Pixel Art Academy: Learn Mode (tuxdb.com)

Pixel Art Academy: Learn Mode

Matej 'Retro' Jan Developer

Retronator Publisher

2024 Release

Action Indie Strategy Casual RPG Adventure Simulation F2P Sports MMO Racing Singleplayer Multiplayer Coop EATags

Game News Posts: 16

🎹🖱️Keyboard + Mouse
🕹️ Partial Controller Support
🎮 Full Controller Support

Very Positive (294 reviews)

https://pixelart.academy

Steam Store

Public Linux Depots:

[0 B]

New song and sound effects

TL;DR:

New dynamic soundtrack song for the Elements of Art tutorial.
Pinball Creation Kit sounds.

I had an odd week before some travel and a family visit so I did a quick update on the audio front. The game's original soundtrack received a new song by Anna Eicheneuer which will play after the Elements of Art tutorial is unlocked (whenever you don't put on a cassette tape in the Music app, since that overrides the OST). One thing that didn't make the cut in the past was sound effects in the pinball game. As I had a couple of days left over the weekend after finishing the new song, I quickly threw together some 4-bit Macintosh-style blips and bloops to make playing pinball more tactile. Can't include screenshots of these things, but you can hear them in the devlog: [previewyoutube=Lg9rQ2VGWgc;full][/previewyoutube] During the travels, I'll be designing the rest of the Elements of Art sections, and possibly look into "free draw" mode as a lot of you have been asking for it. See you a bit (or maybe a byte)! Retro

[ 2025-02-18 22:29:29 CET ] [ Original post ]

Save games and more

TL;DR:

Renaming and removing of saved games.
The Continue button in the main menu loads the game you last played.
10-pixel grid in the pinball editor.
Option to use right-clicking instead of the back button.
Customizable music effects.
Many other bug fixes and polishing.

Sorry for the delay in this quality-of-life update. I was affected by the fires in Los Angeles, and it took a bit before I could get back to the game's development. I implemented a bunch of features you've been requesting (listed above) and it was a nice update to get me back into the groove with coding the game. The main thing many of you have been asking for, you can now edit saved games:

And for those of you trying to do precise pinball designs, the grid could come in handy:

As always, there's a behind-the-scenes devlog where you can see all the changes in practice: [previewyoutube=IWOKXQgJBUs;full][/previewyoutube] I'll now work on the audio a bit before implementing the second issue of Pinball Magazine, which should conclude the work on the line element of art. Can't wait to get onto the next one (shape) right after. Best, Retro

[ 2025-02-08 02:18:38 CET ] [ Original post ]

Pinball Magazine

TL;DR:

Publications offer a way to cut out images and use them as references in your projects.
Pinball Magazine issue 1 with four articles: prewar pinball machines, gobble holes, bumpers, and gates.

I'm back with another content update, bringing some much-needed help with the pinball project. If you were feeling a bit lost on how to draw the various pinball parts, you were not alone, and this has finally improved. When you now start working on your pinball playfield, the game introduces Pinball Magazine, a way for you to learn what you're going to be designing.

As you get access to more parts, new articles will be unlocked.

You can even cut out images and they will appear in the reference tray for you to draw from.

You can use the magazine to get inspired for your own designs (with a beautiful full-screen display of images) or practice by re-creating existing parts from reference.

This is just the first of the improvements on the pinball project. Take a look at the latest devlog to see behind the scenes of this development sprint and my thoughts for the future. [previewyoutube=Iqc86zCM3pw;full][/previewyoutube] As this is the last update of 2024, I want to thank you for an incredible year. Your support of educational video games means the world to me and it makes me so happy that you're on board with learning in this way. I have so many plans for the future and can't wait to get them all developed with you. Wishing you all the best for the holidays and I will see you next year! Retro

[ 2024-12-18 22:31:59 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hotfix for the color help

Just a tiny one-line bugfix since the color help instructions prevented the drawing of project sprites until the instructions were shown. Otherwise, I'm in the middle of improving the Pinball project, which will be coming in the next content update. Cheers! Retro

[ 2024-11-10 17:52:19 CET ] [ Original post ]

Help with colors

TL;DR:

Color help form to request error detection on your sprite.
Option to have cross-stitch symbols instead of dots to indicate colors.

Today's quality-of-life update brings a feature requested as early as the demo by people with color vision deficiency but proved necessary in general since some of the sprites contain very similar colors. You can choose to either get one-time help that shows all the incorrect and missing pixels when you can't find a mistake yourself, or enable constant display of incorrect colors as you go along.

If able, I recommend trying to color-match palette colors with the reference yourself (to train color observation), but if that's too hard, the game is now more accessible with the possibility of changing the small color dots into cross-stitch symbols.

Here's the devlog about it as well: [previewyoutube=eUaxRNI1tXM;full][/previewyoutube] Next up will be another content update as I quite like this alternating between QoL improvements and new/improved things to do in the game. Best, Retro

[ 2024-10-24 11:09:25 CET ] [ Original post ]

Theory lessons update

TL;DR:

2 new Pixel art diagonals lessons.
3 new Pixel art curves lessons.
UI indicators where to click in various tutorials.

It's finally time for the first content update! There's been a bunch of bug fixes and urgent tweaks in the first month, but version 0.25 now brings actual new lessons based on your feedback. I completely replaced the diagonals evaluation lesson and broke it down into two much more digestible parts.

To have a better learning curve on the curves tutorial, I put 3 extra lessons before Line art cleanup so that you get introduced to each of the Smooth curves criteria individually before having to apply them yourself.

Finally, the pixel art evaluation tutorials use a new feature where I can (subtly) point to different parts of the interface to make it easier to progress. Apologies to everyone who got stuck figuring out where to click and hover on the evaluation paper!

And if you want to see behind the scenes of this development sprint, check out the devlog: [previewyoutube=mw0E2c44_O8;full][/previewyoutube] Thank you for your support and see you in the next one! Retro

[ 2024-09-27 12:27:27 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hotfix for 0.24

Earlier today I released 0.24.0 with some improvements to a couple of lessons. Accidentally I also broke the Jaggies 2 lesson. I fixed it now in 0.24.1. If you don't see 0.24.1 in the bottom-right corner when you launch the game, please restart Steam to get it. Sorry for the inconvenience and thanks for quickly reporting this bug, I really appreciate it!

[ 2024-08-27 00:45:17 CET ] [ Original post ]

Tablets are now supported

Game-breaking bugs should mostly be solved (no more errors on loading, hopefully), so unless new critical things pop up, I will now be implementing quality-of-life improvements and your feature requests. Version 0.23 (restart Steam to get the update) brings:

Better tablet support.
Right-click erases pixels.
Brush size shortcuts are now +/- (like Aseprite).
Change brush size with ctrl + mouse scroll.
Loading percentage indicator (if loading takes more than a few seconds).

As always, report any bugs in the Steam discussions or on my Discord. Pixel Art Academy is a daunting piece of software to test thoroughly on my own, so I really appreciate your help (and patience) with any bugs that pop up during Early Access. Cheers! Retro

[ 2024-08-22 20:35:08 CET ] [ Original post ]

First bug fixes and Wholesome Games Celebration

A big thank you to everyone who decided to take a chance on my little educational game when it released into Early Access last week! The response has been incredible and I'm grateful I will now be able to work full-time on Pixel Art Academy thanks to you. I'm also very happy to be part of the Wholesome Games Steam Celebration, which started right now! My aim is to make learning a relaxing, encouraging experience, so I'm happy to have found my home in this community. I've extended my release discount to the start of this sale so you can still get it at 10% off for a few more days.

Bug fixes

The game-breaking bugs related to the pinball project have been fixed in the latest build (0.21.6). I now started working on an optimization that will eliminate lag when drawing bigger sprites. Until I release the fix, what helps in the fan art challenge is to only turn on pixel art evaluation criteria at the end to complete the challenge. Disable the criteria while drawing to prevent most of the lag. Sorry about that, will be fixed next! I'm also writing down all the feature requests you've been sending and will spend a month or two realizing as many quality-of-life improvements as possible. Keep them coming! Thanks again for the wonderful launch! Retro

[ 2024-08-15 17:00:21 CET ] [ Original post ]

Pixel Art Academy: Learn Mode is now in Early Access!

Hello everyone! As is customary before I do a release, I want to give everyone a few reasons why NOT to buy the game:

Not all fields of art are covered. Just line art is included with the first Early Access release (about 24 hours of content for a speedy playthrough). The other 6 elements of art (shape, form, space, value, color, and texture) will be added throughout Early Access. So if you're expecting to learn color theory or perspective right away, better wait for full release.
A lot of quality-of-life and accessibility features are missing for now. Tablet support is not there (except for Apple Pencil). There is no color-blind mode yet. You can't rebind the keys I suggest you try the demo to see what state the game is in from a UI perspective at this point.
There is no Steam integration yet. Achievements and cloud saves will come sometime down the road, but if these are essential features for you, better wait.

On the other hand, here is why buying Learn Mode in Early Access is for you:

You want to learn as soon as possible. I like to do frequent updates (every 23 weeks), so when I'll have a new tutorial ready, It'll be immediately released in an update.
Get the lowest price. The game will never be cheaper than it is right now. The price will slowly get higher as more content is in the game. There will not be any discounts that go cheaper than the price right now out of respect for my Kickstarter backers where the basic game tier was $10. So if you know you will buy it at one point, now is the best price/value.
Support educational games and full-time development. If you like the idea of learning with video games, buying the game helps support that. Sales of Learn Mode will enable me to work on the game full-time so I can spend the most time developing new features and lessons for everyone to enjoy.

Alternatives to buying right now:

Try the demo. If you're not sure if the game is for you, the demo covers the first 30 minutes of gameplay. If you like it, the Early Access release will continue straight from there (save files are transferred).
Learn from my free Study Guide. The topics covered by the game are all in my Low-Resolution Raster Art book. I always put all educational resources I make for the game also out for free to make learning as accessible as possible. If you like my teaching style there, you will probably like the game even more.

I'm very open about my development process so you are very welcome to ask any questions and follow behind-the-scenes content in my devlogs on YouTube to know more about me. I want this game to be a win-win experience, so I hope this helps to know if now is the right time to buy for you. With that said, I hope you will enjoy what is in the Early Access version so far! Cheers! Retro

[ 2024-08-05 12:56:20 CET ] [ Original post ]

Pixel Art Academy: Learn Mode will release into Early Access on August 5

Hello, friends! Only 2 weeks left until the game releases into Early Access. I'm excited, nervous, happy, and all the other emotions that the human brain can produce after working on a game for 9 years. Even though I've been releasing updates to Adventure Mode since 2017, the arrival of Learn Mode to Steam will be a special milestone. Here's a new trailer showing what you will be able to do in the initial Early Access version: [previewyoutube=jsuzi_UXCMo;full][/previewyoutube] I'm also overjoyed to announce the release on August 5 will be the big conclusion of the PixElated Festival, a week-long celebration of pixel art games here on Steam, starting next Monday (July 29August 5)! PixElated will include an art contest where the top artwork will get exhibited on the event page for millions to see. But even if you don't win, the top 10 artists will receive a copy of Pixel Art Academy: Learn Mode! I'm happy I was able to contribute the game as a reward for the event. Check out the official line-up and more information about the event here: https://pixelatedfest.com
I hope you're as excited as I am! See you at the festival, Retro

[ 2024-07-22 17:00:09 CET ] [ Original post ]

Release candidate for Early Access reached

I'm happy to say that Pixel Art Academy: Learn Mode is now in such a state that it could enter Early Access. The current tentative release date is still in August, so that I have time to do polishing and fixing any critical bugs that might arise through play-tests. Speaking of playing the game, if you're a streamer and would like to play the current version live, message me on Discord and I can get you pre-release access. Content-wise, since the last update at the February Steam Next Fest, I've added:

tutorials for curves and line width,
a Pinball project for you to apply your line drawing skills to, and
a Music app with 6 hours of songs so you don't get bored during long drawing sessions.

You can catch up on the development through my YouTube Devlog (episodes 1417), but if you have time for just one video, I'm quite proud of the new Pinball game. [previewyoutube=_nEgHnLfd5s;full][/previewyoutube]

Thank you for following the game's progress and I hope to get it in your hands soon!

[ 2024-06-19 15:43:22 CET ] [ Original post ]

Steam Next Fest Wednesday livestream

Steam Next Fest is in full motion and if you've missed my Monday stream, come by on Wednesday for another AMA session (10 PM CET, 4 PM EST, 1 PM PST). This time I'll be drawing the key artwork for the game like I usually do on my Wednesday streams, but as always, I'll be there to answer any questions or even jump into the game.

[ 2024-02-06 00:00:02 CET ] [ Original post ]

Steam Next Fest Monday livestream

Hello friends! Steam Next Fest is starting on February 5 and I'll be taking part in it with the game's updated demo! I'll host a live stream at 10 PM CET (4 PM EST, 1 PM PST) where you can see me play the game and ask any questions. I run a 100% transparent studio so even my finances are completely public. If you want to know anything about the game or how I run Retronator, this is a great time to drop by! (p.s. You can opt-in to be reminded when the event starts and Steam will send a push notification/email to you.)

[ 2024-01-19 09:00:40 CET ] [ Original post ]

Updated demo with in-game music

Happy 2024! Over the holidays I started working on a feature I sadly had to cut from the initial September demo, but now the gods of development were merciful to me and, after a couple of weeks, dynamic in-game music is fully implemented! [previewyoutube=qpZq-tAyrls;full][/previewyoutube] Better yet, I also updated the demo with it, alongside a bunch of things you mentioned on the discussion forums (thank you all for your feedback!):

Improved Lines lesson in the Helpers tutorial consisting of multiple steps.
Stylus support (you can now play with the mouse, pen, or touch).
A sound effect when completing a lesson.
Scroll to zoom.
Various bug fixes and tweaks.

If you haven't had the chance to play the demo yet, there's no better time than now! As for me, I'm back to developing new features for the Early Access release. I'm very excited for all I have left to do! Cheers! Retro p.s. If you've missed my previous devlog, it gives a nice preview into future learning content: [previewyoutube=ZzUdYO9wkNw;full][/previewyoutube]

[ 2024-01-14 12:54:33 CET ] [ Original post ]

Demo and new devlog

Hello! First news update here, hopefully all goes well! In case you followed the Pixel Art Academy page before the demo got released, I should first mention that indeed, the demo has been launched here on Steam. If you want to get a feel for how the game will play, give it a go! It's available for all 3 platforms. I also wanted to mention my YouTube devlog where I document my development sprints. The latest video talks about the first of the elements of art, the line! You can see behind the scenes of my process here: [previewyoutube=Cyo4pyDjmEQ;full][/previewyoutube] Meanwhile, I'm off to a new sprint, taking the general line tutorial to pixel art fundamentals and addressing the topic of jaggies (which you can already read about in my Low-Resolution Raster Art book in the bigger Pixel Art Academy universe). The interactive Learn Mode version should be an even bigger treat! That's it for this time, wishing you all the best! Retro

[ 2023-11-01 13:15:41 CET ] [ Original post ]

Pixel Art Academy is an educational game for learning how to draw. In Learn Mode, you jump straight into the game's interactive tutorials for the fastest way of becoming a pixel artist. After you learn how to use the basic drawing tools, you put theory into practice by first copying an existing pixel art sprite. When you've shown you got the hang of the tools, you get to create your own art by drawing sprites for a snake game—and then play your creation!

Learn by doing

Pixel Art Academy's interactive tutorials are designed for learning by doing. While there will be plenty of nerdy reading, all lessons are immediately followed by drawing what you've learned.

Test your knowledge

Before you move on, you want to make sure you understand what you've been learning. Pixel Art Academy uses formative assessment to identify gaps in knowledge so that you can apply further study and practice to build strong fundamentals.

Become a game artist

You can't be an artist by just copying other people's work. It's time to create your own art! In Pixel Art Academy, you will be working on various projects, most of them creating art for classic games such as snake, invaders, block breaker, and pinball creator.

Play your creations

Immediate feedback is very important. Start up the game and see how your sprites look in context. Then jump back to the canvas and immediately see your changes.

Future development

I've been working on Pixel Art Academy for almost a decade, building the game's engine, writing the story, and narrowing down the learning design. While the bigger adventure game that I have in mind is still far from complete, the game's educational core is ready to be shared with a wider audience. That's why I created Learn Mode, a standalone single-player version that includes just the polished learning content.

During the Early Access period, I will create tutorials, challenges, and projects that cover the major pixel art fundamentals (jaggies, dithering, and aliasing), applied to different areas (characters, environments, items). After this first course gets a full release, the development will continue to other areas (drawing from observation, perspective, shading …) as well as integration of the new content into the game's full Adventure Mode.