Contents
Guide
About the Author
Hi, Im Choly Knight, and Im a total geek for all kinds of cartoon and gaming culture! Im constantly sewing and crafting cool things for myself and for friends inspired by TV shows like Pokmon and Adventure Time and games like Minecraft! Its one of my greatest pleasures to take the beautiful, creative ideas found in games and TV shows that Im a fan of and find a way to make them physical and tangible. Sometimes you can buy fan items from games, shows, and books, but I love to challenge myself and craft things with my own two hands. I have been crafting for as long as I can remember, and have drawn, painted, sculpted, and stitched everything in sight. After studying studio art and earning a BA in English, I now enjoy trying to find numerous different ways to combine my passions for writing, fine art, and craft art. I focus on handcrafted clothing, accessories, and other creations inspired by Japanese art, anime, and style, and I specialize in cosplay (costume play) hats and hoodies. Ive had fun writing many sewing books that feature my cool, whimsical designs, like
Sew Kawaii!, Sew Your Own Pet Pillows,
Sew Baby,
Sewing Stylish Handbags & Totes,
Sew Me! Sewing Basics,
Sew Me! Sewing Home Decor, and
Sew Me! Sewing Accessories.
I also love using all sorts of mediums besides fabric to craft, and have published books about the fun stuff Ive made with products like duct tape (Awesome Duct Tape Projects) and decoden (Bling It Up!). You can find out more about me and my work on my website: www.cholyknight.com. Minecraft is a registered trademark of Notch Development AB, and various elements of the Minecraft game are copyrighted. All are used here for informational and instructional purposes only. This book is independently authored and published and is not sponsored or endorsed by, or affiliated in any way with, the manufacturer of Minecraft products and services.
Welcome to a Pixel World!
Youve been living in a pixel world whether youve realized it or not.
Welcome to a Pixel World!
Youve been living in a pixel world whether youve realized it or not.
Pixel art is a rising trend in a number of fields and has been garnering quite a bit of positive attention in recent years. Video games, art, architecture, interior design, handicrafts, and more are all being influenced every day by what we see and engage with on the screens of our computers, TVs, and mobile devices. But even though nowadays resolutions have skyrocketed and animation has advanced by leaps and bounds, there are plenty of people who are calling back to the nostalgic, inspiring world of pixels. Now, this book could have been much, much longer if we had attempted to cover more areas related to pixel art. There is a rich history behind it and plenty of applications for it in the modern day. But time, demand, and budgets prevailed, and we decided to focus on one game: the international gem Minecraft, which maps 2-D pixel art onto a 3-D world and thrives on the players creativity and imagination.
There are other video games we could have included in this book, but none of them seemed so ideal for the artistic crafter as Minecraft, since aspects of and items from the game can be easily translated into both 2-D and 3-D real-life items. And unlike many other games, Minecraft is not only family-friendly, but also appeals to a wide range of ages. It is not just for little kidsplenty of creative adults have discovered how fun and fulfilling it is to create worlds rather than destroy enemies. On the next few pages, youll find just a taste of the various historical and artistic roots of what we are calling pixel art. Between these images of inspiration, the small-scale hands-on projects that are taught in this book, and the gallery of ways in which other fans have brought the game to life, we hope that your imagination and artistry are primed and that you are ready to challenge yourself to get creating. Rubiks Cube. A popular toy using pixels, the Rubiks Cube, was invented in 1974.
The object of the brainteaser is to turn the puzzle in order to get all six sides of the cube a solid color. Pixel wall art in a restaurant in Brussels, Belgium. 2-D pixels are easy to map onto flat surfaces such as walls, and plenty of modern interior design has taken its cue from the pixel plan in a way that was not seen in the past. Crossword puzzle. Pixels are even found in word games like crossword puzzles. Just as the grid and the pixel lend themselves to easy and simple design, so do they allow for a logical and easy-to-follow word game.