Pixel Art Tutorials

[PTGigi]

Originally Posted by RoconzaArt

Pillow shading:
Why you want to avoid it like the plague and why.

The greatest evil that has ever been know. We pixel artists have given it a name that is pillow shading! *thunder clap*

If you don't know what it is then let me enlighten you. Pillow shading is the act of putting the light source at the center of your pixel art. This is the most common mistake new pixel artists can make.

I don't care what any one tells you pillow shading will make your work seem ugly. In short to be blunt you'll be laughed out of any respectable pixel art community. There are some very rare moments you will ever want to use it and there few and far between.

Now the only times pillow shading is common is in smiles and emotes. In these cases it works and looks pretty ok.

GAH THE EVILNESS D: But I've heard two different terms for pillow shading XD One good and one bad.


That is clearly the bad one, but I've also heard many, many times the style Pokemon uses for their sprites referred to as pillow shading because the shadow/highlights are clear-cut like real life but they are sort of 'fluffy' and rounded.