used. Owing to this, many modern paint packages are programmed to simulate the blending of colour in the same way paint would blend on a canvas; proficiency with traditional media is often paramount to a concept artist's ability to use painting software. I quite like the look of concept art as its just the basics of what is portrayed in the final game. It also gives you an insight into what the artists where thinking before creating the final design.

Texture ArtAlmost everything you see in a video game has a texture. These textures are created on computer software and then transferred onto the object, that has been previously created, in the game itself. Without textures all games would just be 2D images and transparent solid shapes that wouldn’t have any use as you wouldn’t be able to see them in game. Textures give everything in game a more realistic look and helps portray realism within the game. Most new games on consoles, such as the Play station 3 and Xbox 360, use thousands of different textures throughout the whole game. This is what gives them the realistic look they have.

Background GraphicsAll games contain background graphics. Background graphics give depth to the interface before the gameplay even starts. Backgrounds are even used in the interface to give the player a feel of what the game will be like and portray the style of the game.Within the game, the background sets the tone, mood and style of the game. Most games that include killing and death will generally use dark colours such as black and, often, red to represent blood. Whereas lighter hearted games will include games such as blue, yellow and a brighter shade of red. Another example is a lot of racing games will include colours such as chrome, black and other metallic colours. These are used to represent the kind of colours you connect with cars and mechanics.

Print Media ArtUnless they are downloaded, all games are packaged in boxes with plastic sleeves. These usually contain a slip in cover of what the game is , inside, the game itself (in disk form) and often you will also get a manual booklet with all the information on how to play the game inside.

Depending on the genre of the game, the style of the cover art varies greatly. For example, an arcade game, such as Mario or Sonic, would have bright bold colours to attract the games target audience. Which in the case of arcade games would be young, amateur players. Whereas a game such as Halo 4 would use a darker and more duller tones to emphasise the seriousness of pro gaming and competition.

Reference Links

http://seig-verdelet.deviantart.com/art/Mecha-Game-Concept-Art-Mech-163045641

http://www.moddb.com/games/iron-grip-warlord/news/from-conception-to-birth

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Concept_art

http://man-called-zonkee.blogspot.co.uk/2010_06_01_archive.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isometric_graphics_in_video_games_and_pixel_art http://www.polycount.com/forum/showthread.php?t=65957 http://riseyuuko.livejournal.com/10818.html

http://digital-art-gallery.com/picture/12248

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Procedural_texture http://www.katsbits.com/download/textures/stone-wall.php