Today, by chance, I stumbled across a whole realm of computer graphics that I had never even considered… pixel art. Originating before the days of Photoshop and other vector-based programs, this genre of art is created, well, one pixel at a time. Sounds ridiculous, right? See if you still think so after checking out the following images, which are some of my favorites from the eBoy website:

I am amazed by the complexity of these works. They are bright and fun, and it seems as though there is always something new to discover about them. And I can’t even begin to guess at the number of hours that were put into each image. Incredible.

Much of eBoy’s images are done in the classic 3D style, which is a near-isometric projection. This just means that lines don’t converge as they approach the horizon, they stay parallel. Thus, the sides of blocks, walls, and buildings all have a “two pixels over, one pixel up” slope. Not all pixel art follows this formula, however, and can be equally (if not much more) impressive. The following images are from DeviantArt, where you can view hundreds of pixel art entries.

For a final example, I’d like to provide a link to Drububu’s portfolio. He uses pixel art fused with some really nice Flash work to create some very interesting applications and animations. It’s definitely worth a look.

The first pixel art was created as early as the 1970’s, but I would be remiss not to mention the history of art using simple blocks of color. For thousands of years, artists have created intricate mosaics and beadworks with their bare hands. A far cry from a mouse and a computer screen, these art forms are arguably more difficult and tedious than pixel art, and clearly set the precident for the digital manifestation seen today. Regardless, the time and effort put into all these forms of artwork is astounding, and these artists should be applauded for their patience and dedication to their craft.