Sup pixel-heads? We hope all of you are OK and you don't let the lockdowns get in the way of your creativity! Cause it's once again time for our ever popular yearly April Fools Gallery challenge!
For those who do not know the rules yet, the idea is to study the PJ gallery of another pixel artist. Look at the techniques they use, the colours they pick, the subject matters they gravitate towards, etc... Then once you feel like you have a grasp of that person's style, create an image that will fool us into thinking that it's theirs.
Don't forget 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] [6] [7] [8]
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.
Remember the Doom Guy, that makes facial expressions and shows the damage level on him from a tiny window at the bottom of the screen? This week, we want you to create an animated portrait with 5 or more different emotions and/or damage levels.
Canvas Size - Max 80x80
Colours - Max 16
Transparency - Optional.
Animation - Required. At least 5 frames.
"Belinsky was just like Krylov's Inquisitive Man, who didn't notice the elephant in the museum...."
- Fyodor Dostoevsky, Demons
Often Pixel Art focuses on teeny tiny sprites, but today we want you to think bigger. A lot bigger. Picture a full-sized elephant hiding, successfully or otherwise, in an interior setting!
You may choose to represent a scene, or as a collection of objects.
Canvas Size - Max 192 x 128, horizontal or vertical.
Colours - Max 28.
Transparency - Optional.
Animation - No.
In the past, we have ran this and this challenges but what about the monsters? This week, we want you to draw an RPG party that consists of exactly 4 sprites, depicting 4 different classical RPG monster species. These species should be chosen between these, albeit with whatever twists you might dream of:
You must separate sprites from eachother in your canvas using transparency, yet slight overlays for the sake of composition is permitted. Please clearly mention in your description which characters are in your party. And remember: you can make a ww2 band, a sci-fi team or 50s gangsters as well as classical high fantasy themed party.
Canvas Size - Max 200 x 200.
Colours - Max 32. Including transparency.
Transparency - Required.
Animation - No.
Slimes, gelatinous cubes, tar monsters, gumballs... Many RPG games & settings, apply to these formless creatures once they run out of ideas. But now, they shall have character! This week, we want you to create 3 sprites of these creatures as a group, RPG party, family or band, preferably drawn on the same sprite base (but not necessarily).
Canvas Size - Max. 300x300
Colours - Max. 32.
Transparency - Required.
Animation - No.
The challenge thread will have all the challenge updates. The thread is also a great place to post your WIPs.
Black then white are all I see in my infancy
Red and yellow then came to be, reaching out to me
Lets me see.
- Lateralus
This weekly is a palette challenge, but with a twist. You are provided with two fixed colours #ffffff and #000000. However the other two colours are not defined by hex codes.
You can either choose two shades of red or two shades of Yellow for the additional colours.
Sounds like a challenge? I hope so!
Canvas Size - Unrestricted
Colours - Exactly 4
Transparency - No.
Animation - Optional.
The challenge thread will have all the challenge updates. The thread is also a great place to post your WIPs.
Brrr it's cold outside! What better time than stay inside and participate in the brand new level challenge? Theme? Ice of course! This week, we want you to design a mock-up of a new, original video game (of any genre) showing an arctic, snow or ice level (or screen, in case of adventure games). For this particular game you are restricted to 16 specific colours, these colours are shown below.
Canvas size - Unrestricted.
Colours - Max 16. Must use only the colours from the palette below:
Animation - Optional.
Transparency - No.
Previous level challenges: Underwater, Lava, Desert, Jungle
The challenge thread will have all the challenge updates. The thread is also a great place to post your WIPs.
This week I want you to create some sort of arena. Depict a place for warriors to battle or athletes to compete.
You can keep your arena realistic or go crazy! This is the ideal challenge to test your knowledge of the top-down view or isometric perspective.
Canvas Size - Max. 200 x 200
Colours - Max. 32
Transparency - Optional.
Animation - Optional.
Happy new year pixel-heads! Have you missed a challenge from the past year? Did you start but couldn't find the time to finish? This week, we want you to pick any weekly challenge from 2019 and make an entry (check the ALL CHALLENGES coloumn on the right. The first challenge of 2019 was Antique Death Race).
Please make sure you write in the description which challenge you chose and make sure you follow it's rules and limitations. Have fun!
Canvas Size - see the corresponding challenge
Colours - see the corresponding challenge
Transparency - see the corresponding challenge
Animation - see the corresponding challenge
Diplomacy has failed -- the time has come to chose a side! Which caffeine juice will reign supreme, and which will go home bitter and over-steeped? Coffee...or tea!?
This week, we want you to draw a sprite or scene that involves either coffee or tea.
Canvas Size - Max. 130 x 100
Colours - Max. 15
Transparency - Optional.
Animation - Optional.
It's not Christmas yet pixel people.
However, in order to pass the time before the best challenge of the year starts, I want you to pixel a being that is either made out of ice or fire. It doesn't have to be fully made out of one of the two elements though. " A T-Rex with a fiery tail and lava breath, would that be ok?" I hear? Sure, go for it!
Canvas Size - Max. 250 x 250
Colours - Max. 16
Transparency - Optional.
Animation - Optional.
Choose your champion! This week, we want you to pixel your own portrait as if you are one of the selectable characters in a arcade beat'em up / fighting game. You can alter your hair, facial features, gender or even species as you want.
Canvas Size - Max. 100 x 100
Colours - Max. 14
Transparency - No.
Animation - No.
***EDIT*** The challenge is changed as sprite only (not a game mock-up).
'Tis apple season! But with a twist -- This week, we want you to personify one of the Apple varieties below as the hero of an Action Adventure Game (Metroidvania, Beat'em up, Run'n'gun games are all good as well). Sprite only.
McIntosh Red, Jona Gold, Cripps Pink, Northern Spy, Granny Smith
Canvas Size - 100*100 px max.
Colors - Max. 32
Transparency - Required.
Animation - Optional.
Remember the times that the games were bought in a big box? This week, we want you to design & draw a big box cover art for an existing or an imaginary game. Your cover art might contain elements like game name, company logo, platform logo and so on.
Canvas Size - Exactly 100*142 (vertical or horizontal)
Colors - Max. 16
Transparency - No.
Animation - No.
This week, we hereby ask you to pixel a military medal or decoration, either historic or imaginary (including sci-fi or fantasy). Only the sprite of the medal is required, with transparent background.
Optional Bonus Challenge: If it's a real world historic medal or decoration, give some trivia about it on the description. If it's an imaginary medal or decoration, write up some background for it.
Canvas Size - Max. 120 x 120 px
Colors - Max. 19. (18 colors + transparency)
Transparency - Required.
Animation - No.
In real life, evolution takes place over many generations, allowing species to adapt to changing environments. In video games, evolution happens in moments, allowing species to fly or breathe fire! This week, we challenge you to depict the evolved form of a real-world species (as if it's in a video game).
Optional bonus challenge: include the FX of a magical element or special ability associated with your species.
Canvas Size - 80 x 80 px.
Colors - Max. 16.
Transparency - Required.
Animation - Optional.
The challenge thread will have all the challenge updates. The thread is also a great place to post your WIPs.
Halloween has arrived! But what is Halloween without a pixel pumpkin challenge? This week, we want you to create a pumpkin avatar that has your face carved on it!
Optional Bonus Challenge: Use it as your avatar!
Canvas Size - Max 64 x 64.
Colours - Max 16
Transparency - Optional.
Animation - Optional.
Halloween is around the corner. This week, we want you to dive deep inside your nightmares, pull out a being of horror from there, whether it's a monster such as a vampire or zombie; or an ordinary creature such as snake or spider, and turn their frightening appearance in the slick version of the portrait on the wall. You have to include the frame and the wall that it's hanged on.
Optional Bonus Challenge: Make the frame non-rectangular.
Canvas Size - Max. 200 x 180 px
Colors - Max. 13
Transparency - No.
Animation - Optional.
The challenge thread will have all the challenge updates. The thread is also a great place to post your WIPs.
This week, we want you to imagine & pixel the Game Boy demake of a modern game (or just a game that wasn't actually released for Game Boy). You can add/remove/change any features of the game as you want.
Canvas Size - Exactly 160 x 144 px
Colours - Max. 4 Game Boy colors.
Game Boy palettes vary. You may use any olive green Game Boy palette, such as this one:
The challenge thread will have all the challenge updates. The thread is also a great place to post your WIPs.
This week, we want you to draw the sprite of the bipedal version of an animal or fantasy creature that usually has four (or more) feet. You can go for usual stuff such as a werewolf, wererat or drakonid or you can go wild.
Canvas Size - Max. 150 x 150
Colours - Max. 18
Transparency - Required.
Animation - No.
The challenge thread will have all the challenge updates. The thread is also a great place to post your WIPs.
The 1800's sure were gloomy, perhaps because everything was in black and white. This week, celebrate Gothic Fiction with a macabre work of your own! Design the cover of a Gothic Novel, real or imaginary, using exactly 2 grays, one with RGB 48,48,48 (#303030) and other with RGB 210,210,210 (#d2d2d2)
Canvas Size - Exactly 148 x 210, vertical.
Colours - Exactly 2. Only use (#303030) & (#d2d2d2)
Transparency - No.
Animation - No.
This week, we want you to draw a spellbook. It might be one that belongs to a magic library or one that belongs to a magician (of any sort). The book sprite's back ground must be transparent.
Optional bonus challenge 1: Make it very old.
Optional bonus challenge 2: Draw glowing runes on the cover.
Optional bonus challenge 3: Make it an unconventional book (eg. a tape or an e-reader).
Canvas Size - Max. 100x100
Colours - Max 13 incl. transparency.
Transparency - Required.
Animation - Optional.
Peace is not in my vocabulary
This week is all about the grim-dark future of the Warhammer 40k universe. Necrons, Eldar, Orks etc.
There are countless of races, heroes and mechanical wonders to pixel. You can go as crazy as you want as long as the over all theme is Warhammer.
Papa Nurgle loves you!
Canvas Size - Max. 300 x 300
Colours - Max 32
Transparency - Optional
Animation - Optional
What if Space Invaders came out in 2019? This week, we want you to reimagine one of the classic space invaders sprites below in a high-res fashion and draw its sprite. Your sprite might be; a creature, a robot, a spaceship or anything else as long as it resembles one of the classic sprites below.
Canvas Size - Max. 120x120
Colours - Max 18 incl. transparency.
Transparency - Required.
Animation - Optional
A tale as old as time. Two warriors, rivals or even friends engage in a duel.
This week, I want you to depict a scene with two characters fighting. There can only be 2 characters in your entry!
Canvas Size - Max. 250 x 250
Colours - Max 32
Transparency - Optional
Animation - Optional
This week, we want you to draw the sprite of a treasure chest. It doesn't have to be a classic chest, it can be any container that can hold treasure within. You can draw it from topdown, isometric, side or any perspective. Lid closed or open with treasure coming out, or even teeth like a mimic are all welcome.
Canvas Size - Max. 80 x 80
Colours - Max 15 including transparency.
Transparency - Required.
Animation - Optional (lid opening, gold glittering, etc.)
Get your lumberjack juices flowing and pixel a scene, sprite or portrait of a living sentient half tree half human being.
Poor Harold.......
Canvas Size - Max. 300 x 300
Colours - Max 16.
Transparency - Optional.
Animation - Optional.
This week, we want you to create a potion bottle/vial/flask sprite, that could be use as a pick up and/or inventory item in a game. Healing potion, poison or any kind is ok, with or without a tag or sign.
Canvas Size - Max. 100 x 100
Colours - Max 10.
Transparency - Required.
Animation - Optional. (bubbles etc.)
The challenge thread will have all the challenge updates. The thread is also a great place to post your WIPs.
Buuuuugggsss!
- unknown soldier on Klendathu
This week's challenge puts your 2-bit skills to the test! I want you to pixel a bug or insect in only 4 colours. You don't have to pixel a sprite. You can include your critter or critters into a scene or even go full on portrait.
Canvas Size - Max. 300 x 300
Colours - Exactly 4
Transparency - Optional.
Animation - Optional.
The challenge thread will have all the challenge updates. The thread is also a great place to post your WIPs.
8 years after the original Hero Splicer challenge, once more it's time to create your own original super heroes or villains.
Choose one word from each coloumn to create your character's name. It's ok to change the order of the words to find the suitable name. Your character is supposed to reflect its name.
You can present your character however you like (standalone sprite, incorporated into a scene, a portrait), just as long as your character is the main focus of the piece.
| A | B | C |
| DR | ACID | VIPER |
| MR | DARK | MORTIS |
| FANTASTIC | ROCK | FURY |
| NITRO | CHAOS | STORM |
| ULTRA | GALACTIC | HAVOC |
| THE | OMEGA | MAN |
| PURPLE | ELECTRIC | BEAST |
| LADY | AQUATIC | BONES |
| GREEN | TOXIC | GIRL |
Canvas Size - Max. 128 x 128.
Colours - 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.
After 13 long years of waiting Tool will be releasing their next Album on 30th August 2019.
For this week I want you to pixel some kind of tool. A, beer opener, a simple wrench, a drill, an excavator or even a crane. As long as the device is used to perfom some kind of action on another object, you can pixel it. So get crazy.
Canvas Size - Max. 120 x 120
Colours - Max. 16
Transparency - Optional.
Animation - Optional.
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