5 Steps To Making A Gorgeous 2D Game

Anyone can make gorgeous 2D game art! It just takes practice and patience!
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► What I believe: • What I Believe

[@thomasbrush]

Thanks for watching! Hope you learned a ton. ► Make your game instantly beautiful with my free workbook: www.fulltimegamedev.com/opt-in-instant-beauty-color-workbook ► Join my 2D character workshop, free: www.fulltimegamedev.com/opt-in-2d-character-art-workshop ► Learn how to become a full time game dev, free: www.fulltimegamedev.com/opt-in-how-to-make-six-figures ► Enroll in my 3D workshop, free!: www.fulltimegamedev.com/opt-in-15-minute-3D-game ► Get my 2D game kit, free: www.fulltimegamedev.com/opt-in-2D-game-kit ► Wishlist Twisted Tower: store.steampowered.com/app/1575990/Twisted_Tower/ ► Learn how to make money as a KZbinr: www.fulltimegamedev.com/opt-in-indie-game-income-workshop

[@FunZies.]

0:37 1| Block Out 1:15 2| Define Hit Areas 2:08 3| Create "Pop" W/ Palette 4:12 4| Add Depth W/ Layers 5:35 5| Detailing

[@vulaticproductions6915]

Thank you for the time stamps. It helped me alot

[@FunZies.]

@@vulaticproductions6915 Ah, you're welcome. :)

[@radiagulzan]

This was a very good breakdown of the main points

[@dheerajrao2179]

69th like

[@thechamps6762]

thank you

[@edwardbrosens]

You make it look so easy. I think you're getting a lot of people motivated to actually start doing game development. Pretty awesome.

[@rasciii]

Yeah I want to make a game, with visual scripting and 2d art. Because I love art,and love making games. And visual scripting because I don't like coding because it's boring

[@tutorial4779]

@@rasciii we all want to make our own games. But I m struggling with making game assets like character animation and creating these characters without having photoshop.

[@comforth3898]

@@rasciii coding is awesome

[@marvinlischkar4090]

Yess he do!!! 🎉

[@mrmcgowan2]

"Now draw the rest of the owl."

[@sirgrem2988]

The video is more like an advice. Literally almost clickbait, but worth listening to the advice.

[@vector6077]

@@sirgrem2988 An advice not gonna be useful for everyone, so it's a kinda...a negative clickbait for many, instead should've said something like "How I created this artwork and u can as well" or whatever (using _his_ game as a thumbnail).

[@cupcakemcsparklebutt9051]

@@sirgrem2988 agreed

[@byronstoddard]

😮

[@PKAdventures]

thanks for this. im a newer game developer, a one man team, and i have basically no experience with creating game art. everything feels so overwhelming at this point it's hard to know where to start, but this video has helped me to take a step back, breathe, think, and realize that things don't have to start off perfect to end up being amazing. i am saving this video to my main playlist so i can look back at it whenever i get overwhelmed again, because i know it will happen. Thanks again, and keep up the great work!

[@dr.snowman4883]

what game do you plan on making in the future?

[@PKAdventures]

@@dr.snowman4883 that's a bit of a tough question to answer. Basically I have about 30 different ideas, and I keep starting on one, then moving to the next. But I'm thinking that I will probably end up making something that is full of puzzles for my first game, because I am good at thinking of things like that, and I figure it's probably a good idea to play to my strengths for my first game

[@watts320]

Send me an Email. We can work together. Im on my own to. [e-mail]

[@AlexGorskov]

@@watts320 That's the way boys!

[@serpaolo7413]

@@watts320 Hey Guys, I'm a new lone game developer as well, I've been looking for a group to join that can help with solving problems and answering questions. I think it helps when you feel stuck making a project. Mind if I join you guys as well?

[@MohAmuza]

I really like your art can you make photoshop game art tutorials? we are very interested and love you channel.

[@kamikazebanzai1005]

*national ussr anthem can be heard in the background"

[@marshall2256]

​@@kamikazebanzai1005 USSR were pussies Lol, but the anthem is kind of cool I guess...

[@kamikazebanzai1005]

@@marshall2256 your mom was and is a pussy, mother Russia strong, we beat Germany ez pez

[@kamikazebanzai1005]

@@CLAX1337 name checks out

[@CLAX1337]

@@kamikazebanzai1005Cheers! I try, man.

[@thomasbrush]

Got any questions?? I usually try and answer as soon as I can, and especially when I first release a video :) Go!

[@uzzimaki2174]

Atmos Games I understand that your a busy man with building your game and your business but I would love if you could tell us how to make the assets such as trees rocks and the movement of the camera with your character so the game looks more beautiful with depth that would be awesome other then that I enjoy your work and your games keep up the good work

[@gjallar8329]

Do you make ALL your assets in Photoshop?

[@thomasbrush]

Bootlegboy1 this is something my developer did, but basically it puts alll layers into a for loop, and moves them according to their z axis. So the player is at z=0, so the layer doesn’t move at all, however the foreground (-z) moves faster. The background elements move slower. Then you have the camera track the players movement 1:1

[@thomasbrush]

Bootlegboy1 yes. I don’t like illustrator!

[@uzzimaki2174]

Atmos Games thank you so much and I hope to see more of your games

[@freeelectron8261]

I find your game art a lot more subtle and tasteful than a lot of the 2d games out there.

[@RDijt]

Great video. You should consider adding text credit overlays to your video when you reference artists etc, especially with names such as Eyvind Earle. Instantly wanted to know more about him when I saw the reference images but KZbins CC algorithm has you saying Ivan Durell... Got there in the end but you could save any keen students a job with a little credit overlay. Just a suggestion. Keep up the good work!

[@thomasbrush]

WHOA. My next game Neversong comes out on Steam MAY 20th! Wishlist now to snag that tasty launch discount :) store.steampowered.com/app/733210/Neversong_formerly_Once_Upon_A_Coma/

[@trombonemunroe]

Beautiful clarity in the process of building artwork and assets that match the game aesthetic. Thank you!

[@Corpsecrank]

Starting with ten layers sounds so insane to me lol. I always thought like 5 maybe 7 tops if you wanted to really push things. I didn't know you could get so crazy with layers and not have any issues. Things really have changed since the old flash days haven't they. I also come from that and had that same limited layer mentality I guess. Really glad you pointed out how much this has changed.

[@jaclynwinnifredewers8476]

I want to thank you so much for your massive library of videos and tutorials, including ones regarding starting and pitching a game. I've been able to pitch my game using many of the strategies you have talked about and am getting responses. =) So good first step. Oh, and I loved Pinstripe and your art is oh so amazing Tim Burtonesque deliciousness!

[@aleksdeveloper698]

You gave so much value in this video, even back then. In fact I like old videos you did, 0 ads. :)

[@danielwellington5201]

Love this style of video. Please keep 'em coming.

[@epicflange]

Loved this. Inspiring and makes me feel like I really can make progress with my game are even though it feels impossible!

[@dianawieting9568]

Awesome video! It just helped me to get some self-confidence to starting my first own 2D game art. I´m working now for three to four weeks on my game and the art so far looks blurry and not really sharp. I´ll try to test around like you said in your video! Thanks, you made my day! =)

[@macapsu]

Proper legend, loving all of your tutes, content is always on point and your vibe/delivery is admirable! Thanks Thomas. You'll be seeing me around.

[@visuallization]

cool thanks for the video. I like how you break things down into celar steps.

[@rickyusuf8696]

Wow! Your art is so beautiful! I totally fell in love with it. Thumbs up for you, bro! Thanks for the wonderful video.

[@chubawaba2863]

Beautiful, I'm currently working on a choose your own adventure and this will help massively ty :o)

[@critstixdarkspear5375]

Your art style is comfortably haunting and disturbingly beautiful.

[@needfulsamurai8630]

Still one of my fav's in indiegames! love your artworks, and i hope it all pays out man! ^^ keep it up!

[@shanggosteen9804]

Thanks for the tutorial, I'm joining a competition that my school hosted to make a 2d game or make a 3d animation and this video really helped me for making assets for my game, wish me luck

[@OHeyChrissy]

Your videos are very informative and helpful! I hope you continue to make more of these videos.

[@christineblack8035]

I fiercely admire your work, Thomas Brush. You're an amazing artist and I'm listening to your soundtrack as background for my YA Fantasy writing. I've always wanted to make a game, so I'm going to watch all of your videos first! :)

[@Viureify]

My god, such talent! Thanks a million for sharing with us.

[@prikshitchaudhary2659]

Really insightful, Thanks for the video

[@SergeiStudio]

Love your videos and your art!

[@juhakeranen]

Great video and great attitude! It's really nice that you are answering all questions. :)

[@thomasbrush]

Juha Keränen it’s super fun!

[@pixbstudios]

This is a really great art work, thanks for inspiring .!

[@beatbox.saiyan]

Amazing Video Thomas ! Thanks for sharing your process!

[@jomohogames]

Really helpful, I'm working on the look for my game for some time now. Really good to see how you go about it. I'm certainly taking some ideas away. I was wondering how you approached coming up with the color palette and the basic style elements. If you could elaborate on that further?

[@ezgiyurekli9397]

I really loved your work and the tips thanx so much. You inspired and gave me an ambition to practice.

[@emonikino]

Nice artwork. I like the color keys.

[@Combo_Lab]

I'm a new sub, and I enjoy the channel. I'm getting into creating video games and I can really appreciate your story and your hustle. (Got your backstory in another video of yours)

[@LeoNardo-nt7nl]

Hi Thomas! I'm a senior editor at the italian portal iCrewPlay.com and I have just finished writing the review of your latest game: Neversong. It will be published in the next few days and beyond what my critical judgment has been, I really want to let you know how much I appreciated your talent, in bringing the idea behind Coma to a completely new level.

[@amirusshafiq5710]

nice art man..Totally like the way you presented your ideas

[@mos4551]

Love your work and tutorials. More videos please!

[@web3ddailycom]

Very insightful and great experience watching this video. Subscribed.

[@keithsmith8331]

Very cool of you to take us through the process of how to design a scene Thomas. 👍

[@Oxmond]

Beautiful artwork! Thanks for sharing 👍😜

[@chimaerejade5090]

Just wanted to let you know that I really enjoy your videos! :)

[@leinadyllek2150]

hey, you did great! I loved it, it was amazing! I actually dont make 2d games, but i joined a contest and the team i am in is doing 2d, so this was such a perfect video for that! So thanks so much for making it and making sense!

[@jobinplays1694]

Thank you for making these informative and inspiring videos! Pinstripe is a masterpiece. Watching these videos help me as primarily a pixel artist/animator and musician to realize that with a bit of hard work and research it's not impossible to develop my own game. The time has never been better to dive in, it seems. If you could recommend a starting point to someone who's *just* an artist on where to begin with Unity, that'd be awesome. There's so much to learn, but I specifically would like to focus on 2D/2.5D sidescrolling games (for now). I have some experience with Blender and Sculptris, and have access to a plethora of software as I'm lucky enough to work as a technician at a reputable art school - so Adobe apps, music apps, etc. are available to me for free. I really want to take advantage of this, especially since my future in this job is rocky. I have nearly 1000 games on steam, and love games and interactive media as art - one of the instructors at the school I work at made Kentucky Route Zero, and my friend Ben did the soundtrack. Talking to him about being financially stable after doing so made me want to take control of my finances and life and use my creativity and knowledge of gaming in general, as well as being a musician, to try to do this myself. But there are so many engines, tools, and tutorials, and it becomes a bit overwhelming. I was going to purchase Gamemaker Studio as it's on sale right now but after finding your channel I'm considering just diving directly into unity. Is it feasible to do so if I know nothing about coding, and only want to focus on unity's 2D element? I have so many questions but your videos are full of clarity and inspiration. Thanks again Thomas! Looking forward to trying Coma and Neversong :)

[@Sweettman]

Hey, man! thx for everything! I followed your advice and downloaded Unity. I don't know anything about making games but, is really fun to play around with and I find myself wanting to learn more and more.

[@ManjiriBhave]

Delighted to watch this tutorial!!

[@Jaypordy]

Love your art tutorials. Could you do a video on how to pick the color pallete for the game and for the UI? Thanks a bunch

[@youremybiggestfan]

I used to make games in a software called games factory back in the days and levels for halflife and counterstrike... This was way before youtube.. I just wanted to say i love you dude for sharing with everybody how to do games.. Back when i did that we had to rely one some guides from the internet or other people that knew their stuff.. I think i gonna try to check out unity and make some pixelated 2d game

[@safsemo]

I like your art, the result was stunning. This video is very useful to me, thank you :)

[@hsr89]

This is so cool!! the depth is really awesome. is there any downside to using illustrator vs photoshop to create game artwork since vector artwork would be scale-able to any size?

[@HyperQuest]

Beautiful 😍

[@thedeveloperlabs9]

Awesome video and great tips. Thanks man

[@thomasbrush]

The Developer Labs Thanks for watching!

[@devjood5870]

you were super helpful thank you so much!!!

[@mrshealthykitchen481]

Looks simple. Well explained

[@tdmxross]

I loved the tips❤️

[@BATCH3]

Beautiful work!

[@TaoTeaware]

Hey Thomas, first of all the game looks beautiful. You can really see your knowledge of color theory looking at the different scenes in your games. I am working with a friend on my first 2D platformer (hes the programmer) but I am helping with the art and level design. 2 quick questions: 1. What size do you usually do for your characters in your games? I feel like having this down really creates a sense of the space and world that you are working in. 2. When you are designing a level do you work room by room (like in 1 4K screen shot) or do you have more than 1 screen that you are working on at the same time like the whole level at once?

[@briandaniel2298]

I love this I’m definitely want to Learn this

[@seraqueeusourealmenteobode31]

My next game will be with the style NeverSong "Once Upon a Coma " really has a beautiful art in this game ..yours . congratulations man .!!!

[@zabebebe704]

You speak so nice and slow, this really helps me to undertand the thing, thanks so much!!

[@filmogriter]

Hey mate. Love your games and love your dev style. Thanks so much for the videos. Do you use any level streaming in your games or are they all separate levels loading on entry?

[@elblaise5618]

Think like an architect that's very valuable insight. I recently learned the value of this approach while prototyping a level I'm designing for a 2D game prototype. I had to completely revamp a building's design because I didn't account for the internal geometry, such was the ignorance of a first time level designer.

[@jprhea665]

Great advice, thanks Thomas

[@hauksbee8179]

Love your color sense.

[@gokselserkan]

dude, you are the king !! ^^

[@reachtothesky921]

I love your work! Just bought Pinstripe and it's amazing! Currently working on my own game "Shapes from the abyss".

[@DonutDev]

how is the game doing?

[@andfbsete]

at 8:30 you're using a Pattern or a filter effect!? It's really cool :) Btw, great video! Subscribed :)

[@theyellowapple2547]

thanks bro thats helps a lot

[@MirceaKitsune]

I mostly play with 3D, but this is still very good to see and learn. Thanks for sharing those ideas!

[@sonubetaa]

Thanks for the video!

[@Bradley_Pinski]

Beautiful artwork! I’m an architecture student who is considering possibly a future in game design so I really appreciate your educational videos!

[@vindovilles3419]

Memento mori

[@dominikd2658]

Really inspiring! Have one in my opinion nice story for the game so maybe I should start prototyping! :D

[@st.michaelthearchangel7774]

Mr. Brush using a brush to brush art into his brushy game of brush art.

[@YasserSedrati]

I really like ur art. how you could collage all this stage design pictures to be harmonic side by side?

[@thomasbrush]

Yasser Sedrati that would be cool!!

[@NowYouTravel]

You are an artist!

[@az1548]

Thank you for making a fantastic video I can show my students. It is very school safe and informative.

[@seangillespie4601]

Hey Thomas, awesome video, so helpful! Do you have any tutorials on animating your little avatar?

[@wizardofarts1276]

This was so cool!

[@charlesthedev]

Mike and the mechanics, nice 👍 ⭐️🤣

[@ChristianPretorius]

Damn this is awesome! Thanks so much for sharing!

[@christophervilliers3788]

Hey, do you know which program his using?

[@yogissjkaio]

Thanks for making such an amazing channel and brilliant videos.. Can you let know whats the resolution size of this whole BG you working one !! Asking since here ( 8:25 ) Can see your game character as well. Which is why asking just to know.. Also do you make like these background and place it next to next. Since the levels would be longer ?? Sorry if its confusing, but i tried to ask the query coming up in my mind. Hope its understandable ! And waiting your answer :) THANKS for making such infromative videos..

[@roddddddddv]

Thanks this very helpful

[@amarbachiri8703]

good job man

[@pako_powr]

Yo Thomas, what brushes do you use for the grass/bushes? Anything we can find online?

[@Quimoly]

I dont know if this helps but you can create your brushes out of anything, just open an image in photoshop that looks like grass, paint it black, go to edit and click on Define Brush Preset.

[@hrishikeshkumar2264]

It’s very insightful

[@Felocatel]

Beautiful!

[@vokaloiyd7952]

Loved it!

[@jadedjhypsi]

wish it was as easy as you make it look =)

[@AngeloValentimMerlo]

very nice!!! ty

[@alexcubed4270]

I really love the style but I have 2 questions: do you use an orthographic or a perspective camera? And secondly; how do you make sure nearer layers don’t run out too fast because they move faster than further layers, while you make all layers the same size?

[@semanticsamuel936]

Wow, just wow. Checked out Pinstripe and it's so beautifully weird-looking - I'm a sucker for Victoriana/anything steampunky, and I will definitely be buying the game for my long weekend coming up! I'm very new to game development. I'm primarily a writer and I'm confident in my writing and narrative design skills (I've had some fun with making interactive fiction). I'm a musician and I'm passably good at sketching. Coding and Photoshop? Plus putting it all together...that's a whole new raft of skills. It's easy to be overwhelmed and I've curbed my over-ambitious tendencies and have committed myself to designing a level of a game as well as I absolutely can. KZbin tutorials are invaluable.

[@semanticsamuel936]

I wanted to make a 3D game, but honestly I think that's well beyond my skill level and the resources I've got available to me right now just as a hobbyist with aspirations. I'd never really thought about 2D platformers...In my head I still associate them with Sonic and Super Mario, which, while fun, are not the narrative-rich sort of games I want to design. Games like Pinstripe have certainly revealed to me the potential in 2D games (which I don't play usually) I hadn't really thought about.

[@nickarry]

amazing, subscribed.

[@Harrisensei]

Great work! One question though, how do you create the art to loop or transition, especially with the foreground and background.. I get the active area is in steps so there's a visual divide for the transitions but I don't quite seem to understand how that would work for the background or foreground. Thanks.

[@nischalbhatta815]

Really liked it.

[@alicemystery5332]

i am beginning to so thanks for this video and of course i am going to subscribe !!!

[@invetor7607]

Great video! I think it's easier to make sprites than hand-drawing art (but that's because I suck at art!). So I use sprites in most of my projects. You have any suggestions for making sprites? (or anything?)

[@gordonprice5924]

Hey! Sorry to reply on an older video, but this was the video that got me started on your AMAZING video. Something I am in absolute awe of - how did you get the trees to look so amazing in Once Upon A Coma? The way they move is so unbelievably atmospheric. Was that done in Unity, or animated separately (like in After Effects) and then brought in? Thanks, and I absolutely love your channel. Thanks for everything!

[@fayekittie2739]

Hello there! He uses Spine 2D for his animations :) esotericsoftware.com/

[@jamesbrooks9321]

all you have to do is be a really good artist, easy

[@AnasMations]

Amazing vid ♥️