..::Pixel Person Creation::..

Disclaimer:
This tutorial was made using Jasc Paintshop Pro 7, but I am sure this can be done in Photoshop and pervious versions of Jasc Paintshop Pro. You can find a demo of Jasc Paintshop Pro here and you can find Photoshop here. I would also like to say that after each step make sure to save, you don’t have to merge the layers. Just make sure that you save it as a PSD or PSP [if you are using Jasc Paintshop Pro].

Pixel Person Step 1: We will begin our person with the most basic of an outline. Getting the basic outline should take time. If you want to have a great character take your time or even sketch out what you are looking to make. In my example I was just looking to make a simple version of myself. [See Figure 1.1]

Figure 1.1

Pixel Person Step 2: Next we shall begin coloring in our outline. Just choose some basic colors for your character, and make sure that you leave the black outlines you made in Step 1. In my example I used 4 colors as a base [white, brown, peach/flesh, and grey]. [See Figure 1.2]

Figure 1.2

Pixel Person Step 3: This step is basically trial and error. We are going to shade in our character again we are going to leave the black outlines. Just experiment with different shades of the base colors you used in Step 2. I generally increase the Light [in Jasc Paintshop Pro] by 10 for one of the shades and decrease the Light by 10 for another shade. Experimentation works best here, especially since you might have a more diverse person/character than me. [See Figure 1.3]

Figure 1.3

Pixel Person Step 4: Now this is the step were we eliminate the horrid black outlines. You do not have to get rid of the original outline, but in most cases your creation will look better by doing this step. We will be hightlighting the black outlines. This means that we will take a brighter shade of the base color, this highlight is also bright than the shade(s) used in Step 3. For your highlight just experiment with your new shades and where to put them. I generally increase the Light [in Jasc Paintshop Pro] by 20 for the highlight shade [increase of 20 from the original base color in Step 2]. You can use Figure 1.4 as an example of highlighting. Just experiment with your highlights, you can get some good results from just playing aroud. [See Figure 1.4]

Figure 1.4

Finished Product/Creation:

Hope this tutorial helps out those who have wondered how I make these little guys.