Artwork by Mathieu Labrecque
When you think of pixels in digital art, censored photos, lo-res images, or 8-bit video games might come to mind — but there’s so much more to it. Pixel art is a style of illustration that lends itself to a wide range of possibilities, and the throwback aesthetic has come back in a big way in recent years.
Montreal-based graphic designer Mathieu Labrecque finds inspiration and creative freedom in the structured constraints of drawing within a grid. “Having to create a whole language more traditionally from drawing with pencil and paper can make you feel lost sometimes,” he says, while the framework of a grid can make it feel more like a planned design. “The mechanical, mathematical and puzzle-solving of creating in this style is also very fun.”
Using rounded corners, outlines, and repeating, kaleidoscopic patterns, Mathieu’s work offers a whole new lens onto the retro aesthetic. Here, he shares a custom Illustrator file for you to experiment with, plus tips to take your illustrations to the next level.
Download Mathieu's practice file to get started with pixel art.
STEP 1/4
Get to know your grid.
Open Mathieu’s Illustrator practice file. Notice he’s set it up as a grid of 48 by 86 squares — this will translate as pixels for your drawing. To the left of the artboard, he has shared a palette of 11 colors for you to use as you follow along to recreate his floral illustration, or create an illustration of your own.
STEP 2/4
Paint those pixels.
To get started, select the Live Paint Bucket tool. (Pro tip: This isn’t shown in the toolbar by default, but you can activate it by pressing the hot key “K.”) Now: draw freely in a pixel style! Go slow and intentionally to fill each square, or try moving your cursor faster, for a more scattered, dotted effect.
You can quickly change colors while you paint by holding Option (Mac) or Alt (PC) to activate the Color Picker, and selecting a color from Mathieu’s palette. To return back to the Live Paint Bucket tool, simple release the Option (Mac) or Alt (PC) key.
STEP 3/4
How to undo (or redo).
Changed your mind or made a small mistake? Don’t sweat it. Use the shortcut keys Ctrl+Z to undo your last move (or Shift+Ctrl+Z to redo it). For a more detailed touch-up with specific pixels, select white as your Fill color and use the Live Paint Bucket tool go over the area you’d like to “erase” — similar to how you might use a little bit of white-out with pen and paper.
STEP 4/4
Add flourishes to your florals.
Now that you’ve warmed up to the tools, try your hand at creating the first flower. Using Mathieu’s example as a reference, start with a circular design in the center. Then add petals to each side of the circle. Round it out by adding details like a stem and leaves.
Ready to go wild with full floral abundance? Follow along for more tips from Mathieu.
Unite and rearrange your colors.
You can quickly select your pixels grouped by color, rather than having to select each pixel individually. Here’s how: Use the Direct Selection tool (hotkey: A) and click anywhere on the artboard. This will make the background grid appear. Next, go to the Properties panel (Windows > Properties) and click Expand, then Ungroup. Then, use the Direct Selection tool to click outside of the artboard (this will hide the grid from view). Click one of your colored pixels and go to Select > Same > Appearance. Then go to Properties > Pathfinder > Unite. Now you can move, copy, paste, rotate, or adjust each plane of color as you’d like to create a larger composition.
Pro tip: We recommend holding off on this step until you’re finished drawing with your Live Paint Bucket tool. Or, make sure to save your work and duplicate the file to experiment with this step.
Round your corners.
Want a slightly softer, more organic look? Try rounding out your pixels. After you’ve used the Pathfinder tool to Unite a group of colored pixels, go to Effect > Illustrator Effects > Stylize > Rounded Corners. Mathieu has used 10px as his setting here, but toggle on the Preview mode and try different settings to see what you like best. The larger the number, the rounder the corner will be.
Add an outline.
You can also add emphasis to your petals and leaves by adding outlines to your shapes. Click individual shapes and go to Properties > Stroke, and choose a color and setting — Mathieu recommends a black outline set to 4 pt.
Explore more colors.
Want to try out different color combinations in a pinch? Select your entire artboard (Cmd+A) and select Recolor from Quick Actions in the Properties Panel. Click and adjust the color selections shown in the color wheel map, or choose a preset palette from the Color Library pull-down menu. The possibilities are endless — and you can easily click Reset to revert to your original, if you change your mind.
“A grid made of tiny squares feels like an existing language you learn to speak with. The imposed abstraction of it gives it a fresh viewpoint.”
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Mathieu Labrecque is an illustrator and animator based in Montreal. He has worked for a wide range of clients around the world, including the New York Times, Die Zeit, and Wired Japan. Follow him on Instagram @monsieurmathieulabrecque.
