Dress Up for Halloween With Isometric Pixel Art in Adobe Photoshop

What You'll Be Creating

You've made a pixel art character, it looks pretty normal, and it's wearing regular clothes. But Halloween is approaching, and we should get in on the trick-or-treating action.
We'll take our character and a little kid character, and dress them up as Batman and Chucky, just because. We'll also be making a jack o'lantern to set the mood.
Please refer to the isometric pixel art character tutorial if you don't have a character yet.

1. Kid Character

In the previous tutorial we already made our character at almost the smallest size possible, but there's still some leeway to shrink it further and make a child version.

Step 1

Remember to keep an original copy of your characters, to save them all for any future use.
Now, with a copy of the original character, we can move/overlap some sections of it to shrink it down, or we can delete some sections of pixels and then bring the pieces back together, which would look like this:

Step 2

Now it's only missing some retouches to the shirt neck, the arm, and one of the legs. Notice them and apply them.

We've given a child to our character, and without much labor!

2. Child's Play

Let's turn the little kid into the murderous Chucky. You'll want to check some reference images.

Step 1

Here I've changed the pants color slightly and turned them into overalls. The straps and top lines of the overalls are a darker shade of the blue. And I added a red pixel on the chest for the "Good Guys" logo. It's a tiny detail, and shouldn't be high contrast.

Step 2

The shirt should be different. So we'll create a long sleeve with a more saturated red tone and dark alternating stripes.

All stripes will be of different colors, but it'll be better aesthetically if two different colors with the same level of brightness aren't in contact. So let's try to keep the darker colors alternating with the lighter ones.

Step 3

We'll change the colors of the stripes, but the cuffs and neck should stay red as in the original.

Step 4

The pants should also have striped cuffs, but because of how few pixels we've got there, let's just use the same red from the shirt with one or two pixels height.

Step 5

The body is done, so let's change the hair color to ginger and give the kid a receding hairline to get closer to Chucky's look.

Step 6

Let's go for the creepier look Chucky had in the later movies, so we'll add some wisps of hair to the back of the head and edit the hair highlights.

Step 7

And, of course, the facial scars, which could be the same color as it has on the neck but could also have a slightly redder hue.

Step 8

One final detail would be a kitchen knife, Chucky seems to have an affinity for them. We can imply that he's holding it with his unseen hand and just add a little blade on the side:

3. The Dark Knight

Now let's turn our grownup character into the caped crusader. Again, have a look at reference images. I've chosen to do the batsuit from The Dark Knight because that's just a great movie.
It's an armored and slightly complex suit; we won't be able to get all the detail in (sadly the bat symbol on the chest isn't really possible to convey at this resolution) but we will get a bunch of subtle details in.

Step 1

Let's start by making our character's clothes all black. We'll use four shades of grey for this; I'm using 50%, 35%, 20%, and 5%, which is the shade I use on outlines.

Step 2

For the suit's neck we'll keep the original shirt neck line with the darkest shade, but right above that we'll add a few pixels of the second darkest shade, and above that another line of pixels of the darkest shade. So we're keeping the neckline and the character's jawline, and the lighter pixels in between represent the plates of the suit that cover the neck.

Step 3

Now paint the whole head (except around the mouth, of course) with the second darkest shade of grey. The hole for the mouth could have a few different shapes. This is the shape I thought looked best, but you can try alternatives.

Step 4

The nose will be two vertical pixels of the lightest grey and the eyes will each be two horizontal pixels of the darkest grey. In relation to our character these features have shifted a pixel up but it's for the best because the dark grey separating the nose from the mouth hole heightens the contrast of these features.

Step 5

Now with the second lightest grey we'll do highlights that extend from the top of the head to the cheekbones, but without coming into contact with the nose or mouth hole.

Step 6

We'll add additional highlights, now with the lightest grey on the forehead for extra volume and detail; see how these new highlights help convey the menacing frown Batman always carries around.

Step 7

Now for the bat ears. Here in red are the new pixels they will occupy:

And on the right the finish they should have.
Now the cowl is complete. On to the body armor! We can drop the lightest shade of grey and use only the darkest three shades for most of the rest.

Step 8

Let's make the whole arm grey (second darkest shade) and make the innermost arm outline extend to the neck (should line up) to add a break on the suit, representing where the armor plates meet.

Step 9

Leave the shoulder highlight in place (should be the 35% shade) but remove any leftover highlight below the neck and add some highlights for the biceps (two pixels should do) and for the fist (one pixel).

Step 10

Finally for the arm let's add some darker shades as well; a couple of pixels (darkest grey shade) below the shoulder to show off the armor plates, and one pixel slightly below the bicep highlight to make that bicep pop out some more. Also we'll add one more right above the fist highlight to give a touch of volume to the forearm.
And, of course, don't forget about Batman's trademark gauntlet fins.

Step 11

Now on the chest we'll add a nice big highlight for the pectoral area of the suit. This is where the bat symbol goes, of course, but trying to add it would only mess with our careful shading, so it'll be best left out. Our Batman will still be recognizable enough.

Step 12

Right over the pants line let's add Batman's utility belt, which we'll do as a bronze kind of color, without standing out so much. Let's fill the area in between the belt and the pectoral highlight with the darkest shade and add a tiny hint to the six-pack abs these superhero suits always make sure to include.

It's only a four-pack in our case but I think that'll do. The torso is finished.

Step 13

Now on the legs the only highlights we'll have will be on the thighs, knee pads (should look like exclamation points) and the toes:

Step 14

Let's add more detail with the darkest grey shade: a pixel a bit below each knee pad, and a vertical line from the back of the knee to the bottom of the boot.

Step 15

We'll also add a few retouches to the underpants area… I don't mean to get graphic but Batman does wear groin armor. So to get those volumes I added some minimal dark shading to the top of the thighs and some lighter grey just below the middle of the belt.

So now our Batman's only missing one thing: the cape!

Step 16

Marked in red are the pixels we'll be adding, and to the right how we'll be coloring them.

I added an extra pixel to the boot heel because without that I think it's easier to confuse the cape with the heel. Notice there's a bit of lighter grey toward the bottom of the cape and how it sort of cuts into the shoulder, as if it comes out of the clavicle area.
And thus, Batman is complete!

4. Jack O'Lantern

Step 1

To make our jack o'lantern, we'll start the same way we did with our character: with the face. The eyes and mouth of jack o'lanterns are usually triangular and zig‑zaggy, so you could use little inverted Vs for the eyes and a zig-zag line for the mouth.

When the pumpkin is done these lines might be a little hard to read because of how the pixels are not solidly united, so we'll double them vertically (just select and alt-nudge one pixel down) to look like this:

You might want to keep both versions and see which you like most in the end.

Step 2

The edges of the pumpkin will be 15 px across by 13 px high, and the face should sit low on this square because of the top view we're using.

Step 3

Round the edges of the square and fill with an orange color.

We'll move the face away for a moment to give our pumpkin some texture: the vertical ridges pumpkins tend to have. The black line at the top is where the stem will go and where the ridge lines should ideally meet. Even though we can't properly convey the lines curving and meeting at such a small size, we can try:

But for the most part they'll simply be vertical lines.

Step 4

Now let's put the face back on and select an area at the top to increase brightness to convey lighting and the pumpkin's volume a little better. I used custom colors instead of simply increasing brightness; you might want to try yellower hues on the lighter colors and redder hues on the darker ones.

Step 5

For the stem, we should add a shade of green that doesn't stand out too much. It'll be a three-pixel line plus dark outlines around it.

Step 6

And to finish up the stem let's add a highlight to the tip and replace the black horizontal lines where the stem and rind meet with softer shades; darker than the stem and rind but not quite so black.

Step 7

Similarly, for the face we can use a color that's darker than the rind but not so black and that helps to get a smoother finish.

Step 8

As a final detail we'll be adding a shadow. We didn't need shadows before, but in the case of the jack o'lantern it makes sense, as it's a shape that's considerably wider than its footprint.
I like to use black at 20% opacity when it comes to shadows.
I mentioned in the original character tutorial not using black on the outlines for this reason; if you've been doing outlines black then the magic wand won't be able to separate the outlines from the shadows. This isn't a big deal but it can eventually be a nuisance.
So this is how our finished jack o'lantern would look, and the image on the right shows how it would look if we kept the first, lighter face.

I like both but the lighter face can be harder to read when zoomed out, and it's easier for the pumpkin texture to interfere with it. So I'm more likely to use the bolder one.

Who Are You Dressing As?

So now your costumed characters and spooky jack o'lantern are ready!
Did you make the house from the house tutorial? Because your characters would look more at home trick-or-treating with a house behind them:

I hope this was helpful!

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Create Your Own Terrifying Monster Rabbit in Adobe Illustrator

What You'll Be Creating

Our tutorial will create a very evil if not sinister rabbit named Orifice. The beauty of this tutorial is that all of this was achieved using only a mouse. ALL OF IT! I do hope this will encourage those who longingly stare at tablets and Cintiqs online to believe that they can achieve just as much with what they have. Your tools are what you make them... they can be what holds you back, or the driving force propelling you forward.

1. Fleshing Out the Sketch

Step 1

Our first step will be to bring in our drawing. I used my scanner at 300 dpi to catch as much of the detail as possible. This process can be a bit difficult if you're using material in a bound sketchbook. You'll notice the slight blur of the tail. This happens when the book page curls inward at the binding.
We'll be working with a clean line quality from Adobe Photoshop and now we can begin. I'm working in Adobe Illustrator at a size of 8.5 x 11 inches for this specific project.
When I'm ready to start my layers, I'll label my first layer as "Sketch" and Lock the layer to make sure that I won't accidentally move or delete the sketch. We'll be loosely following this as our guideline.

Step 2

I enjoy laying my main gradient colors down first and foremost. This is where I start to control the first signs of light and shadow and choose where my light source will be coming from.
I've chosen two slightly different tones, both of which I will be using in this tutorial. This Gradient on the right is made from a pure black to steel gray, and the gradient to the right is made from a pure black to deep moss color. Believe it or not, we'll be utilizing both of these. We'll start with the steel gray and apply it to our rabbit using our Pen Tool (P).

Step 3 

In our Layers tab, we'll assign one layer specifically as "Head", and start to create our pieces. If you want to make the process go as smoothly as possible, I would recommend also creating a "Body" layer as well. Using our handy-dandy Pen Tool (P), we'll start to follow the main pencil lines of our rabbit. I've started with the ear, but you can start just about anywhere. I prefer starting with the facial contours rather than the body.

Step 4

At this point, we've vectored our "Head" pieces and "Body" pieces with our first color. I'm using this color first in order to see the color contrast later in my fur. This will become more obvious as we flesh and "fur" out our rabbit.

2. Adding Facial Details

Step 1

I've started to use my Gradient to add details to his face. Half of my Gradient layer is comprised of a pure black, and the other is also a pure black but with its Opacity brought down to 0%.

Step 2

Our next step is to create the white sclera, which will be our dead eye. We've also switched from a Linear Gradient to a Radial Gradient.
A simple Ellipse (L) has been used to represent the pupil. It gives off a very strained or blown-out look, which I prefer in my creepy-eyed characters.

Step 3

Using our Radial Gradient again, we will create a new color for the "working" eyes. I went with a nice bloodshot red. With this color, we're bringing out the intensity of his gaze and making him a foe to be reckoned with.

Step 4

We can now include our scar tissue, to illustrate that this rabbit has been through a few things. Scars give character. Don't be afraid to add a few.

Step 5

Some of the scars need a little more definition, so after adding a stroke line of 0.25% I've used my Width Tool (Shift-W) to give them a little more girth.
Here is the end result. Notice that our scar looks a better and more defined. We won't stop there though. Read on to see where this magical scar ride ends.

Step 6

The nose of our rabbit, Orifice, is fairly simple to make. Using a Linear Gradient for the main parts, we can speckle small Ellipses over the surface to act as dimples around the nostrils.
After we've covered the surface of his nose, we can add a simple highlight Gradient to show the direction of our light source.

Step 7

Next, we can add Orifice's teeth. Using a light taupe in our Radial Gradient we'll follow our sketch's guidelines to form the teeth. We'll place our new teeth behind the upper jawline.
At this point, we've added a fine set of chompers to the sides of his mouth. We can leave this particular set on top of the jaw line. We've also added one tooth behind his head.

Step 8

Add a few lines to define the teeth. The additional shading and highlights give Orifice's new teeth better form.

Step 9

As promised, we've returned to our scar. I loved how it looked before, but this just adds that extra level of realism to our otherwise cartoonish Orifice. We're using the same color scheme, but our Opacity has been set to 40%.
The next view shows what a few layers of "scar tissue" can do to take your look from drab to fab.

3. Creating Texture With Fur and Skin

Step 1

My first task is to create an entirely new Layer which we can call "Fur". You don't have to stick with this name, but it helps to separate newly completed, smaller pieces from your previous work. I prefer not to accidentally select work that I'm not working on, so both the "Head" and "Body" layers are locked.
In order to make the fur, I would recommend visiting Create a Fur Texture, Family Badger Scene in Adobe Illustrator. It's a great example of how to create your own fur strands.

Step 2

We've started using our "Rabbit Fur" to create more texture to his skin. Check these images to see the progression.

Step 3

The progress is going well with the fur on Orifice's face. To lessen the confusion, I'll contain all of my hairs into a Group (Control-G). I can then take this group and turn the Opacity to 40%. The hair on his body doesn't have to be a full on color to be appreciated. Sometimes it's the subtlety that is appreciated.

Step 4

Our next step will be to apply staples to our scars. We'll use our Rounded Rectangle to create them.
When making your staples, try not to make them too neat. This is a monster who has essentially been put back together, most likely not by skilled hands.

Step 5

The next step is to make a layer of shadow to go underneath the staples we created on his face.

Step 6

In order to emphasize that this is the mouth of a bloodthirsty monster, we'll render some drool. One of the beautiful features of Adobe Illustrator CS6 is that you can make a Stroke line and include a Gradient to it.
As you can see, it conveys a whole new look to what we already have.

Step 7

After completing the drool, I've moved on to accenting Orifice's face with more shadows. He's an animal that lurks in the darkness, so it's only fitting that we cloak him in it. This sharpens the work that we already have rendered as well.
Also, I've started changing his body from our steel gray to the more preferred deep moss color. Again, the first color was merely to allow me to see my fur texture in a better light.

Step 8

I haven't used much in the way of blurs, but sometimes a nice Gaussian Blur gives a softness to your work. It's good for creating depth, as well as a great glow effect.

Step 9

Add your highlighted hairs to Orifice's face. Since we know that our light source is coming from the right of our composition, this is where the majority of our lighter hairs will be made.

Step 10

With our newly made light hairs layered over our head, we can now go in with a dark moss green. Notice that most of my new layer of fur is going against the scar tissue. This creates the illusion of the skin being uneven and partially jagged. Scar tissue is never completely smooth, and when you see hair growing around it, it conforms to the path that it is given to grow.

Step 11

In the following shots, you can see the amount of detail applied with just the moss green hairs.

Step 12

After applying a nice grouping of hair to the face, we can apply a few highlights using our Feather Effect. Doing this over the cheek bones, forehead, and the bridge of the nose takes our 2D image one step further and creates more realism.

Step 13

To add to his intentionally evil look, I've added a few holes in his teeth using only one Linear Gradient. These cavities make him look almost weathered and dare I say it, "rotten to the core".

4. Creating a Spooky Sign

Step 1

Using a similar technique that was used on his drool, we've created a symbol on Orifice's forehead. The idea is that this is made of fluid, so liquid-like highlights have been added to convey that it has reflective properties.
A new duplicate layer can be made of our sign and a Gaussian Blur Effect can be applied. We're using a blur effect of 4.4 px in this composition. The ending result gives us an eerie glow, fit for a monster rabbit. I've also decided that Orifice's drool would be more pronounced if we used the same color scheme. The green pops off the page and makes for a striking complement to the skin.

5. The Fur Hits the Body

Step 1

We will be applying the same steps as we did to the face. Start with your darker hairs and work with the body contours.

Step 2

After working on our body hair, we'll start to cover his arms and fingers. You will find it more helpful to group fingers and certain body parts as you finish them. This allows you to maneuver through all of your many pieces without clicking on something unnecessary.

Step 3

This is a good example of how to apply a little highlight to the palms. After laying down our hair layers, we've gone back into our hand like we did with our cheeks, brow, and nose bridge. There's now a fullness to the hand that we once didn't have.

Step 4

By the time we've finished applying our hair, shadows, and highlights, we will finally have an almost fully rendered bunny. So far, so good.

5. Adding Accessories

Step 1

Next, we will proceed to lock our layers temporarily. The layer that we've entitled "Fur" will be our new construction area for creating our metal objects.

Step 2

Using a Radial Gradient, we'll start to create Orifice's metal collar. It's meant to look clunky and uncomfortable, so if your collar looks similar to this to start off, you're on the right track.
Overlaying this collar are patches of discolored metal. Since Orifice is essentially a patchwork creation, it wouldn't be a stretch that his collar and other accessories would be as well.

Step 3

At this point, we're applying rivets to some of his metal work. I'm again using our Ellipse Tool (L) to create these simple details.
Once those are completed, we can add a little texture to show that the rest of his collar hasn't held up as well through the years. Go to Windows > Brush Libraries > Artistic > Artistic_ChalkCharcoalPencil to locate this particular brush. Your new pattern can now Mask this layer to complete the look.

Step 3

Use the same effect on his cuffs. Notice the gritty feeling you're getting from using this readily available brush.

Step 4

What is a monster without his claws? Since you've been grouping your parts, this will be an easy process. He seems a lot more threatening now that he has these pointy digits.

Step 5

We've given his nails a bit more shine, and we're also adding extra scars. Remember, scars build character and offer us a look into our character's past life experiences.
We're building an unwritten scenario that we want our audience to conclude for themselves.

Step 6

Next, we'll start to add some scar tissue to his arm. I wanted there to be a feeling of him pulling out his own hair, or making a canvas out of his own skin in preparation for something very visual. This particular character has a very odd, almost serial killer trait. He collects his killings on his arm with small scratches.

Step 7

Our rabbit's scratches have now been added, and to illustrate that maybe he has just "fed" or killed, we'll add a few highlighted scratches. I liked the idea of him using his own acidic saliva to carve out these scars, so I've also added a little bubbling to the skin. Very gross, but highly effective

6. From Flesh to Bone

Step 1

Orifice is nearly finished. We're adding Orifice's lunch, with all the fix'ns to put it humorously. The skull is made from another Radial, and I'm sticking to the same color palette for the entire skull area. We'll use a softer tone, by incorporating a Feather Effect to main portion of the skull.

Step 2

What would we be without our brains? We're going to give Orifice something to satisfy is voracious appetite. Since this is the brain of a deceased person, I wanted to make it just a little green. I wanted the appearance of rotting meat, and I think this color contributes nicely to the idea.
We'll also create a few maggots to sprinkle over Orifice's dinner. You can be as generous as you want with these little creatures. They only serve to enhance your piece.

Step 3

I want you to believe that Orifice's saliva is very acidic, so I've added a few spots to show corrosion. Honestly, I don't know if I'd want to meet this character at all now.

Step 4

Create a bit of a bone pile for your character using the exact color scheme used with the first skull.

Step 5

Using our Artistic_ChalkCharcoalPencil Brush again, we've made dried blood to cover a few areas of our bone pile. Textures are very fun to work with, and just the right amount will enhance what you already have.

Step 6

Next, we'll add a little shadow behind it all by duplicating the bones (excluding the spattered blood layer), and Uniting them with our Pathfinder Tab.

7. The Last Bits and Pieces

Step 1

Even a scary monster can have a few boo boos. Even though he's a scary monster, he was still referred to as someone's pet. To indicate that he's still loved, I put a band-aid on his knee.

Step 2

Last but not least, we'll add a few flies to buzz around the rotting flesh.

Step 3

To indicate that they are moving haphazardly, I've created a Stroke Line to show the flight path of our bumbling flies. We'll lighten this and change the final color, but it's difficult to see white on white, so we're using a bright color to illustrate the new line. I've changed the settings to a Dash line as well.

Step 4

Last, but certainly not least, I've added a bit of glow to our creepy crawlies.

Finished! Our Creepy Pet Orifice is Ready to Hunt!

I really do hope you've enjoyed this tutorial about my rabbit. I hope if you do try this tutorial, that you'll share your experiences and hopefully your art with us! If you're looking for a bit of suspense and mystery, you might want to stop by my tutorial entitled: Create A Haunting, Dia De Los Muertos Illustration Using Adobe Illustrator. Or if you're looking for something sugary sweet, you might want to try to Create a Colorful, 1940s Inspired Witch in Adobe Illustrator for your next project. Happy Vectoring!

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