Pixel art is more than digital nostalgia – origins, styles and current trends in pixel art

Pixel art originated in the late 1970s and early 1980s with the advent of the first computers and video games. Iconic games like Space Invaders , Pac-Man , and later Super Mario Bros. shaped the visual style that millions of people associate with early digital media. What was once born out of technical limitations has now evolved into a recognized form of digital art.

The 8-bit era brought a significant evolution, using 256 colors. This style became typical of classic consoles of the 1980s and early 1990s, such as the Nintendo Entertainment System and the Sega Master System. Pixel art had already begun to regain popularity in 2006, but it reached new heights with games like Minecraft , released in 2011, Stardew Valley , and Celeste , which combined the nostalgia of retro-inspired graphics with modern gameplay mechanics.

The well-known Nyan Cat NFT , a prime example of the influence of pixel art in the digital economy, sold for almost $600,000 in 2021.

The origins of pixel art

The term "pixel art" was first coined in 1982 by Adele Goldberg and Robert Flegal of the Xerox Palo Alto Research Center * . However, the concept dates back about 10 years, with Richard Shoup's 1972 SuperPaint considered one of the earliest examples * . This digital art form has evolved from technological limitations and, over time, has become a consciously chosen stylistic device that now extends far beyond its original boundaries.

From arcade games to computer art

The origins of pixel art are closely linked to the era of arcade games Computer Space (1971), developed in 1971 by Nolan Bushnell, later the founder of Atari, is considered the first commercial arcade game. In the early days, graphics were predominantly represented as black-and-white bitmaps—a fixed arrangement of black and white pixels.

The "Golden Era of Arcade Games" began in 1978. Milestones of this era included:

• 1978: Space Invaders (Beginning of an Era)
• 1979: Galaxian (first game with true color graphics)
• 1980: Pac-Man (first commercial game)
• 1982: Zaxxon (first game with isometric view)
• 1983: I, Robot (first commercial 3D polygon game)

These developments occurred in parallel with the arrival of the first home consoles. Arcade machines were originally installed not only in arcades, but also in snack bars, kiosks, and supermarket lobbies, until this was prohibited by law. During this time, arcades became significant social gathering places, creating a new gaming culture that extended far beyond the arcades themselves.

Technical limitations as a creative basis

The aesthetic expressiveness of early pixel art was directly dependent on the technical limitations of the hardware of the time. For example, the Atari STFM system only display pixel graphics at a resolution of 320 × 200 pixels with 10 colors. These limitations forced artists to improvise creatively.

Shades of gray could only be simulated using overly visible black-and-white grids, and slanted or curved lines inevitably appeared as stepped structures. These technical hurdles, however, were not viewed as an obstacle but rather embraced as a creative challenge.

The art of pixel art has evolved into a precise craft. Purists within the scene maintain that "real" pixel art should be created only with tools that place individual pixels, avoiding more advanced tools such as line, Bézier curve, circle, or rectangle tools.

Pixel art is distinguished from other forms of digital art by the manual editing at the pixel level—often at high magnification and almost always without the use of graphic filters or automatic anti-aliasing . In this art form, as experts emphasize, "every pixel is carefully placed."

Pixels as a digital mosaic

It's astonishing how similar pixel art and classic mosaic work are. In fact, cross-stitch can be considered a historical precursor to pixel art. These two art forms utilize small, individual pieces that, together, form a larger whole.

In pixel art, the individual pixels are the building blocks that come together to form an image. The pixels create the whole piece by carefully placing each block. It looks amazing, just like mosaic art , cross-stitch, and other embroidery techniques.

The street artist Invader (Franck Slama) is a striking example of the connection between the digital and physical worlds; he has installed over 4,000 mosaics in 80 cities worldwide. His motifs, often small alien monsters from the game Space Invaders , represent the gridded appearance of early pixel graphics in urban space through mosaic tiles.

In early pixel art, the limited color palette was also used to create different shades and colors using dithering techniques. Impressively, 88% of pixel art professionals report that shading plays a crucial role in creating dynamic artwork. Such techniques emphasize the artisanal nature of this art form and reinforce the connection to traditional mosaic work.

The Evolution of Pixel Art

Over the years, pixel art has evolved from a technical necessity to a consciously chosen art style that now flourishes in many areas of digital culture.

Revival through indie games

The return of pixel art is largely due to independent game developers. This revival is no coincidence; it's based on practical and aesthetic reasons. The simple structure allowed individual developers or small teams to create creative games even on limited budgets. This is why many indie developers choose this style.

In addition to being cost-effective, pixel art has other advantages: It's less resource-intensive than high-polygon 3D art and can even be created by just one person. Additionally, it's easier to find someone with pixel art skills than a 3D modeler, and pixel artists are usually less expensive.

The success of titles like "Celeste , " "Stardew Valley," and "Hyper Light Drifter" impressively demonstrates that pixel art continues to delight gamers around the world. These games prove that sometimes less is more when it comes to game graphics. Developers can tell their stories in a simple and effective way.

Pixel Art: A Breath of Fresh Air Thanks to NFTs

Pixel art has found a fresh market with the introduction of NFTs (non-fungible tokens) . NFTs serve as proof of ownership for digital assets and have turned pixel art into a sought-after speculative object , sometimes fetching millions.

A new era for digital artists and collectors has begun, connecting pixel art with the metaverse . Today, online NFT marketplaces are the galleries of crypto art , opening up new opportunities for artists to offer their works for sale. One impressive example is the "69X69 Gallery" in Voxels – an exhibition of 69 images with a resolution of 69 × 69 pixels, documenting an artist's journey in the crypto space.

However, this new market also has its downsides. In addition to the enormous power consumption of blockchain technology, pixel art thefts are a recurring problem. "Wildfire" creator Dan Hindes even remarked that it's "almost normal" for pixel art to be stolen from NFT projects.

Retro games as a source of inspiration

The fascination with retro games goes far beyond what happens on screen. Physical proximity and the shared pursuit of time together play a crucial role. New games with retro themes are now a dime a dozen, exuding a retro charm that particularly appeals to those who grew up in the 1980s and 1990s.

In addition, a small "homebrew scene" emerged, specializing in developing new games for older consoles and computers. One developer explained the motivation behind this:

For many, the interest stems from having had the devices as children and not having been able to program them back then. Now we have the knowledge."

What unites everyone who engages with retro games or new games in a retro style is nostalgia . It's a romanticized longing for a place or things that no longer exist today or that never existed in this form. Spanish developers Mikel Ojea and Juan Abad explain their conscious choice of the retro style as follows:

We believe that by limiting ourselves we can tell more things than with better graphics or more pixels.”

Juan Abad worked as a main artist on the retro video game “ Go Mecha Ball”.

However, modern games often combine pixel aesthetics with innovative elements such as high-resolution displays, advanced lighting effects, and smooth animations. This fusion of old and new is what makes pixel art so enduring.

Styles in pixel art

Over the decades, pixel art has undergone numerous stylistic advances. All of these styles exhibit unique visual characteristics and present technical challenges for artists.

8-bit, 16-bit and high-bit

Pixel art is largely visually defined by the varying bit depths. The 4-bit style uses a very limited color palette of only 16 colors, creating a somewhat washed-out look characteristic of early consoles of the 1980s.

In the 8-bit style, you could choose from 256 colors (2^8). The appearance is typical of classic consoles from the 1980s and early 1990s, such as the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) and the Sega Master System. An 8-bit image can actually display 256 color values, allowing for smaller file sizes and faster processing.

A significant advance came with the 16-bit era , which, thanks to 65,536 color values ​​per channel (2^16), enabled far greater color variation and finer details. Typical examples of this genre are the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) and the Sega Genesis . It should be noted, however, that the human eye can only detect and distinguish about 10 million colors.

It's interesting to note that these bit specifications only apply to one color channel. Because photos in RGB mode are composed of three channels (red, green, and blue), an 8-bit image can theoretically produce over 16.7 million color tones.

Isometric views

The isometric perspective is a unique feature of pixel art; it was first used commercially in the 1982 arcade game "Zaxxon ." This form of representation, from an oblique overview perspective, creates a 3D effect on flat screens.

One notable aspect: While classic isometric perspective uses a 30° angle , this would result in irregular lines in pixel art. Therefore, pixel artists typically use an angle of around 26.565°, resulting in a 2:1 pixel offset. Instead of one pixel up and one pixel to the right (45°), they go one pixel up and two pixels to the right.

To avoid irregular lines, the angle on the monitor must be slightly modified, as an exact 30° angle would otherwise produce irregular lines. In contrast, the 2:1 pixel offset produces more consistent results and is easier to implement. Another problem with isometric representation is that, although it mimics a 3D view, this is actually impossible. The human eye sees in perspective and typically perceives rear image elements as smaller than front ones.

Minimalist and animated designs

Minimalist pixel art is defined by a small color palette and clean lines. This reduction is not only important for aesthetic reasons, but can also have practical advantages: pixel graphics are easy to create, have a fast loading time, and create a special atmosphere.

The most commonly used minimalist approaches are:

• Two-color (1-bit) images with clear contouring
• Monochrome designs with limited shades
• Flat color areas without complicated transitions

Animated pixel styles create a kind of cartoon by layering multiple pixel graphics and making small adjustments. To enhance animations, multiple sprites are created . For example, for a walking animation, different layers for the leg positions can be created, which are played one after the other.

It's interesting that many contemporary pixel artists consciously maintain these limitations, even though the technical constraints have long since disappeared. The artist group eBoy brilliantly demonstrates what can be achieved with this technique. Their "Pixorama" cities are complex, richly detailed universes that develop astonishing depth despite the limitations of pixel art.

There's good news for beginners: Learning pixel art isn't that difficult and it's fun. Even beginners can quickly create their own pixel graphics and animations Pixelorama

Tools and methods for pixel art

Unlike other digital art forms, pixel art requires that you consciously place each individual pixel – comparable to traditional Handmade techniques such as cross-stitching or pointillism .

Explanation of dithering and antialiasing

One of the fundamental techniques of pixel art, dithering for the simulation of gradients and shading, despite the limited color palette. It involves creating a checkerboard pattern and then blending it out to create the appearance of additional shades.

Antialiasing, on the other hand, refers to the deliberate blurring of lines to create a rounder and softer appearance. This typically involves placing pixels where two pixels meet at a 45-degree angle. However, artists should "banding" —where shaded pixels are placed around the inner edge of an object, which can impair the clarity of pixel art.

Typical software: Aseprite, Piskel, Photoshop

For many pixel artists, Aseprite has become the standard tool. It offers a pixel-like interface and comprehensive features designed specifically for this art form, all for around $15.

The strengths include:

• Onion skinning in animation (overlaying frames before and after the current one)
• Create automatic pixel format for fonts
• Tile tool for periodic patterns
• Sophisticated export options for game developers

For tech enthusiasts : Aseprite can also be used for free if you compile the source code yourself.

Piskel is primarily aimed at beginners and offers a desktop version as well as a free online version. Its simple user interface makes it particularly easy to get started. Animations can be created with the program and exported as static files, GIF animations, or sprite sheets, with real-time previews.

While Photoshop isn't specifically designed for pixel art, it does provide all the necessary tools to achieve professional results. To optimize pixel graphics, consider these settings: Set the grid to "pixels" instead of "centimeters," set the grid divisions to "1," and select "pixel repeat" . The Pencil tool is also a recommended choice if you want to preserve hard edges.

One important difference: Pixel art in Photoshop means that pixel art consists of real pixels that can even be recognized as such at high magnification; Illustrator, on the other hand, creates scalable vector graphics that can be enlarged without loss of quality.

Use tablet and apps for pixel art

Various mobile apps for artists have emerged on the go. Pixel Studio offers many features for mobile devices and iPads, such as editing layers, creating animations, and exporting as GIFs or sprite tables. The app is compatible with Apple Pencil and allows synchronization between devices via Google Drive .

Pixaki is an app specifically designed for the iPad that stacks animation layers on top of each other. Complex animations with static backgrounds are possible because each layer has its own timeline. The app also offers isometric art tools for different angles and shapes.

When organizing files, keep the following in mind: Pixel art should never be saved in JPEG format, because compression results in a loss of quality. PNG or GIF, on the other hand, are much better suited to preserving pixel-perfect detail.

Pixel art: An expression of more than just nostalgia

The appeal of pixel art goes far beyond nostalgia. Although many viewers are initially drawn to it by memories of early video games, upon closer inspection, it is a consciously chosen aesthetic form of expression with profound design principles.

Digital nostalgia or conscious aesthetics?

In pop culture , pixel art has become a symbol of nostalgia and minimalism . By eschewing complicated 3D models, it focuses on the essentials and creates a kind of authenticity that appeals to many in a digitally cluttered world. But this return isn't just a sign of nostalgia; it also reflects disillusionment with the present. For many, the internet era of that time is a nostalgic reminder of a time when people were still in control of their digital lives. That was before they became dependent on repetitive templates and the excessive content streams of today's platforms.

Indie game developers have intentionally revived this style and used it to establish a connection to the classics of video game history. It's not simply a throwback; it's an aesthetic choice with a clear artistic intent.

Comparison with contemporary architecture and design

An excellent example of the intentional use of pixel aesthetics in contemporary design is the Norwegian Central Bank , which designed its banknotes in a pixel style. The designers describe their approach as "The Beauty of Boundaries." The philosophy behind these modern, cube-shaped pixel patterns is a connection to the ancient mosaic concept.

The oldest known mosaics actually date back to the third millennium BC; they were discovered in a temple in Mesopotamia. Most of the digital images we see today are simultaneously composed of tiny pixels—a striking contrast between past and present. Thanks to this connection, pixel art is something deeper than just retro aesthetics.

The designers of the Norwegian banknotes stated in an interview with VICE :

When you have a concept or a big idea, it just makes total sense from start to finish.”

The principle also applies to successful pixel art: a clear concept allows you to pursue a coherent, well-thought-out approach that is more than just nostalgia.

Why restrictions promote creativity

Less is more: Reduction and simplicity are the key aspects of successful pixel art. Paradoxically, fewer colors and pixels create more freedom because they force artists to find creative solutions. A Chinese proverb says:

Great art is achieved when nothing can be left out.”

Simplified representations are liberating; they direct the eye to what matters. Talented pixel artists are able to capture the basic form of a motif and simplify it even further. Unlike other digital art forms, realistic representations are less suitable in pixel art—you first have to learn to simplify complex forms like hands or facial expressions.

A study on the aesthetic investigation of pixel art at the Free University of Amsterdam describes it as

a limited, abstract and challenging representation that must be complemented by the viewer's productive imagination."

Imagination is a fundamental driver that guides the understanding of pixel art because it takes into account the intrinsic conditions of informational inconsistency and the unconventionality of images.

Ultimately, pixel art is a counterweight to the consumer-oriented aesthetic values ​​of the present. It is a medium that enables a gaming experience that contradicts prevailing trends—not just a throwback to bygone times, but an independent artistic position in the digital present.

Panel discussion: All pixels – What does retrocomputing have to do with culture?

As part of Classic Computing 2025, organized by the Association for the Preservation of Classic Computers, the German Cultural Council to a new episode of JaAberUnd , the online debate format of Politik & Kultur , the newspaper of the German Cultural Council. The discussion will be broadcast live and subsequently posted on the German Cultural Council's YouTube channel.

Topic of the panel discussion: All pixels – What does retrocomputing have to do with culture?

It is about old computers as cultural assets, about repairing them instead of throwing them away, and about new art with old computers, e.g. the demoscene, in short: about interfaces between retrocomputing and art and culture.

Discussing:

• Hans Hübner, Chairman of the Association for the Preservation of Classic Computers
• Clemens Krause, Stuttgart Computer Museum
• Olaf Zimmermann, Managing Director of the German Cultural Council, Editor of Politics & Culture

Moderation: Barbara Haack, Head of Communications, German Cultural Council
Date: 13 September 2025, 4-5 p.m.
Venue: Freiheitshalle Hof, Kulmbacher Str. 4, 95030 Hof

Famous pixel artists and their works

The impressive works of pixel art are the result of talented artists who shape this medium in their own unique way. By creating their own style, they help to continuously develop pixel art as a recognized art form.

eBoy and the Pixorama Cities

Founded in 1997, the pixel art group eBoy , consisting of Kai Vermehr, Steffen Sauerteig, and Svend Smital, is based in Berlin and Los Angeles. Known as the "Godfathers of Pixel," have created a unique aesthetic with their complex, three-dimensional isometric illustrations. Robots, cars, weapons, and pop culture icons in vibrant colors dominate their works.

Their "Pixorama" cityscapes are particularly well-known—they feature detailed, isometric cityscapes that combine classic landmarks with witty details. Creating such a detailed cityscape takes the three artists approximately six to eight weeks when working full-time.

 

Paul Robertson and Gaming Art

Paul Robertson made his first major impact with the animated short film "Pirate Baby's Cabana Battle Street Fight 2006" —a 12-minute black-and-white film depicting a fictional side-scrolling action game. Since then, he has produced art and animation for several notable games, including "Scott Pilgrim vs. The World: The Game" and "Wizorb .

Robertson began his artistic career using a DOS animation program, creating short films. He was influenced by Taito games like "Bubble Bobble" and "Rainbow Island," with their colorful palettes and cute characters. He has also created impressive pixel animations for Adult Swim and occasionally interprets celebrities and Pokémon in his distinctive 8-bit style.

Invader: Street Art Meets Pixel Art

Born in 1969, French street artist Invader combines pixel art with urban space. With degrees from the École nationale supérieure des beaux-arts de Paris and the Sorbonne, he began creating mosaic images of characters from the game Space Invaders in Paris in 1998.

Today, Invader has installed over 4,000 of his pixel mosaics worldwide—a milestone celebrated in his exhibition "4000." His works can be found in numerous cities, including New York, Tokyo, London, and Vienna, where he left behind 56 artworks. In Paris alone, over 1,500 of his mosaics exist.

To maintain his anonymity, Invader incognito, often wearing a mask, and working primarily at night. In 2015, he expanded his artistic concept with the mobile app "FlashInvaders ," where users can search for his mosaics and collect points by taking photos.

Conclusion

Pixel art undoubtedly represents far more than a mere digital reminiscence. While early computer graphics arose from technological limitations, pixel art has evolved into a consciously chosen form of expression that maintains its own place even in the age of photorealistic 3D graphics. The path from technological constraints to free artistic choice is particularly remarkable.

The self-imposed limitations of pixel art paradoxically encourage creative solutions and force artists to capture the essence of their subjects. Indeed, this art form can be compared to traditional craft techniques such as mosaics or cross-stitch—each element is deliberately placed and contributes to the overall image.

Indie developers are now embracing this style not just for cost reasons, but because it offers a unique aesthetic that appeals to gamers worldwide. At the same time, the NFT movement has catapulted pixel art into new economic realms, with works sometimes changing hands for astounding sums.

However, the enduring success of pixel art is not solely due to its nostalgic appeal. Rather, the reduced formal language creates a direct connection between artist and viewer. The audience's imagination is actively engaged to complete the abstracted representations.

Artists like eBoy, Paul Robertson, and Invader impressively demonstrate how versatile pixel art can be—from complex city panoramas to hypnotic animations to urban interventions. Every single pixel becomes a deliberate design element.