Good pixel art creators?

I'm trying to make pixel art, but everything I tried doesn't impress me or fits my needs.

I don't know what your needs are, but I really like using Photoshop for creating pixel art. But, some people are happy with MS Paint.

I'll always recommend GraphicsGale for its ease of use, once you get the hang of it. There's a free version that's pretty much the full package.

~ Blob

I've used MS Paint since I was a kid, so I'm pretty accustomed to it. It's the simplest and easiest to get the hang of in my opinion, though lacking more 'advanced' features found on graphic programs nowadays.

If you're making pixel art, paint is all you will ever need. But it is nice to have adobe programs like photshop at hand for graphics in general. Practice makes perfect, study other people's styles and ideas and practice as well, lots and lots of practice.

If you're making pixel art, paint is all you will ever need. But it is nice to have adobe programs like photshop at hand for graphics in general. Practice makes perfect, study other people's styles and ideas and practice as well, lots and lots of practice.

You shouldn't disregard other options just because MSpaint can get the job done. If you prefer or are used to MSpaint that's fine, but simply being capable isn't enough to make it the go-to program. Paint has a lot of things slowing it down like constantly needing to adjust the palette and not having an instant right-click dropper tool.

~ Blob

The ability to use layers also help tremendously, even more when animation with sprites. Photoshop and Graphics Gale use them well.

I consider myself pretty decent at Photoshop, but I admit, I prefer MS Paint and GraphicsGale to Photoshop for pixelwork.  Every other artsy thing I will drag through PS at least for touchups, but pixelwork, eh, I find Paint/GG easier.  If I bring in my own pixel palette to pick colors from, which I do, it's really no problem.  I just wish they had shortkeys.

<3 ali

I have no idea how people could stand to use Paint for pixel art. I would be lost without GIMP's selection, layer, and color tools. Hat's off to the Painters.

Masked: know of any good tutorials on using GIMP for pixel art work?

I also recommend Graphicsgale it has a good functions, especially made for pixel arts...

I usually use Paint, but sometimes when working on an animation (like making a character run for instance) I use GIMP. Layers are very useful for testing animation...

Masked: know of any good tutorials on using GIMP for pixel art work?

Not off the top of my head, I'm afraid. I definitely looked at the occasional tutorial, but only when there was a specific action I knew I could do but didn't know how to do. Everything else was trial and error.

Oh, but if you plan on using GIMP, go through all its Tips of the Day. I remember learning a good portion of the neat tricks I know about the program from those.

And you can always private message me if you have specific questions about the program.

MSpaint has forever been my default pixel art tool, but if you're just starting I would encourage something stronger like Fireworks, GraphicsGale, or Photoshop. You'll want those nice tools.

I've also heard that Paint.NET is a good bridge between MSpaint and other 3 listed above. 

This is a really handy set of tutorials that helped me get the hang of pixel art, you might find it interesting:
http://gas13.ru/v3/tutorials/