The following pixel artists produced Pixel Joint's top rated pixel art for August 2010. Many thanks go out to this month's top pixel artists and all the members who took time to rate.
This week, you are challenged to pixel a piece of mechanical or electronic technology that has grown organically. It could be a fungus phone, some form of farmed bicycle, whatever! Be creative.
Canvas size - Max 150 x 150.
Colours - Max 32.
Transparency - Optional.
Animation - Optional.
October was dominated by Animation, Mockups and Sea Creatures. Many thanks go out to this month's top pixel artists and all the members who took time to rate.
Terry and his motor. by Stickman
November was the home of Fantasy environments, Fantastic Creatures and Fabulous Caricatures. Many thanks go out to this month's top pixel artists and all the members who took time to rate.
Pixel anything in one of the templates below. The only other requirement is the use of #ff66cc (pink).
Canvas Size - Use one of the templates below (the templates may be rotated):
Colours - Max 32. Must include this shade of pink - #ff66cc.
Transparency - Required. However, the transparency must only be used outside of the heart.
Animation - Optional.
January 2011 featured pieces long in the making, luscious environments and stylish sprites. Many thanks go out to this month's top pixel artists and all the members who took time to rate.
Create a still life which includes devices that run on electricity. This may include (but not limited to):
radios
light bulbs
smoke alarms
electric toothbrushes
Van de Graaff generators
Here is an example of the idea from Cure.
Canvas size - Exactly 150 x 200. Either horizontal or vertical.
Colours - Max 12.
Transparency - No.
Animation - No.
Jinn wants you to pixel yourself hanging out with your favourite artist, it could be any type of artist you want (painter, singer, actor, whatever) just as long as they aren't a pixel artist/another member of this site.
Canvas Size - Max 300 (width) x 200 (height).
Colors - Max 32.
Transparency - No.
Animation - No.
Create an image showing a reflection. It should show something being reflected in the reflection and not just a shiny surface.
Please do not use semi-transparent pixels.
Optional Bonus Challenge: Can you do it without resorting to the reflection-in-water or reflection-in-mirror clichés?
Canvas Size - Max 175 x 175.
Colours - Max 20.
Transparency - Optional.
Animation - Optional.
March featured angels, demons and other critters, as well as fantastic landscapes. Many thanks go out to this month's top pixel artists and all the members who took time to rate.
There was probably some kind of notable wedding recently, who knows. Just in case there was, we should bake some cakes to celebrate, well, actually, how about we pixel some cakes instead?
You can pixel any kind of cake - it doesn't necessarily have to be a wedding cake. Any kind of cake that can fit into a 72 x 72 canvas is fine. It can be a full cake, a slice of cake, a cupcake - up to you. It would be a good idea to tell us what cake you're making in your description, a recipe would be nice too :o
Just so we're clear, no backgrounds; just the cake on its own, served on a transparent background.
For some cake ideas, check here; also, here's a whole bunch of delicious examples from the gallery from emlan.
Canvas size- Max 72 x 72.
Colours- Max 12.
Transparency- Required.
Animation- Optional.
Show us a scene depicting an original city that resides on or just above the clouds.
Canvas Size - Max 175 x 225 (either horizontal or vertical).
Colours - Max 25.
Transparency - Optional.
Animation - Optional.
The challenge thread will have all the challenge updates. The thread is also a great place to post your WIPs.
Show a machine that has visibly moving parts; it could be real or something made up. This means that anything from a sewing machine to a mechanical hippopotamus launcher is fine, as long as it's some kind of moving, animated machine.
Optional Bonus Challenge: Actually making the mechanical hippopotamus launcher (as requested in the comments).
Canvas size- Unrestricted.
Colours- Max 16.
Transparency - Optional.
Animation - Required.
The challenge thread will have all the challenge updates. The thread is also a great place to post your WIPs.
May featured fantasy creatures, gorgeous environments, and even a piece or two with a story. Many thanks go out to this month's top pixel artists and all the members who took time to rate.
iLKke challenges you to draw an avatar-sized picture depicting a cat wearing some kind of headgear, with some smoke or steam visible in the picture (for example a smoking pipe, a steaming cup of tea or a bowl of soup).
Optional Bonus Challenge: for using it as your avatar until the challenge results are announced, and for making it available for use by others.
Canvas Size - Exactly 64 x 64.
Colours - Exactly 8.
Transparency - No.
Animation - Optional.
The challenge thread will have all the challenge updates. The thread is also a great place to post your WIPs.
Pixejoint seeks to update the emoticon set used in the gallery and forum and invites all members to have a go at creating this set.
Awards
1st
2nd 
3rd
Honourable Mention
Winning artist gets a shout-out in the PJ About Us page too.
Pixel three real-life isometric animals (must be 3 separate species). Your three animals must be placed on the same canvas and all separated by transparency.
Canvas size - Max 150 x 150.
Colors - Max 26 (including transparency).
Transparency - Required.
Animation - Optional.
The challenge thread will have all the challenge updates. The thread is also a great place to post your WIPs.
Pixel an original monster that lives underground. Maybe it lives a foot beneath your back yard, or maybe it lives miles below the earth’s surface.
Canvas Size - Max 100 x 100.
Colors - Max 16.
Transparency - Optional.
Animation - Optional.
Create a banknote of a fictional currency. Either side of the note is acceptable.
Optional Bonus Challenge: Enter the challenge twice; one entry showing the obverse (front) of the note and one showing the reverse (back).
Some examples: [1] [2] [3] [4] [5]
Idea courtesy of Jinn.
Canvas Size - Exactly 200 (width) x 100 (Height)
Colours - Max 20.
Transparency - No.
Animation - No.
The challenge thread will have all the challenge updates. The thread is also a great place to post your WIPs.
Use the colours below to create an image displaying something magic or magical.
Canvas size - Unrestricted.
Colours - 7 or 8. Use only colours from this palette (plus optional transparency):
Transparency - Optional.
Animation - Optional.
Weekly Challenge entries had a strong presence in July's Monthly Top, alongside some old favourites, an enchanted mockup, something a little more demoscene and a piece with a great WIP thread. Many thanks go out to this month's top pixel artists and all the members who took time to rate.
Depict one of your earliest childhood memories.
Canvas Size - Max 320x200 (either horizontal or vertical).
Colours - Max 20.
Transparency - No.
Animation - Optional.
Design your own original propaganda poster (this means no pixel renditions of existing designs). It can be for any cause you like - from real to fictional.
Canvas Size - 150 (width) x 200 (height).
Colours - Max 8.
Transparency - No.
Animation - No.
Pixel an original character sporting an afro hairstyle.
Edit: Transparency is now optional.
Canvas Size - Max 72 x 72.
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.
The following pixel artists produced Pixel Joint's top rated pixel art for November 2011. Many thanks go out to this month's top pixel artists and all the members who took time to rate.
Create a mockup of an original two colour game. You may use any two colours except pure black or white.
Canvas Size - Max 160 (width) x 120 (height).
Colours - Exactly 2.
Transparency - No.
Animation - Optional.
It's the end of the International Year of Forests; so, to close things off for the year, this week's challenge is to create an image depicting at least one dead tree.
Canvas Size - Max 200 x 200.
Colours - Max 32.
Transparency - No.
Animation - Optional.
This week you are tasked with reinterpreting one of these classic Hall of Fame pieces:
The challenge thread will have all the challenge updates. The thread is also a great place to post your WIPs.
Create a sprite of an new and original weapon. Your sprite should depict something intened to be a weapon, rather than an existing object just used as a weapon (so a frying pan used as a blunt weapon wouldn't be acceptable).
You're strongly encouraged to think outside the box, so try to think as creatively as possible. Examples: an angry hedgehog on a stick or a deadly moustache.
Canvas Size - Max 150 x 150.
Colours - Max 20.
Transparency - Required.
Animation - Optional.
The following pixel artists produced Pixel Joint's top rated pixel art for January 2012. Many thanks go out to this month's top pixel artists and all the members who took time to rate.
Create an image within the diamond shaped canvas below.
Canvas Size - Use template:
Colours - Max 13.
Transparency - Required. Use only outside the template.
Animation - Optional.
Depict somebody/something being jealous of someone/something.
Canvas Size - Unrestricted
Colours - Max 32. Must include pure green (#00ff00
Transparency - No.
Animation - Optional.
The challenge thread will have all the challenge updates. The thread is also a great place to post your WIPs.
The following pixel artists produced Pixel Joint's top rated pixel art for February 2012. Many thanks go out to this month's top pixel artists and all the members who took time to rate.
Due to the recent downtime, the challenge has been extended by a week. Additionally, it has been updated to:
Depict somebody/something being jealous of someone/something.
Welcome to the real 5th April Fools Gallery challenge.
After a year's break, we've changed things around a little; this year, we're asking you to create a piece of pixel art in the style of one of PJ's featured pixel artists. So pick one of the following artists:
then create a piece based on what you've learned about their techniques, background, inspirations, etc... from reading their interview and browsing their gallery.
No list of restrictions this week; pick what restrictions are appropriate for your chosen artist. Just make sure your entry is entirely your own work and that you name the pixel artist you are attempting to emulate in your description.
The challenge thread will have all the challenge updates. The thread is also a great place to post your WIPs.
Pick a real life animal - other than a bunny (or any other lagomorph) - and depict them with a basket containing Easter eggs.
So, for example, you could show an 'Easter Dolphin' delivering eggs to scuba divers.
Canvas Size - Unrestricted.
Colours - Max 15.
Transparency - Optional.
Animation - Optional.
This week we want you to pick a maximum of 12 colours from the Microsoft Office palette (shown below) to depict something small.
It could be toy car, bacteria, a chihuahua etc... just as long as it's something that could reasonably be considered small in comparison to an average-sized human.
Canvas Size - Max 192 (width) x 96 (height).
Colours - Max 12; Use only colours from the Microsoft Office palette shown below:
Create an advertisement in any format you want (billboard, TV advertisement, banner ad, etc...) for some kind of futuristic piece of technology.
Canvas Size - Unresticted.
Colours - Max 35.
Transparency - Optional.
Animation - Optional.
Make an icon for a new and original game - à la the ones found on Steam (examples below).
Pick from one of these two sizes:
184 x 69; example:
-or-
120 x 45; example:
Canvas size - Exactly 184 x 69 or Exactly 120 x 45.
Colours - Max 32.
Transparency - No.
Animation - No.
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