Pixel Art How to make pixel art outline from drawings

If you are taking part as making The Pirc Cheerleaders, you will have to agree that we use it for display and of course the copyright of the finish paint image will be yours. When posting your result in the Pixels Art Workshop, please mention that you are participating in The cheerleaders pixels projects. Since they are Pirc Cheerleader, they have to wear the same teams colors outfit. I have provide the color palette for it with the hex number as well. As for the rest, the choice of color is up to you. It would also be nice if you give them name, could very well be yours too. When you type in the text under it, please make sure the anti-aliasing is uncheck so we have a pixels art text.	Before you begin, make sure that you have done the Tutorial " Pixel Art Tools In PhotoImpact " and knows all the setting, cause they are always the same and save them in your Easy Palette for a fast access and also the previous projects, they build up from previous one. Remember, no soft edge, none whatsoever.
Here is the color palette for the Pirc Cheerleaders.	First let's have a look at line rules in Pixels Art. The examples below are perfect lines in Pixels Art.
We try to avoid double lines and keep simple as much as possible.	An other thing to avoid in the example below. Try to keep all the single pixels together and the 2 pixels lines together and so on. But sometimes, depending of the object we are making we have to bend those rules, and make them as close as possible to the rules.
	For the purpose on this tutorial, I'm using one of the Pirc cheerleader's drawing. Like I said you could choose anyone you like. Open your image in PI, background should already be hide. Convert your image to RGB color, then unhide your background. Select your object line.
	Select the eraser tool, in the brush panel use these setting. Under the tab; Shape Size: 1 Shape: Square Angle: 0 Soft Edge: 0 Under the tab; Options Transparency: 0 Under the tab; Advanced Pressure options: None Spacing: 1 Fade in/out: 0 You should always use these setting for the eraser when working on a pixels art. First erase all your double lines, you may end up with missing pixels at some places, but that's ok, we are getting rid of the double line first.
	Once you have done erasing the double lines, with the paint brush with the pixels setting in mode, fill out where you need some lines. Click out of mode, select all objects and merge as single objects. An example of a double line, look at the corner of her mouth on the right side of the image on the left. It looks like a little corner.
	To fix it, I did erase the pixels in question and repaint that part again but the right way, have a look at the example on the left. Check out your lines and fix and modify what need to be done. Remember to save your work as ufo format as you go. For the more Advance and adventurous ones: What you could do, is modified her face feature, the shape of her face and hair, heck you could turn it into a boy if you want too. But do keep the same color palette for the cloths.
	Once you are done and satisfied with your outline, Select all object and merge as single objects and save your outline as a transparent gif format. Now you could start painting your cheerleader. If you are participating for the Pirc Cheerleaders don't forget to use the color palette for the clothing, for the rest you could choose any color you would like to use. On the left, this is a very simple color shading, you could shade it better I just did shade free line, when done in straight it does look better.
	I haven't shade her her face and hair here yet but will do later on. What I wanted to show you exactly is something new. Pay attention to the image on the left and look at her pompom. There is a fast and easy way for making the pompom to have a sparkling look.
	With your paint brush select and in your brush panel. Under the color tab. Choose Multi color, always use a lighter color than the one you want to apply the sparkle on. And use the setting on the left. You have to be very careful with those setting, never go more than 6 for the delta brightness, and always leave the other setting at 0. If you change the other setting you will lose control over the effect and would end up with something that is not a true pixels art. Ready for a try: paint free hand line on your pompom just about the example above the image on the left. Other way of shading: Example. Below example show in zoom at 800%


All the Pirc Cheerleaders needs a name, so for it we are going to use the text tool. First we need to expend our canvas at the bottom 50 pixels. Once you have done that, choose your text tool, with these setting.
	The example on the left is zoom in at 400% You may need to choose a smaller size or a bigger size depending of how many letters in your name, but try to keep it on the same line.
	Center your name under the Pirc Cheerleader, select all object and merge as single object, copy and paste as a new image. Hide the background, and save your work as ( pirc-cheer-your-initial.gif ) As I said before, don't forget to mention you are participating for the Pirc Cheerleaders, this will give us the permission to display but the final painted image copyright will remain yours.
If you want some help or critic, please use the critics Icon and post as well a screen shot of a zoom, so I could see better your work and help you out. It won't be possible for me every time to download your work and open in PI to zoom on it. Thanks. Don't forget to show what you have done in the Pixels Art Workshop forum. at PhotoImpact International Board. If you are not a member, you just have to register, it is free. Don't forget to grab your award.

Choose one of the drawings for the tutorial, you may download them all, Pirc needs lots of cheerleader and we never have to many of them. To download, right click on the image of your choice and save as on your hard drive. The images are in transparent gif format and anti-aliasing were uncheck to draw these.