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Pixel Art Environments

2D Environment Design & Animation.

4.2 Filled star Filled star Filled star Filled star Empty star
Based on 119 ratings
see reviews
GameDev.tv Team and Reece Geofroy

Want to make your games stand out? Pixel art is quick and easy, when you know how.

Learn how to create your own top-down and platformer based Pixel Art Environments in just a few hours.

Using the highly popular LibreSprite / Aseprite, you'll create dozens of pixel art assets throughout this course, including nature environments and assets, interior environments such as brick walls, castle decorations and more.

You’ll develop the skills to quickly create Pixel Art backgrounds and landscapes, and be crafting Pixel Art objects and environmental assets for decoration in no time.

Read more

Want to make your games stand out? Pixel art is quick and easy, when you know how.

Learn how to create your own top-down and platformer based Pixel Art Environments in just a few hours.

Using the highly popular LibreSprite / Aseprite, you'll create dozens of pixel art assets throughout this course, including nature environments and assets, interior environments such as brick walls, castle decorations and more.

You’ll develop the skills to quickly create Pixel Art backgrounds and landscapes, and be crafting Pixel Art objects and environmental assets for decoration in no time.

All of this helps make your game stand out, which is ideal for game jams, packed game stores, portfolios and much more.

From creating Environment Pixel Art, to understanding colours, to creating animations and designing game backgrounds. You'll do it all.

By the end of the course you'll know how to create tile sets for top-down and platformer games, have designed game backgrounds, and built basic animations for assets and landscapes.

And, the environment design process can be applied to all types of 2D environment design, not just Pixel Art.

Whether you’re a beginner with pixel art, more intermediate and want to improve your skills, or a game developer working with 2D Engines, this course will help you.

Your instructor, Reece, will provide you with many tips and tricks to improve quickly and be efficient with your asset creation process.

All students have access to the Q&A where our Instructors, Teaching Assistants and Community are ready to help answer your questions and cheer on your success.

Jump in and start creating your awesome environments now.

Enroll now

What's inside

Learning objectives

  • Create your own top-down and platformer based pixel art environments in just a few hours.
  • Develop the awesome skills to quickly create pixel art backgrounds and landscapes.
  • Craft pixel art objects and environmental assets for decoration.
  • Design unique 2d game backgrounds.
  • Make interior environments such as brick walls and castle decorations.
  • Understand how to create tile sets for top-down and platformer games.
  • Create nature environments and assets.
  • Build basic animations for assets and landscapes.
  • Quickly become competent using the very popular libresprite / asesprite software.
  • Be part of an amazing and supportive community of people similar to you.

Syllabus

Introduction & Setup

In this video (objectives)…

  1. Welcome to the Pixel Art Environments Course!

Read more

In this video (objectives)…

  1. You can use any pixel art software you'd like in this course. We'll be using LibreSprite which is very similar to Aseprite, but open source and free!

In this video (objectives)…

  1. Lucy invites you to join us in our various community support forums in order to ask questions, connect with other students and share your progress.

In this video (objectives)…

  1. Reece takes you through a step by step guide to creating pixel art in Libresprite and getting your workspace ready for future lectures.

In this video (objectives)…

  1. Lighting and Color are two of the most important concepts to understand for creating professional pixel art. This lecture will cover a brief summary of both of these topics.

In this video (objectives)…

  1. Let’s learn how to export sprites to create your own Sprite Sheets for Video Games!

In this video (objectives)…

  1. Let’s learn how to import your sprite sheets to customize your sprites!

In this video (objectives)…

  1. Learn about the two most popular drawing perspectives in pixel art drawings!

In this video (objectives)…

  1. Congratulations on completing the first section of the course, where we tackled the basics of pixel art theory and perspectives!

In this video (objectives)…

  1. Our introduction into creating pixel art tile sets and sprite assets for video games!

In this video (objectives)…

  1. Let’s discuss the importance of tile sets and how to set up your first one!

In this video (objectives)…

  1. Build a grass tile set in a top-down art style!

In this video (objectives)…

  1. Create nature assets for a top-down video game sprite sheet!

In this video (objectives)…

  1. Build a grass tile set in a platformer aesthetic!

In this video (objectives)…

  1. Design new nature assets for a platformer video game sprite sheet!

In this video (objectives)…

  1. Create castle tile sets for a platformer video game!

In this video (objectives)…

  1. Build new assets for a dungeon style environment in a platformer perspective!

In this video (objectives)…

  1. Congratulations on completing the second section of the environmental pixel art course!

In this video (objectives)…

  1. Our introduction into designing backgrounds, looping tiles, and creating landscapes!

In this video (objectives)…

  1. Create a background for a skybox platformer environment!

In this video (objectives)…

  1. Design brick walls for a castle or dungeon platformer background!

In this video (objectives)…

  1. Learn how to loop backgrounds for infinite environments.

In this video (objectives)…

  1. Design your first pixel art landscape piece, creating the background of your image.

In this video (objectives)…

  1. Design your first pixel art landscape piece, creating the foreground of your image.

In this video (objectives)…

  1. Polish your first pixel art landscape piece that you can share with the world!

In this video (objectives)…

  1. Congratulations on completing the third section of the environmental pixel art course!

In this video (objectives)…

  1. Our introduction to polishing environments, animating assets, and creating your first pixel art game concept scene!

In this video (objectives)…

  1. Learn how to create basic animations and export your files to be previewed as an animation!

In this video (objectives)…

  1. Let’s animate the landscape we created in the previous section to finalize our art as a video game cutscene!

In this video (objectives)…

  1. Start animating objects using basic techniques of animation fundamentals.

In this video (objectives)…

  1. Let’s build a game scene! This time…the background!

In this video (objectives)…

  1. Let’s build a game scene! This time…the foreground!

In this video (objectives)…

  1. Let’s build a game scene! This time…the decorations!

In this video (objectives)…

  1. Let’s create an alternate to our game scene concept! Learn how to create a night version of your environment!

In this video (objectives)…

  1. Congratulation on completing the Pixel Art Environments Course!

Traffic lights

Read about what's good
what should give you pause
and possible dealbreakers
Focuses on creating assets quickly, which is beneficial for game jams and populating game stores with content
Uses LibreSprite/Aseprite, which are popular software choices for pixel art creation, making it easier to follow along
Covers both top-down and platformer perspectives, providing a comprehensive understanding of 2D environment design
Teaches how to create tile sets, backgrounds, and animations, which are essential skills for building complete game environments
Includes a section on polishing environments and animating assets, which are crucial for creating visually appealing game scenes
Requires learners to download and install LibreSprite or Aseprite, which may require additional steps and computer resources

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Create your own learning path. Save this course to your list so you can find it easily later.
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Reviews summary

Practical pixel art for game environments

According to learners, this course offers a solid introduction to creating pixel art environments for games. Students say the instructor is clear and easy to follow, especially for those new to pixel art or the software. The practical, hands-on approach with exercises and projects covering different perspectives (top-down, platformer) and asset types (nature, interiors, tile sets) is frequently highlighted as a strength, allowing students to build a portfolio. While many find it excellent for beginners, some more experienced users felt certain topics, like animation or advanced techniques, could benefit from more depth. Overall, it's seen as a valuable course for getting started quickly and learning the essentials using tools like LibreSprite/Aseprite.
Teaches using popular pixel art tools.
"Learning using LibreSprite, which is similar to Aseprite, was very helpful as it's a standard tool."
"The course uses widely accepted software in the pixel art community."
"The focus on specific software helps make the learning concrete."
Useful for game development and portfolios.
"I learned skills I can immediately apply to my game development projects."
"The assets created are great for building a portfolio for game jams or showcasing skills."
"The focus on creating game environments and tile sets is very practical."
Starts with basics, easy to follow for new learners.
"As someone completely new to pixel art, this course was the perfect starting point."
"It's very beginner-friendly and covers all the essential concepts you need."
"Even without prior experience in pixel art or game development, I could follow along easily."
Building actual assets and scenes is great.
"I really enjoyed the practical exercises and building the environment pieces step by step."
"The hands-on approach helped me learn by doing and solidify my understanding."
"Creating actual tile sets and assets gave me confidence in my abilities."
Teacher explains complex ideas simply.
"The instructor explains everything clearly and provides helpful tips throughout the lessons."
"The teacher's explanations are easy to follow, making learning new techniques straightforward."
"Reece is a very good instructor, providing clear and concise instructions."
Topics like animation could be more detailed.
"The section on animation was a bit brief; I would have liked more examples or detail."
"Some reviewers felt certain specific topics were covered quickly."
"While it covers many areas, some students wished for deeper dives into specific techniques."
Experienced users may find some parts too simple.
"While great for beginners, intermediate artists might find some sections cover familiar ground."
"Some parts felt a bit too basic for someone with a little prior pixel art knowledge."
"I was hoping for slightly more advanced techniques in certain areas."

Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in Pixel Art Environments: 2D Environment Design & Animation. with these activities:
Practice Pixel Art Fundamentals
Reviewing pixel art fundamentals will help you grasp the core concepts taught in the course more easily.
Browse courses on Art Fundamentals
Show steps
  • Practice basic shapes and shading techniques.
  • Experiment with different color palettes.
  • Try recreating simple pixel art sprites from existing games.
Read 'Pixel Logic: A comprehensive guide to pixel art'
Reading this book will provide a solid foundation in pixel art principles and techniques.
View Putting Knowledge to Work on Amazon
Show steps
  • Read the chapters on color theory and shading.
  • Study the examples of different pixel art styles.
  • Try to replicate some of the techniques demonstrated in the book.
Create a Small Pixel Art Tile Set
Creating a tile set will reinforce your understanding of tile-based environment design.
Show steps
  • Choose a theme for your tile set (e.g., forest, desert, dungeon).
  • Design a set of tiles that can be seamlessly connected.
  • Create variations of each tile to add visual interest.
  • Share your tile set with the course community for feedback.
Four other activities
Expand to see all activities and additional details
Show all seven activities
Animate a Simple Pixel Art Asset
Animating a pixel art asset will help you understand the principles of animation in pixel art.
Show steps
  • Choose a simple asset to animate (e.g., a flickering torch, a flowing waterfall).
  • Break down the animation into key frames.
  • Create the individual frames of the animation.
  • Export the animation as a GIF or sprite sheet.
Design a Mockup Game Level
Designing a game level will allow you to apply the concepts learned in the course to a practical project.
Show steps
  • Choose a game genre and perspective (top-down or platformer).
  • Sketch out a rough layout of your level.
  • Create the necessary tile sets and assets.
  • Assemble the level in your chosen pixel art software.
Read 'Making Games with Python & Pygame'
Understanding game development basics will help you appreciate the importance of well-designed pixel art environments.
View Scratch 3 Programming Playground: Learn to... on Amazon
Show steps
  • Read the chapters on game loops and event handling.
  • Experiment with importing your pixel art assets into Pygame.
  • Try to create a simple game using your own pixel art.
Follow Advanced Aseprite Tutorials
Following advanced tutorials will help you master Aseprite and improve your pixel art workflow.
Show steps
  • Search for tutorials on specific techniques (e.g., dithering, outlining).
  • Follow the tutorials step-by-step, paying attention to the details.
  • Experiment with applying the techniques to your own pixel art.

Career center

Learners who complete Pixel Art Environments: 2D Environment Design & Animation. will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:
Pixel Artist
The pixel artist specializes in creating art using a limited number of pixels. This course is invaluable as it teaches you how to create pixel art environments and assets for games. You'll learn to design tile sets for top-down and platformer games, create nature and interior environments, and build basic animations. The course emphasizes efficient asset creation using LibreSprite or Aseprite, skills pixel artists need. The pixel artist can use the environment design process and apply it to all types of 2D environment design.
See salaries and explore the career path for Pixel Artist
Tile Set Designer
A tile set designer creates the individual tiles that are used to build environments in 2D games. This course is directly relevant, as you gain the understanding of how to create tile sets for top-down and platformer games. You'll also learn how to create nature environments and assets, as well as interior environments like brick walls and castle decorations. The tile set designer will know how to make video games more unique and visually rich after taking this course.
See salaries and explore the career path for Tile Set Designer
Game Artist
A game artist creates the visual elements of video games. This includes backgrounds, characters, objects, and user interfaces. This course helps you develop skills in creating pixel art environments and assets, which are used in many 2D games. The course covers creating tile sets, designing game backgrounds, and building basic animations, all essential skills for a game artist. A game artist can utilize the techniques from this course to make art for game jams, build up a portfolio, and more.
See salaries and explore the career path for Game Artist
Sprite Artist
A sprite artist creates the individual sprites or images that make up characters, objects, and other elements in a game. This course will help the sprite artist develop the skills to quickly create pixel art backgrounds and landscapes. You'll learn how to craft pixel art objects and environmental assets for decoration as well. With this course, the sprite artist improves sprite design capabilities, especially pixel art sprites for 2D games.
See salaries and explore the career path for Sprite Artist
Indie Game Developer
An indie game developer works independently or in a small team to create and publish video games. This course is directly applicable to creating the art assets needed for 2D games. As an indie game developer, you'll learn how to quickly create pixel art environments, design game backgrounds, and build basic animations. The course can serve as a foundation for indie game developers who need to produce their own art assets efficiently. The animations, backgrounds, and tile sets that the indie game developer can make are all essential to the game.
See salaries and explore the career path for Indie Game Developer
Game Asset Designer
The game asset designer creates the various assets used in video games, such as characters, objects, and environments. This course helps you craft pixel art objects and environmental assets for decoration. You'll learn how to create nature environments and assets, interior environments, and basic animations. The game asset designer will be crafting pixel art objects and environmental assets for decoration in no time. The course may also help the game asset designer stand out.
See salaries and explore the career path for Game Asset Designer
Background Artist
The background artist creates the backgrounds for video games, animations, and other visual media. This course is perfect for background artists looking to specialize in pixel art. You'll learn how to design game backgrounds, create looping tiles, and design landscapes. The course helps build the skills needed to create both static and animated backgrounds. By understanding colors, creating animations, and the environment design process, the background artist is sure to thrive.
See salaries and explore the career path for Background Artist
2D Animator
A two dimensional animator creates animations using 2D software and techniques. This course helps build a foundation in creating animations for 2D game environments. You'll learn how to build basic animations for assets and landscapes, which are then used for games. The course will be particularly helpful to a two dimensional animator who is interested in pursuing a career in video game animation. Also, the two dimensional animator will also learn interior environment design and other skills.
See salaries and explore the career path for 2D Animator
Level Designer
A level designer creates the layouts and environments for video game levels. This course will serve as an introduction to creating pixel art environments that can be used in 2D games. You'll learn how to create tile sets for top-down and platformer games, design game backgrounds, and build assets for decoration. The level designer can focus on layout and gameplay, and use skills learned here to create the art assets that they need. The environment design process will be very helpful for this designer.
See salaries and explore the career path for Level Designer
Technical Artist
The technical artist bridges the gap between artists and programmers, creating tools and workflows to improve art production. This course may help a technical artist who wants to understand the pixel art creation process. You'll learn how to create tile sets, design backgrounds, and build animations using LibreSprite or Aseprite. This understanding will help the technical artist create tools and workflows that improve the efficiency of pixel art creation. The animations that the technical artist is able to design are a plus.
See salaries and explore the career path for Technical Artist
User Interface Artist
The User Interface Artist specializes in designing visually appealing and functional interfaces in the context of software and games. This course may assist the User Interface Artist in creating interfaces using pixel art, and designing interior and nature environments. You'll learn how to use tile sets, backgrounds, and animations that can lead to a more visually rich and immersive experience in game design. The User Interface Artist will learn how to create interior environments such as brick walls.
See salaries and explore the career path for User Interface Artist
Multimedia Artist
A multimedia artist creates animation, visual effects, and other visual images. This course may allow multimedia artists to enhance their skills in creating pixel art environments and assets. You'll learn to design tile sets for top-down and platformer games, create nature and interior environments, and build basic animations. The multimedia artist can use the environment design process to apply it to all types of 2D environment design.
See salaries and explore the career path for Multimedia Artist
Texture Artist
A texture artist creates the surface details of 3D models, but this course may help texture artists apply textures to 2D objects, especially pixel art objects. You'll learn how to design game backgrounds, create looping tiles, and design landscapes, which are all helpful for 2D art. The texture artist may benefit from the skills learned about color and lighting. The texture artist can then use these skills to make better textures.
See salaries and explore the career path for Texture Artist
Animator
An animator can work in many different fields. This course may serve as a foundation for animators interested in specializing in 2D pixel art animation, especially for games. You'll learn how to build basic animations for assets and landscapes. The animator should also learn about the environment design process. Also, the animator will come to more fully understand the animation process.
See salaries and explore the career path for Animator
Web Designer
A web designer creates the layout and visual design of websites. This course may allow aspiring web designers to learn how to create pixel-based graphics and animations. You'll learn to design game backgrounds, build animations, and create graphical assets. The web designer must learn to implement these skills to create simple and compelling designs for websites. The web designer can use these skills for older-style websites.
See salaries and explore the career path for Web Designer

Reading list

We've selected two books that we think will supplement your learning. Use these to develop background knowledge, enrich your coursework, and gain a deeper understanding of the topics covered in Pixel Art Environments: 2D Environment Design & Animation..
Cover image
Putting Knowledge to Work
Save
Provides a comprehensive overview of pixel art techniques, covering everything from basic principles to advanced animation. It serves as an excellent reference for understanding the underlying logic and methods used in creating pixel art. The book offers a structured approach to learning pixel art, making it suitable for both beginners and those looking to refine their skills. It expands on the course material by providing detailed explanations and examples.
Putting Knowledge to Work
Paperback
Check
Putting Knowledge to Work
Kindle Edition
Check
Cover image
Scratch 3 Programming Playground
Save
Teaches the fundamentals of game development using Python and the Pygame library. While not specifically focused on pixel art, it provides valuable knowledge on how to implement your pixel art assets into a functional game. It is particularly useful for understanding game logic, event handling, and basic game design principles. This book is more valuable as additional reading for those interested in taking their pixel art environments and turning them into playable games.
Scratch 3 Programming Playground: Learn to Program...
Paperback
$$
Scratch 3 Programming Playground: Learn to Program...
Kindle Edition
$$

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Rating
4.2 Filled star Filled star Filled star Filled star Empty star
Effort
3.5 total hours
Via
Udemy
Instructors
GameDev.tv Team
Reece Geofroy
Language
English
Traffic lights
Read about what's good
what should give you pause
and possible dealbreakers
Focuses on creating assets quickly, which is beneficial for game jams and populating game stores with content
Uses LibreSprite/Aseprite, which are popular software choices for pixel art creation, making it easier to follow along
Covers both top-down and platformer perspectives, providing a comprehensive understanding of 2D environment design
Teaches how to create tile sets, backgrounds, and animations, which are essential skills for building complete game environments
Includes a section on polishing environments and animating assets, which are crucial for creating visually appealing game scenes
Requires learners to download and install LibreSprite or Aseprite, which may require additional steps and computer resources
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