How to Draw in 8 Bit

Decide what to draw., Draw the character one square at a time on a sheet of graph paper., Color the image (again square by square)., Scan the image in your computer., Outline the objects and / or character., Delete the template (original drawing)...

9 Steps 2 min read Medium

Step-by-Step Guide

  1. Step 1: Decide what to draw.

    Whether it be a person, robot, animal, whatever.

    Sketch the basic idea on a sheet of blank paper.

    It does not need to be very intricate or well drawn, just an idea of which direction to go with it so the later stages are not overly time consuming.

    This will become your template.
  2. Step 2: Draw the character one square at a time on a sheet of graph paper.

    This is one of the most time consuming stages.

    Make sure to include outlines of the character in black (find an existing image of an 8-bit character to see exactly what the characters look like). , Make sure that the colors are distinct.

    It is important to be able to tell the difference between colors to minimize frustration in the next steps. , Save the scanned image and open it with a graphics editing program.

    Using "Paint" to edit the image can be done, but a more advanced application such as Microsoft Digital Image Suite will make the editing easier. , Draw simple lines with the chosen graphics editor to to distinguish the different parts of the characters such as the ear, eye, feet, hands, etc.

    Outline anything that's going to be black in your image.

    This is a very time consuming process due to the fact that you have to outline every minute detail. , After outlining the objects / character with black lines as stated in step 5, the original drawing can be deleted.

    Start coloring the objects / character. , The only thing that can be done is drawing black outlines around the head.

    Again, look at original video games characters such as Mario or Megaman to receive inspiration. ,
  3. Step 3: Color the image (again square by square).

  4. Step 4: Scan the image in your computer.

  5. Step 5: Outline the objects and / or character.

  6. Step 6: Delete the template (original drawing).

  7. Step 7: Prevent body parts from meshing with other body parts

  8. Step 8: such as the hand with the face if you plan to do a jumping animation (see Mario).

  9. Step 9: Save the work.

Detailed Guide

Whether it be a person, robot, animal, whatever.

Sketch the basic idea on a sheet of blank paper.

It does not need to be very intricate or well drawn, just an idea of which direction to go with it so the later stages are not overly time consuming.

This will become your template.

This is one of the most time consuming stages.

Make sure to include outlines of the character in black (find an existing image of an 8-bit character to see exactly what the characters look like). , Make sure that the colors are distinct.

It is important to be able to tell the difference between colors to minimize frustration in the next steps. , Save the scanned image and open it with a graphics editing program.

Using "Paint" to edit the image can be done, but a more advanced application such as Microsoft Digital Image Suite will make the editing easier. , Draw simple lines with the chosen graphics editor to to distinguish the different parts of the characters such as the ear, eye, feet, hands, etc.

Outline anything that's going to be black in your image.

This is a very time consuming process due to the fact that you have to outline every minute detail. , After outlining the objects / character with black lines as stated in step 5, the original drawing can be deleted.

Start coloring the objects / character. , The only thing that can be done is drawing black outlines around the head.

Again, look at original video games characters such as Mario or Megaman to receive inspiration. ,

About the Author

J

Jessica Gonzalez

A passionate writer with expertise in home improvement topics. Loves sharing practical knowledge.

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