After 32 years of duty Microsoft is planning to kill off MS Paint with this year's Autumn/Fall Creators Update. I think we can all relate to Paint in a way, whether good or bad.
There is a good chance that your first piece of pixel art was done with the help of MS Paint. For this week's challenge we want you to go back to one of your first pixels and recreate it with all your now acquired knowledge about rendering, colours and AA.
Make sure to put a link to the original artwork in the description.
Canvas Size - Unrestricted.
Colors - Max. 32.
Transparency - Optional.
Animation - Optional.
When flesh turns into steel the term "cyborg" is not that far away. However, this week we are not talking about hybrids. We want you to go full machine!
Play god and create mechanical life. Just make sure that there is or was a real-life counter part in existence. No dragons or monsters allowed.
Canvas Size - Max. 350x350.
Colors - Max. 16.
Transparency - Optional.
Animation - Optional.
The challenge thread will have all the challenge updates. The thread is also a great place to post your WIPs.
No doubt, we all have a favourite movie. Whether it's Ash defeating the Army Of Darkness or Doctor Zhivago (1965, of course) finally being alone with Lara in the Taiga. There is always one scene or character that really strikes us.
Take such a character or iconic shot from you favourite movie and pixel it. How you depict it is up to you. A portrait, sprite or whole scene, everything goes.
Canvas Size - Unrestricted.
Colors - Max. 32.
Transparency - Optional.
Animation - Optional.
The challenge thread will have all the challenge updates. The thread is also a great place to post your WIPs.
1. e4 g5 2. d4 f6?? 3. Qh5#
Haha, fools mate!
Challenge your friends with your very own custom designed chess set! All 6 classic chess pieces must be featured: pawn, rook, knight, bishop, queen, and king.
Canvas Size - Each piece must be no larger than 32 x 128. Size does not include optional labels and background decorations. Total canvas size unrestricted.
Colors - Max 16.
Transparency - Optional.
Animation - Optional.
What was back in the days looked down upon has now become a world-wide phenomenon. Boosting the need for good illustrators and artists all over the globe.
Comics are on the rise!
Former challenge winner and well-respected PJer, fan of comics and good illustrations Arcade Hero wants you to create either a page or cover of a comic.
You can make up your own story or take a hero from an existing universe.
Canvas Size - Max. 300x350.
Colors - Max. 32.
Transparency - No.
Animation - No.
The challenge thread will have all the challenge updates. The thread is also a great place to post your WIPs.
It's strong, it's sturdy and it's deep within our bodies. No, I'm not talking about your soul or self-confidence! It's bones. 206 hard-as-hell structures that keep your adult body upright and mobile.
This week, pixel one or more bones. It doesn't have to be human bones. You can even depict a full bovine skeleton if that's your thing. Just make sure that there is no tissue.
Canvas Size - Max. 150x150.
Colors - Max. 13.
Transparency - Optional.
Animation - Optional.
Having a bad time? Feeling down? Or are you merely living in the southern hemisphere and have to deal with the approaching winter? Just change your perspective, they say, and everything will be fine again.
No overall theme given. Pixel anything of your choice (scene, object, person, etc) using 3 point perspective!
Canvas Size - Max. 333x333.
Colors - Max. 16.
Transparency - No.
Animation - No.
Summer is approaching and the temperatures outside finally allow to wear shorts and t-shirts again.
Depict a typical summer-themed scene with the palette below. Eating ice cream, going for a swim or spending some time with friends in the park, it's up to you.
Canvas Size - Unrestricted
Colors - Exactly 4.
Transparency - No.
Animation - No.
The challenge thread will have all the challenge updates. The thread is also a great place to post your WIPs.
You are about to enter the fight of your life and can only pick one weapon. What will you use? Make sure to pixel a full sprite with a character wielding the weapon.
Anything is allowed, ranging from sticks to nukes, real or fictitious, practical or not.
Canvas Size - Max 100 x 100.
Colours - Max 16.
Transparency - Required (sprite background).
Animation - Optional.
In memory of Chris Cornell, PJer and fan of alternative rock Gecimen wants you to pixel an avatar-sized portrait of your favourite musician.
Optional bonus challenge: Use the portrait as your avatar through the week.
Canvas Size - Max 64 x 64.
Colors - Max 7.
Transparency - No.
Animation - Optional.
The challenge thread will have all the challenge updates. The thread is also a great place to post your WIPs.
Foreign cultures and their take on mythology have always had a huge impact on art over the centuries. But once in a while there is a creature that goes over the top!
Challenge winner skamocore wants you to draw a kaso-obake - a one-eyed, one-legged umbrella demon.
Canvas Size - Max 160 (width) x 200 (height).
Colours - Max 12.
Transparency - Optional.
Animation - Optional.
The challenge thread will have all the challenge updates. The thread is also a great place to post your WIPs.
What makes a winning smile?
A nice set of teeth? A cute nose? The perfect chin? No, it's none of that! Create the portrait of an extraterrestrial being smiling at the camera. You can go crazy on the facial features. The more eyes the better.
Canvas Size - Exactly. 100x100
Colours - Max. 16
Transparency - No.
Animation - No.
The challenge thread will have all the challenge updates. The thread is also a great place to post your WIPs.
Have you ever asked yourself what your spirit animal is?
Now you have the chance to pixel even three of them! Create a RPG party with the different members being humanoid animals. Try to work in the stereotypical traits of the animals you pixel. For example, the strong bear as the tank or the wise owl casting spells.
Typical characters are:
The warrior
The healer
The engineer
The sorcerer
The thief
The hunter
However, you can make up your own classes.
Canvas Size - Max. 350x350
Colours - 32.
Transparency - Optional.
Animation - Optional.
It's 1-bit time this week!
Your task is to create a piece that only consists of #ffffff (white) and #000000 (black). There is no overall topic given which means you can pixel anything you like. Just make sure that your palette solely has the 2 above mentioned colours.
Canvas Size - Unrestricted.
Colours - 2.
Transparency - No.
Animation - Optional.
The challenge thread will have all the challenge updates. The thread is also a great place to post your WIPs.
You've been clamoring for it and here it is! This is PixelJoint's (almost) yearly April Fools Gallery challenge but with a twist!
Your task: Create a piece while immitating the style of another pixel artist.
The idea is to study an other pixel artist's style, techniques, color usage, etc and try to fool us into thinking the piece you create is theirs! (Note: Outright plagiarism will not be tolerated)
Bonus challenge: Make your piece Easter related in some way. Extra points will be awarded to those who do 
.
Make sure to mention the name of your chosen pixel artist in your description.
Previous April Fools Gallery challenges can be found here: [1] [2] [3] [4] [5]
Canvas Size - Unrestricted.
Colours - Unrestricted.
Transparency - Optional.
Animation - Optional.
The challenge thread will have all the challenge updates. The thread is also a great place to post your WIPs.
Depict an object that's got complementary colours to its real-life counterpart with the backround being in the colour that this object normally has.
What are complementary colours?
Canvas Size - Max. 100 x 100.
Colours - Max. 16.
Transparency - No.
Animation - Optional.
The challenge thread will have all the challenge updates. The thread is also a great place to post your WIPs.
Without question Shoot 'em Ups are fun to play. However, the common space theme sometimes just doesn't cut it. Time to be more creative!
Pixel a player "ship" that isn't your generic spaceraft. A plant with guns, an animal that poops rockits, anything goes! You can choose between a top-down and side-scrolling perspective.
Canvas Size - Max. 150 x 150.
Colours - Max. 16.
Transparency - Required.
Animation - Optional.
British music group "Gorillaz" have announced a new album called "Humanz" and it's shaping up to be great. In honor of their almost 20-year-long carrier pixel a piece that is related to one of their songs or members.
Canvas Size - Max. 300 x 300.
Colours - Max. 20.
Transparency - Optional.
Animation - Optional.
The challenge thread will have all the challenge updates. The thread is also a great place to post your WIPs.
The world has turned into a paradise full of alpha, beta and gamma rays. No life form has been spared and there are mutated versions of everything you can think of. However, society hasn't broken down and people live their normal lifes as nothing happened.
Depict an every-day scene in this not so twisted world.
Canvas Size - Max. 350 x 350.
Colours - Max. 32.
Transparency - No.
Animation - Optional.
The challenge thread will have all the challenge updates. The thread is also a great place to post your WIPs.
You've just received a wooden crate full of unknown content. You open it and take a look at what's inside. All you find is sawdust. Digging deeper you discover a pretty old photograph all in black and white.
Pixel that photo.
Canvas Size - Exactly. 100 x 80 or 80 x 100
Colours - Max. 12. (greyscale)
Transparency - No.
Animation - No.
The challenge thread will have all the challenge updates. The thread is also a great place to post your WIPs.
Challenge winner and PJer yahkehbu wants you to pixel a person flying a kite with a background/landscape or scenery that is representative of your home town.
Canvas Size - Exactly. 96 x 160.
Colours - Max 20.
Transparency - No.
Animation - Optional.
Depict an animal that has at least one feature of two different animals. Gorilla-rat, pig-eagle, shark-spider. It's up to you.
Canvas Size - Max 150 x 150.
Colours - Max 16.
Transparency - Optional.
Animation - Optional.
Create a sand-dwelling creature with the palette posted below.
Canvas Size - Max 200 x 200.
Colours - Exactly 4.
Transparency - No.
Animation - Optional.
Draw the good version of a normally evil character. It can be a sprite or portrait.
Canvas Size - Max 100 x 100.
Colours - Max 16.
Transparency - Optional.
Animation - Optional.
PJer and weekly challenge winner NoeleGrosie wants you to pixel food.
Any kind of food is good enough, junk food, fruits, vegetables, meats, drinks, anything so long as the actual food product is displayed.
Canvas Size - Max. 64 x 64.
Colours - Max. 24.
Transparency - Optional.
Animation - Optional.
In celebration of the Spring festival (Chinese New Year), this week, PJ user yahkehbu wants you to create an image in the dimensions of a Chinese 100rmb bill. Money is the preferred gift for Chinese New Year.
The preview should be of a red envelope (hong bao) which is a traditional way of gifting money. Use one of the red envelopes below, or pixel your own!
Canvas Size - Exactly 155x77. (horizontal or vertical)
Colours - Max 17. (because its 2017!)
Transparency - No.
Animation - Optional.
The challenge thread will have all the challenge updates. The thread is also a great place to post your WIPs.
We are all familiar with the World's smallest violin, but what about the tiniest guitar or piano?
Now it's your turn to pixel such an instrument.
Canvas Size - Max 64 (width) x 64 (height).
Colours - Max 12.
Transparency - Required.
Animation - Optional.
Nintendo haven't said anything officially, but let's face it, the Year of Waluigi is long overdue. So, what better time than 2017?
To celebrate this unoffical Year of Waluigi, create a mockup featuring Waluigi as a protagonist.
Canvas Size - Max 256 (width) x 240 (height).
Colours - Max 25.
Transparency - No.
Animation - Optional.
Unsatisfied with your weather conditions? Don't worry! Pixel a summer scene if you live in the Northern hemisphere or a winter scene if you live in the Southern hemisphere. You can choose either one if you live in an equatorial region.
Canvas Size - Max. 250 x 250.
Colours - Max. 16.
Transparency - No.
Animation - Optional.
This year's Pantone colour is Greenery, so this week, create an image that features that colour (#88B04B) plus one other.
Canvas Size - Unrestricted.
Colours - Exactly 2. Must use #88B04B.
Transparency - No.
Animation - Optional.
Create an image that contains a single feather.
Canvas Size - Max 150 x 150.
Colours - Max 15.
Transparency - Optional.
Animation - Optional.
Create an image based on of one of the track titles (listed below) from Pelican's album City of Echoes.
Relating your image to the actual music is completely optional (but encouraged). However, the main focus is interpreting the names.
Canvas Size - Unrestricted.
Colours - Max 8.
Transparency - No.
Animation - No.
Create an image that features stained glass. It can be a standalone image of a window or incorporated into a scene.
Canvas size - Max 150 x 150.
Colours - Min 10.
Transparency - Optional.
Animation - No.
The challenge thread will have all the challenge updates. The thread is also a great place to post your WIPs.
Create a portrait of a canine. It can be anything from a wild dog to your own pet poodle.
Also, keep in mind that it's a portait challenge, so it should focus on the dog's face/head area.
Canvas Size - Max 80 x 80.
Colours - Max 16.
Transparency - No.
Animation - No.
 |  |  |  |
 | Bastille Day (France) July 14th |
 | Canada Day/Dominion Day July 1st |
 | Fourth of July (USA) July 4th |
| More holidays | |
