What is a Pixel Doll?

A pixel doll is typically a small digitally-drawn "doll" created in a graphics program such as Paint Shop Pro or Adobe Photoshop. Some artists make tiny tiny dolls, and others make huge dolls or even complete scenes with dolls in them. The common factor is that the art is drawn pixel by pixel, usually while zoomed in on the canvas. This allows for details to be created even though the final result is small-scale.

Pixel art can be of anything, not just people. You can make pixel animals, pixel flowers, pixel cities, whatever you dream up!

The general technique for creating a pixel doll is this:
1. Start by opening up a "blank" (unclothed) body base, either one that you made, or one that someone else made and provided for use on their own doll site. *NOTE: if you want to use another artist's body base, you MUST read their rules first to make sure it's okay to take the base and use it to make a doll with!!!!*
2. Create a new layer and begin to draw some outlines of clothing on the doll.
3. Create a new layer and fill in the clothing with colors or patterns.
4. Use shading or dodge tools etc. for contouring the clothing, to make it look 3-dimensional.
5. Create a new layer and draw an outline of hair for the doll.
6. Create a new layer and fill in the hair with color.
7. Use shading or dodge tools to add shades and highlights to the hair.
8. Create any additional layers for shoes, accessories, etc. --anything else that you want to draw.
9. Save the file with the layers intact (in Paint Shop Pro, you save it as a .psp file).
10. Then save it as a merged file (JPG or GIF) so that you have a complete doll on one layer, that you can post online.

There is really a vast amount of truly wonderful pixel art out there. As you can see by browsing pixel doll sites, these dolls take lots of time and creativity to make, and some artists have fabulously-detailed dolls. The possibilities are limitless, and anyone can learn to make these dolls. It is a lot of fun.

Above all, please respect the rules of these artists' sites, because these dolls and sites take TONS of effort to make and maintain. It is art, just like any other form of art, and it belongs to the creators. EACH doll takes hours or even days of delicate work!