Minecraft’s creative potential is the main reason why so many people still play it; want to create your own pixel art in it? You can build a new home, a fortress underground, or stunning lavafalls that cascade from the side of your obsidian mansion. Its a hugely fulfilling game.
However, perhaps you’ve had enough of architecture and want to exercise your creativity in new ways. You could accomplish this by making Minecraft pixel art, for example. If thats you, Im here to help.
- Basically, you start with an image to serve as your inspiration.
- Use an image editor to closely inspect that image for dimensions and color accuracy.
- Select which Minecraft blocks to use for the different colors.
- Finally build the image in Minecraft with pixel perfect accuracy.
What is Minecraft Pixel Art?
A relatively recent internet trend known as “Minecraft Pixel Art” essentially refers to in-game artwork (i e. , drawings, statues, 3D models, etc. (made by Minecraft players using wool, wood, and concrete blocks as building blocks)
It’s basically like building a structure. To build a house, a building, a farm, etc., you stack and connect blocks. The only distinction is that you are creating in-game what is essentially a massive pixelated 3D sculpture, drawing, or statue.
Because the world of Minecraft is made up of blocks (basically cubes), the artwork has a very pronounced retro, pixelated feel to it. But many would argue that that’s part of the charm.
Pixel art doesn’t really do anything in terms of gameplay. It cannot be inhabited, no resources can be obtained from it, and it cannot be used to earn bonuses or awards. However, the value of entertainment alone can be quite rewarding.
Sounds challenging and time-consuming?
But as you practice, it will become easier and quicker for you. Furthermore, as was already mentioned, a lot of Minecraft users find the pixel art process to be both artistically and emotionally fulfilling.
When you’re finished, you’ll also have something cool to show your friends!
How do I Make Minecraft Pixel Art In-Game?
The beauty of creating pixel art lies in its inclusivity. Pixel art can be created by anyone, from a talented young programmer to a novice programmer with little artistic talent. Really, all you need is a little imagination, some careful planning, and attention to detail.
The third element is particularly important.
If it’s any help, you can compare the pixel art in Minecraft to 3D model creation or sculpture. The components you employ must synergistically work together to form a single, sturdy object.
The making of pixel art can be divided into four broad steps:
- Design or Choose an Inspiration
- Break Inspiration Down Into Single-Color Sections
- Obtain the Necessary Resources
- Start Building
Design or Choose an Inspiration Image
When making pixel art in Minecraft, it is strongly advised that you have some sort of source material or original to copy. Creating something from scratch is very, very hard to do. In fact, we don’t advise beginning from scratch at all unless you have years of art experience and are a true expert at pixel art. It can be a waste of time and resources.
Pixel art is much simpler when there is a model to copy and occasionally consult visually.
Break Inspiration Image Down Into Single-Color Sections
Here’s where the “careful planning” element comes into play. You must examine your work and make a list of all the colors it contains. That includes things like shadows, shading, highlights, etc.
Instead of outlined color areas, break down the source into colored shapes. Next, consider the various Minecraft building blocks, paints, and glazes you could employ to represent these colored shapes in-game.
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Say, for example, that you want to create a pixel-art version of a cartoon character. Let’s use Spongebob Squarepants as an example because of his recognizable and distinctive appearance.
Obviously, you’ll be using a lot of yellow-colored blocks. However, take note of how his holes are a darker shade of yellow than the rest of him. You could use brown wool/concrete or yellow terracotta in place of the dark yellow dye that is absent from Minecraft. Since colored terracotta is usually darker and more earthy than other blocks, it will look great with yellow wool.
Observe how his mouth has two different shades of red on the inside as well. His tongue is pinker. Consequently, you could, for example, use pink wool blocks for his tongue and red concrete for the rest of his interior.
Whatever you decide to do, it’s crucial that you make a choice before beginning to create your pixel art. Naturally, adjustments can be made throughout the process, but if there are too many deviations from the original plan, you might become frustrated.
Our advice is to overlay a grid on your inspiration piece using graph paper or computer software so that you can see where various colored blocks begin and end.
Obtain the Necessary Resources
Now that you have:
- An inspiration piece/source
- A grid over your inspiration piece/source
- A rough idea of how to recreate your inspiration piece/source
You’re ready to start!
Launch Minecraft. Start assembling all the blocks you believe you’ll require if you plan to create your pixel art in the Survival, Hardcore, or Adventure modes of Minecraft. Always overestimate. Try to collect 25 blocks if you think you’ll need 15 for one section. If you believe ten blocks will be enough for one area, gather 15 to be safe.
You won’t have to worry about it if you’re building in Creative mode, which is the best mode for pixel art because it gives you unlimited resources.
We highly, highly recommend starting in Creative mode. Other than being able to fly and not running out of blocks in the middle of creating pixel art, there is no danger of your creation being destroyed by enemies or outside forces.
We advise laying the piece’s foundation first, then building on top of and around it, but some pixel artists say you can start anywhere. Pick a point and build-out, section by section. The creative process depends heavily on your own artistic sensibilities. Do whatever you find easiest!.
What Can I Use to Make Minecraft Pixel Art?
What else can you use in Minecraft to make things? Blocks Lots of them. Some utilize the natural color of the blocks (i. e. , the earthy brown of some wood blocks or the muted gray of stone blocks), but you can use glazed blocks and dyed blocks for pops of color.
The idea is to essentially turn your inspiration piece into pixels and then represent those pixels in-game using blocks.
In Minecraft, certain blocks are frequently used to produce pixel art, such as:
How Big Can I Make my Minecraft Pixel Art?
In Minecraft, the possibilities are endless. But 1 block = 1 pixel would be the smallest size allowable for a good pixel art piece. Keep in mind, though, that the actual Minecraft blocks are made of pixels. 16, to be exact. Now that a standard Minecraft block is 16 by 16, your pixel art would be roughly 16 times larger than the creature, building, or work of art you’re attempting to recreate.
For pixel art that is roughly 32 times larger than the original image, you can use 4 blocks to create a 2 x 2 area if you want to go big or go home. By using 16 blocks to make a 4 x 4 pixel, you can increase the size even further.
What are the Challenges of Creating Minecraft Pixel Art?
Because each Minecraft block is made of a single pixel, there isn’t exactly a single consistent color to them. Stone blocks have varying shades of gray, for example. Wood blocks aren’t completely light or dark brown. If the artwork you’re copying is very detailed or contains a lot of distinct color areas, this may be challenging.
You can only use the in-game dyes and glazes, which is another drawback. Therefore, it might not be possible to add more intricate elements, such as shading or lighting, to a particular piece of pixel art.
Naturally, the majority of artwork is intended to be viewed from a distance, so The variations won’t be too obvious per Minecraft block.
Step-by-Step Minecraft Pixel Art Tutorial – Mob: Creeper
Once you master pixel art, creating creepers is fairly simple. Although novices might find it somewhat difficult, a Creeper’s color scheme and general shape make it an excellent mob for beginners to replicate.
Here’s a great tutorial by YouTube creator TSMC – Minecraft on creating pixel art of a Creeper:
A similar tutorial for making pixel art of a more complex Creeper is also available (still by TSMC – Minecraft):
When making a Creeper, you’ll need to use a lot of green and lime green blocks (especially if you choose to make one that is plain), but you’ll also need gray and brown. For the majority of the Creeper’s body, try to use lime, green, white, and light gray wool or concrete blocks. For some parts, you can use glazed terracotta blocks to add texture and contrast. If you want more detail, stone or slime blocks are also excellent to use.
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Step-by-Step Minecraft Pixel Art Tutorial – Block: Pumpkin
YouTube channel The-_-Bystander has an awesome tutorial on how to create a Pumpkin:
Just keep in mind that you’ll primarily be using oranges and browns for this. Try orange wool/concrete, orange terracotta, and brown wool/concrete. Additionally, you’ll need some plain white blocks and some light gray blocks (glazed terracotta may work best for this). Terracotta will be used to create the pumpkin’s face, with brown wool used for the lighter areas.
You could combine green and yellow terracotta with some yellow wool or concrete to add a pumpkin stem.
Step-by-Step Minecraft Pixel Art Tutorial – Block: Cake
For your friend’s birthday, why not craft a cute and tasty in-game surprise? This tutorial by MrMcTaco teaches you how to make pixel art of a giant Minecraft cake.
Terracotta, wool, and/or concrete in red and brown will be the primary materials you use. For that frosted appearance, the icing would be made of a mix of white and light gray concrete. You could use red wool or red concrete to cover the red specks on top, which are almost certainly strawberries.
Your creativity, artistic talent, and problem-solving abilities can all be developed through the wonderful, fulfilling hobby of creating Minecraft pixel art. Because, believe it or not, mastering pixel art requires critical thinking.
- What is Minecraft Pixel Art?
- How do I Make Minecraft Pixel Art?
- What Can I Use to Make Minecraft Pixel Art?
- Step-by-Step Minecraft Pixel Art Tutorial – Mobs: Creeper
- Step-by-Step Minecraft Pixel Art Tutorial – Block: Pumpkin
- Step-by-Step Minecraft Pixel Art Tutorial – Block: Cake
Your children can learn the value of persistence and patience from Minecraft pixel art. Like we mentioned earlier, the process isn’t easy. Your child will require advanced planning, a fundamental comprehension of deconstruction (and reconstruction), and the ability to translate visual cues into precise measurements. For instance, how many blocks should the rest of a pixel art Creeper’s body be in relation to its base if the base is 15 Minecraft blocks long?
These and other difficulties will arise when making pixel art in Minecraft, but we are confident that they will only help your child’s abilities to advance.
Try the FREE trial of CodaKid today if you want to really test your child’s coding skills.
How To Make Mapart From Any Image In Minecraft
FAQ
How do I make a picture into pixel art?
Understand that pixels, which are tiny squares of one color, can be used to create larger images in order to create pixel art. This is the first essential step to drawing pixel art. Decide on what resolution you want to emulate. Determine a size for your pixels. Choose a color palette. Create a grid and start placing pixels.
How to create pixel art?
You should see a crafting area with a 3×3 crafting grid in the crafting menu. In the 3×3 crafting grid, put 8 sticks and 1 wool to create a painting. When creating a painting, it’s crucial to arrange the sticks and wool exactly as shown in the illustration below.
How to build art in Minecraft?
minecraft folder and then Screenshots. And there they are, Windows 10 Edition! To take a screenshot, select the camera icon in the Windows game bar by pressing and holding the Windows button and G at the same time. The Windows button, Alt, and PrtScn keys can also be held down to immediately take a screenshot.
