Pixel background tutorial

EDIT: I'm keeping this tutorial up since some peeps still find it useful, but now that I know a bit more about composing BGs I want to point out an obvious mistake I made in this piece!

When creating a BG, try to watch your values and make sure the BG has clearly defined areas of light and dark. This BG is kind of weak because it's mostly mid-tones.


I'm no expert on this subject, but people occasionally ask me how I do my backgrounds, so here's an attempt to explain my methods! Even if you're not a pixel artist, I definitely recommend trying some tiny pixel backgrounds if backgrounds are something you struggle with - it's a great way to get used to playing with colors/composition without getting too hung up on details.

I do all of my art in sai, but the basic ideas here should apply to any art program. Here's a link to another tutorial that shows my pixel brush setup: didthesqd.deviantart.com/art/M…

Here's a great video for learning sai's functions if you've never used it before: www.youtube.com/watch?v=wcjepT…

Here's an interesting video that goes more in depth about composition: www.youtube.com/watch?v=O8i7OK…

And here's a great series of videos if you want to learn perspective for man-made environments: www.youtube.com/watch?v=SCW9D2…