Pixel Art Book (Cover)
Printed From: Pixel Joint
Category: The Lounge
Forum Name: Resources and Support
Forum Discription: Help your fellow pixel artists out with links to good tutorials, other forums, software, fonts, etc. Bugs and support issues should go here as well.
URL: https://pixeljoint.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=556
Printed Date: 11 September 2025 at 6:15pm
Topic: Pixel Art Book (Cover)
Posted By: Ensellitis
Subject: Pixel Art Book (Cover)
Date Posted: 19 July 2005 at 3:49pm
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Ok everyone... I know most of you have heard of this project. For those who haven't, http://www.ensellitis.com/?p=132 - go here for details . Last night I discussed the idea of making th cover of the book a collab of the whole community. Not sure if that will be done or not yet... Pixelblink thought it would be a good idea to have one person do it... However, a new deadline has come up. I got a phone call at 7am this morning. It was a local private publisher that I had talked to awhile back. What I got from the last meeting is that there is no way they would do this, but I guess they changed thier minds sometime since then. Anyways, I got a meeting set for September 5th to meet with their board. I need 2 things, a cover, or start of one, and I need a basic outline. I have the outline taken care of, I am about 25% done with it... But I need help with the cover. If anyone wants to make one, please do. I need a front and back. Here is a basic mockup of the front...  The text is all nonnegotiable, meaning you can change the look, but all of the texts (Name of book, description, and "Written by..") must remain the same. And the size must stay the same. But other than that, go crazy. You can use old pieces, or make a new one. The back is the same size, but no text to worry about, there will be a transparent box with a small description, so try to have all of the details on the edges. Any help would be great, and do your best, because this book will be distibuted to Barnes And Noble's, Border's, Amazon, and a few other retail locations... If there are alot of submissions then we will have a vote for the best ones... Well, you have a deadline, and a outline. Hopefully I get some help on this, otherwise I will have alot more work to do... ------------- There's a pubic hair on my keyboard. What the f**k?? I "mow the lawn" so it's not mine. Gross. |
Replies:
Posted By: PixelSnader
Date Posted: 19 July 2005 at 4:40pm
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it might be just me, but isnt it a better idea to first make sure you've got all the skills you need to make it? I mean'you have pretty much just done iso (nothing negative about iso), and a few normal pieces, but i havent seen any moving sprites or anything from you, and, not to be rude or anything, i dont think youre one of the really good artists. so how are you planning on doing it? cuz it might just be me, but this doesnt seem all such a good plan. no offense, but i think you should think this through again. i mean.. you ask us to pixel something for your pixel tutorialbook :S.. ------------- ▄▄█ ▄▄█ ▄█▄ ▄█▄ |
Posted By: Ensellitis
Date Posted: 19 July 2005 at 5:00pm
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I never said I was a good artist. The book is a collection of tutorials gathered... As stated on my site: "I am currently working on a book that will basically combine all of the tutorials (useful ones that is), tips, tricks, and so on." "I am gathering all the tutorials I can to make this book very indepth. So almost anything will help and be added. I will be covering isometric and non-isometric pixel art, so both tutorial-types will be helpful." This book is just a collection of tutorials, put into an order that if read from cover to cover, the reader will learn the basic skills needed to start getting into it. I may be a crappy artist compared to other people. And just because I haven't created animated sprites doesn't mean I can't put together a book. ------------- There's a pubic hair on my keyboard. What the f**k?? I "mow the lawn" so it's not mine. Gross. |
Posted By: sedgemonkey
Date Posted: 19 July 2005 at 5:57pm
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I think what Ensellitis is trying to do is just coordinate. He could never have pixelled anything in his entire life and still put the book together. As for the challenge of getting content... that could be tricky. Leaving the space up for "anything" seems to leave people flat. I would recommend sending PMs to pixel artists you like and asking if they would contribute a new or existing piece or two to the book. It might help to go through their gallery and suggest a few that you like or think would be appropriate for the book. A lot of artists probably won't give ownership of their work to you for no compensation so I would suggest drafting up a simple contract that allows them to maintain ownership and still have their work in your book. You don't need a lawyer or anything... there's probably tons of contracts at your local Borders in the art section. Another important consideration is having a graphic designer with print experience (maybe you?) help you with the layout and design. That will give artists confidence that you are really serious about putting the book together and that their work won't be in a sh*tty book. Once people see that there is a layout, real content by pixel artists and a structured outline you'll be beating back submissions. |
Posted By: sedgemonkey
Date Posted: 19 July 2005 at 5:59pm
| You should probably have a step by step type pixel drawing for the cover since it is a "101" book. I know Bisque, iSTVAN and So-lou all have great step by step pixel pieces that could probably be redesigned for a cover. |
Posted By: Ensellitis
Date Posted: 19 July 2005 at 6:30pm
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I have expierience in printing. I worked for "The Chronicle" as
assistant editor, and I have been doing graphic design since
1994. And I am currently working with a person who has had 2 of
his books already published. As for pixel artists contributing pieces, I already have had 12 deviants over at DA note me to let me know I can use thier pieces in the "gallery" in the book. As it is, I have 23 tutorials that I have gathered and am rewriting (Still giving the original author full credit of course). I already have a crap load of "permission to print" forms, as they are needed for work. I am going to go have Nina redraft those for this project and once that is done I will start collecting mailing addresses so that I can get them sent out. Within a month I should have the Wiki for this all set up and have the content there that I have done so far Right now I am still trying to organize the structure a bit more. Sorry if it is misplelled, but I am about to head out the door, and I haven't typed this yet, I am going strait from the sheet... NR : Needs revising ^ : Needs moved (New section/Placement) /// : Needs research 1. Getting started A. What is pixel art? a. Types (///) (NR) i. Isometric ii. Non-Isometric iii. Icons iiii. Gaming b. History (///) c. Usage (///) B. Tools a. Software (Reviews?) (NR) (///) (NR) 2. Isometric A. Basics a. The Grid b. Shapes i. Giving them shape (^) ii. Making them pesky spheres (^) iii. Shading/Lightsources (^) (NR) 3. Non-Isometric (NR) 4. Icons (NR) 5. Gaming (NR) The structure is still being set up, but that is where I have gotten. As you can see, it is still being worked on. I know it looks a little chaotic, but this is a very rough draft. ------------- There's a pubic hair on my keyboard. What the f**k?? I "mow the lawn" so it's not mine. Gross. |
Posted By: sedgemonkey
Date Posted: 19 July 2005 at 7:58pm
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Well, that sure clarifies a lot. Your first post doesn't really indicate anything specific so it's hard for us to know what is going on. Good luck getting it going. |
Posted By: Saboteur
Date Posted: 19 July 2005 at 10:11pm
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Ahh, I wish I had my computer at home... And I've got a lot of respect for Ensellitis. Not only does he have pixel skills, but he's got people skills as well. I'd love to help, I'll probably send a cover design once I get back home. ------------- "I was minding my own business and walking across a pebbled path, and a Duck started giving me the business." |
Posted By: Saiklor
Date Posted: 21 July 2005 at 8:48pm
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if you're going into lightsource stuff do you intend to go into other
aspects of art as well such as perspective, composition, use of
lines/shapes/colours/values/patterns etc etc etc for the non-iso how indepth do you plan to go? and this is just me being nosy, I have no real reason to ask this question :-) |
Posted By: Ork
Date Posted: 22 July 2005 at 2:24am
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wiki, cool, so there's gonna be a free online version of the book? ...or maybe not, trying to make some money is cool too  |
Posted By: Ensellitis
Date Posted: 22 July 2005 at 7:34am
THe wiki will just be for proof readers and some of the contributing
editors. I will be releasing parts of it for little samples
though... As for making money... Hardly. I am
basically keeping the cost as low as possible for the book. Just
enough to recoop losses basically, if I make $10 off this book, I'll be
suprised. 
------------- There's a pubic hair on my keyboard. What the f**k?? I "mow the lawn" so it's not mine. Gross. |
Posted By: Ensellitis
Date Posted: 22 July 2005 at 7:37am
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Originally posted by Saiklor if you're going into lightsource stuff do you intend to go into other aspects of art as well such as perspective, composition, use of lines/shapes/colours/values/patterns etc etc etc for the non-iso how indepth do you plan to go? and this is just me being nosy, I have no real reason to ask this question :-) I am going indepth with isometric, including some mathmetics type stuff. Basically every little thing I can think of, including different styles. As for non-iso, I plan on going very deep in, since there are sooooo many different styles. ------------- There's a pubic hair on my keyboard. What the f**k?? I "mow the lawn" so it's not mine. Gross. |