A new pixel-art t-shirt design challenge will open soon at Threadless. Let's do this, PJ!
However before you rush to post your fave pixel pieces, take the time to think hard about what makes a good t-shirt design, as opposed to a good piece of art (pixel or otherwise). Great shirt designs usually have a strong underlying concept, and make use of the shirt background color as a prominent design element. Beware of boxy (rectangular) designs that don't have a good reason for boxyness (such as fake film posters, comics pages etc).
The challenge opens a week from today, and should last for 2 more weeks. You can already ask for feedback on the Threadless forums. Trigger warning: it can be a tough crowd to please out there!
Also be aware that chances of print are very slim, well under 1%. Do this as a chance to compete and improve, not to make easy money. Now pixel away!
Wow manu, you have a LOT of really nice designs on your profile! And do I understand correctly, none of those ever got printed? :(
Good question! There isn't any proprer PA challenge in the past challenges page (but older challenges are not linked there), the closest would be the Video games that don't exist challenge (winner was not PA). There used to be a few PA community challenges, can't be arsed to look for them deep into the forums. I don't think anything from them got printed anyway.
Here and there are some PA designs currently in the catalog (what cure said lol).
I do remember some good pixel stuff, including at least one old printed isometric design, but I can't remember the artists names or design titles so I can't find them. Will post if I do.
Manu, do you perhaps have links to previous pixel art challenges, their winners, or any pixel art that made it onto their t-shirts?
It's hard coming up with an idea that's benefitted by being pixel art. Most I can think of would probably look better as vectors. Maybe sprites?
Haha quite a possibility, unless we blow their minds =D
Also thanks to whoever corrected the tilte tpyo!
And be ready for some really cringey pseudo-pixel art that goes for cheap nostalgia points to win the thing.
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Thanks :) and correct :(
It is hard, but also I've never really taken the trouble to seriously design for shirts. In fact I just don't care enough for shirt design. But I loved the experience and community, although it's just a pale shadow of its former self now. Thanks, social media and POD sites ;_;