An adventure game that teaches you how to draw pixel art

Laura Hudson 1:38 pm Wed Aug 12, 2015

I've always wanted to learn how to draw pixel art. I grew up on the adventure games of the 1990s, but even beyond the nostalgic appeal I find the idea of creating art within limitations deeply compelling. It's the same reason I enjoy structured poetic forms, writing exercises, or even the 140-character limit of Twitter.

But I'm no artist, and I've never really been sure where to start. So it was with great interest that I read about the Kickstarter for Pixel Art Academy, an adventure game about attending a school to learn pixel art, which actually teaches you pixel art.

You play as a student at the Retropolis Academy of Art, a school that welcomes both experienced illustrators and amateurs. You'll be given tasks—watch a video, read an article, make a drawing—that teach you about basic tools and skills, or assigned to create certain types of art and then upload your creations.

Created by Matej "Retro" Jan, Pixel Art Academy will run in your browser, and also be a multiplayer game, which means that you'll be able to share your work with other students and see theirs as well. The Kickstarter campaign has already been funded 22 times over, and you can get your own copy—due out in January 2016—by backing it for $10.

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