Centre of Excellence for Digital Innovation

Overview

Pixel Art is a form of art often using computers and small pixels. Pixels are represented by dots or squares and are the building blocks of a digital image. This is what you are seeing when you play 8-bit video games like Super Mario Bros. Students will have an opportunity to create fun and interesting pixel art using graph paper!

Instructions

Pixel: The smallest unit in a digital image.

Gather materials. If using construction paper, cut out small paper squares to fit into graph paper squares. Before I start creating art, I need to decide what I’m using to create my art. I could use markers/crayons which wouldn’t require any prep. I could also choose to use construction paper; in which case I’ll need to cut my paper into squares that will fit in my graph paper squares.

Time to brainstorm art ideas! I’m going to focus on an SDG goal for inspiration. I might also do a Google image search to find a reference image or two.

Once I’ve chosen what I want to draw, I’m going to plan and sketch my art out on my graph paper with a pencil. This will help me visualize my picture and allow me to make changes before I do anything that I can’t erase.

Teachable Moments:

Math: What are the dimensions of your graph paper? What is the surface area of your art?

Science: What scientific concepts/issues/topics could you communicate using pixel art? Which SDG’s could you draw from that have a scientific component?

Visual Arts: What would happen to our art if our graph squares were larger/smaller? How can using a reference image help us in our creating? How did colour choice come into play in your creation?

Physical Education: Create life-size “pixel” art with your class. Have your classmates wear different coloured shirts to create an image when seen from above.

Social Studies: What social studies concepts/issues/topics could we communicate using pixel art? How can art help spread a message and create positive change in our communities? What SDGs could we incorporate that have ties to social studies?

Technology, Education, and Engineering: What other technologies use pixels and pixel-type art? What could we use to create 3D pixel art? What other ways could we represent our 2D pixel image?