Re:Shibuya Pixel Art 2020
by dahart on Sunday May 17, 2020 @02:30AM
(#23210033)
> good pixel art should be _as unblocky as possible_. [...] I suppose it’s a generational thing.
Yes, exactly, that might be part of the disconnect here. It used to be the aim to make art unblocky, in the 80s, when there was no choice, when the highest res was 320x200 with 16 colors. Today, there is zero reason for blockiness, ever, you never have to see pixels again. It’s an aesthetic choice to make blocky looking art that is reminiscent of the 80s. And it’s also part of the contest rules for the link you’re commenting on, making it blocky looking is required.
The term pixel art today, unlike 40 years ago, is referring to choosing to be blockier than necessary. If you make something as unblocky as possible, that is now called “art”, not “pixel art”, since it’s trivially easy to get rid of visible pixels and avoid a blocky look. Unblocky is the default, and now it’s harder to be blocky than not.
I do hear what you’re saying - that manual anti-aliasing - is one of the old techniques that made good computer art back in the day. You’re right, it’s true, it just works against today’s pixel art goals.
Yes, exactly, that might be part of the disconnect here. It used to be the aim to make art unblocky, in the 80s, when there was no choice, when the highest res was 320x200 with 16 colors. Today, there is zero reason for blockiness, ever, you never have to see pixels again. It’s an aesthetic choice to make blocky looking art that is reminiscent of the 80s. And it’s also part of the contest rules for the link you’re commenting on, making it blocky looking is required.
The term pixel art today, unlike 40 years ago, is referring to choosing to be blockier than necessary. If you make something as unblocky as possible, that is now called “art”, not “pixel art”, since it’s trivially easy to get rid of visible pixels and avoid a blocky look. Unblocky is the default, and now it’s harder to be blocky than not.
I do hear what you’re saying - that manual anti-aliasing - is one of the old techniques that made good computer art back in the day. You’re right, it’s true, it just works against today’s pixel art goals.