For this experiment, the creator tried recreating popular Mario characters and items to get used to the 8-bit pixel art style using a 1x1 pixel pencil tool. This helped them understand basic character composition and design. In future experiments, they planned to add more detail through shading and highlights. In another experiment, the creator added a changing sky background by creating multiple sky layers of different blue shades to turn on and off, simulating the sky changing as the sun and moon move across. This adds realism and interest over a static background. A third experiment involved animating a cursor selecting character options, making sure to follow the 180x20 pixel ratio. Frame times were mostly 0.1 seconds except

1. Experiments
Erin Stephenson

2. Process
For this experiment, I just simply wanted to adapt to the 8-bit
art style by trying out a few pixel characters used in popular
games, for this one I stuck to the world of Mario and recreated
some of those characters and items
One of the thing I had adapt to using was the pencil tool with only
one block set to the size ‘1’.
By trying out some well known character designs first, this
allowed me to understand the composition and how simplistic
characters are created but still appealing to an audience.
This gave me a nice
introduction to using pixel
art and prepared me for my
following experiments and
testing out animations, walk
cycles etc.

3. Reflection
� For this project, I will be sticking to the vintage 8-bit style however I will try and add
more detail through shading and adding highlights to characters, scenery etc.

4. Process
For this experiment, I wanted to experiment with
the changing the background, this example being
the sky changing as the sun leaves the screen and
the moon enters
In order to have the changing background, I had to
create multiple layer of the sky with different shades
of blue from light to dark that during animation I can
just turn on and off for the change
By having this change in the background it adds a
realistic effect as the sky is not the same shade of blue
throughout the entire day but also makes the
background more interesting rather than the same
stationary background that never changes.

5. Reflection
� I will be including sound in my final product as it adds an interesting element to the
game and can help distinguish between different things such as finishing a task,
selecting an item, losing a life and completing levels are just a few examples. Sound
in video games have been proven to ‘stimulate senses’ as well as ‘blending into the
background of your brain’. By having sound in video games it can create setting but
also create emotion and provides a ‘tool to tell a story without using words’

6. Process
For this experiment, I wanted to try
animating a cursor selecting a character
with multiple options.
I made sure to have the
180x20 pixel rate for
composition. I also had to
set the pencil to ‘1’ which
made it place per block
along with the eraser.
When animating this in photoshop I had to remember to add the video timeline as if I
didn’t, I would be able to animate frame by frame. For the time settings and duration of the
frame, I decided to keep the majority to 0.1 seconds however when the cursor hovers over
the character and the background behind them flashed yellow, I had that frame last 0.5
seconds for a longer duration.

7. Reflection
� I will include the use of the cursor in my final product as it gives the nostalgic video
game feel that I intend to include in mine.
� By using this method of ‘selection’ it gives a simplistic feel but also opens the
product as having multiple options with one being character selection.

8. Process
For this experiment, I attempted by adding sound to
an animation I have made in photoshop
To create the sound, I used
the online software known
as ‘beepbox’ to create a
game like introduction.
Once creating the
sound, I then went
into Premiere Pro and
mixed the exported
photoshop video file
and the new audio
file into one PP
project.

9. Reflection
� I think in my final product I will include the scenery changing as it shows a change in
background rather than it being the same background throughout, maybe when a
goal is accomplished, level completed etc.