In order to become a pixel artist, you must have reasonable expectations about what this type of art entails and its potential for professional advancement. Usually, a pixel artist must have other sources of income, and many artists of this type are graphic designers who know how to work in a variety of different styles. To become a pixel artist, you must often be prepared to constrain your art to certain stylistic limitations, including a small number of colors and relatively large pixels. Many artists of this type embrace these limitations out of nostalgia and draw attention to the form itself.
Most people with access to the Internet, a graphics editing program, or even just graph paper have the basic tools needed to become a pixel artist. Artists of this type strategically arrange blocks of color, called pixels, to form complex images. This means that it is possible to practice this art on graph paper or with specially designed toy blocks that link together to form pictures. Moving onto the computer usually requires no different skills, but may require editing programs that allow a person to edit a picture on the pixel level.
When trying to become a pixel artist, the problem is usually not the production of the graphics themselves, as it is easy to get started making basic pixel art. The problem is that demand for this type of art is fairly small, and it becomes smaller as fewer applications actually require pixel art. Many pixel artists pride themselves, not on designing icons for cell-phones, but on creating breathtaking works for games and for pure artistic enjoyment. Monetizing this type of art can be very difficult, which is why many pixel artists choose to work in a number of different styles.
In order to become a pixel artist and achieve recognition for your art, it is usually important to create works that are striking in some way. This may be because they are extremely detailed, complex, or otherwise technically impressive, or it may be because the idea behind the design is compelling. Either way, making a number of works and displaying them publicly in a portfolio is a great way to introduce potential clients to your work.
There are many different types and styles of pixel art, but it is important to be able to please potential clients For this reason, understanding a variety of computer terms, file types, and color restrictions on this art form is important. Certain displays can only handle certain styles. In many cases, the capabilities of technology change over time, so staying informed about current standards is also important.