For the penultimate day of 2024 I wanted to pixel a portrait in 64 x 64 pixels format. I started with a reference photo, which I lazily copied from sight. The likeness is poor, but since this isn’t a commission or request, who cares? I wanted to see if I could develop some kind of process, from sketch to finished pixel art piece.

A red sketch of an elderly man with a beard is surrounded by digital design elements and the word SKETCH at the bottom.

As can be seen from both the sketch and its process video, I still have a lot to learn… good!

To make matters less complicated, I used the sketch as a template in Pixquare, my current favorite pixel editor.

A pixel art depiction of an elderly man with distinctive white hair and a mustache wearing a suit.

It took quite some time and bungling with the pixels, as you can see in the process video. I like the result, though I know it could be better, as it always does. It has 26 colors, which seems a bit much, and I guess the color palette could be reduced quite a bit.