Editing Pixel art (section)

===2010s===
[[File:Sword and Sworcery - Gameplay.png|thumb|''Superbrothers: Sword & Sworcery EP'' (2011)]]
The popularity of pixel art accelerated during the 2010s.<ref>{{cite web |title=Creativity Bytes: A Brief Guide To Pixel Art |url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/creativity-bytes-a-brief-guide-to-pixel-art/ |access-date=2022-09-03 |website=Vice.com |date=23 February 2011 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |title=Nintendo SNES Classic Mini review: amazing games marred by hardware oversights |language=en-GB |magazine=Wired UK |url=https://www.wired.co.uk/article/snes-mini-classic-review |access-date=2022-09-03 |issn=1357-0978}}</ref><ref name=":3"/> One major contribution to this trend was the success of several 'retro' pixel art games such as ''[[Superbrothers: Sword & Sworcery EP]]'' (2011), ''[[Terraria]]'' (2011), [[Fez (video game)|''Fez'']] (2012), ''[[Papers, Please]]'' (2013), ''[[Shovel Knight]]'' (2014), ''[[Undertale]]'' (2015), ''[[Owlboy]]'' (2016), ''[[Stardew Valley]]'' (2016), ''[[Deltarune]]'' (2018), [[Celeste (video game)|''Celeste'']] (2018), and ''[[Octopath Traveler]]'' (2018).<ref name=":9">{{cite web |date=2013-04-10 |title=Talking Shop: Shovel Knight's Pixel Artist |url=https://www.gamesindustry.biz/talking-shop-shovel-knights-pixel-artist |access-date=2022-09-03 |website=GamesIndustry.biz |language=en}}</ref> Many of these games combined low-resolution game assets with non-pixel art (NPA) elements such as filters, high definition UI, or special effects.<ref>{{cite news |last=Sucasas |first=Ángel Luis |date=2018-07-07 |title="No necesitamos el fotorrealismo para gozar de los videojuegos" |language=es |work=El País |url=https://elpais.com/cultura/2018/07/07/1up/1530961471_496336.html |access-date=2022-09-03 |issn=1134-6582}}</ref><ref name=":6">{{cite magazine |last=Moher |first=Aidan |title=The Pixel Art Revolution Will Be Televised |language=en-US |magazine=Wired |url=https://www.wired.com/story/modern-pixel-art-games/ |access-date=2022-09-03 |issn=1059-1028}}</ref> The increased attention on pixel art in media and the game industry coincided with the rapid growth of pixel art communities. Owlboy's art director, Simon Andersen, explained that he wanted to show the advantages of the pixel as an art medium, pushing the potential of the artistic technique and showcase pixel art done properly, without millions of colors or 3D captures.<ref>{{cite web |date=2016-11-07 |title=Owlboy: the indie platformer that took 10 years to build |url=http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/nov/07/owlboy-indie-platformer |access-date=2022-09-03 |website=the Guardian |language=en}}</ref> In contrast, the heavily stylized and abstract ''Superbrothers: Sword & Sworcery EP'' made extensive use of filters and non-pixel art graphics. Superbrothers: ''Sword and Sworcery'' also allowed players to share various in-game achievements on [[Twitter]], the #sworcery hashtag went viral, contributing to the renewed interest in pixel art in video games.<ref>{{cite web |date=2011-04-16 |title=Sword and Sworcery – review |url=http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2011/apr/17/sword-and-sworcery-ipad-review |access-date=2022-09-03 |website=the Guardian |language=en}}</ref>

Pixel Joint and Pixelation remained important communities with a growing number of contributors, but the 2010s saw the rise of new communities on [[Reddit]], [[DeviantArt]], [[Instagram]], and Twitter. While Pixelation, in particular, had a core of very dedicated, often professional, pixel artists and Pixel Joint had moderators who accepted or rejected submissions to its online gallery, new pixel art communities in social media were naturally less cohesive, yet more open. Not only did social media contribute significantly to the continued growth of pixel art, and more traffic to older pixel art websites, but websites like [[Tumblr]], Twitter, and Instagram also gave significant global attention to new pixel artists outside of the traditional pixel art communities, such as Waneella and Pixel Jeff.<ref>{{cite web |title=Futuristic Landscapes Get a Retro Look, Thanks to Pixel Art |url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/futuristic-landscape-gifs-waneella/ |access-date=2022-09-03 |website=Vice.com |date=12 December 2016 |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":7">{{cite web |title=An E-Gallery Of Video Games' Finest Pixel Art, But Who Owns It? |url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/tumblr-user-edits-e-gallery-of-video-games-finest-pixel-art/ |access-date=2022-09-03 |website=Vice.com |date=December 2013 |language=en}}</ref>

[[File:Papers, Please (video game screenshot).jpg|thumb|''Papers Please'' (2013)]]
During the 2010s, the demoscene arguably entered a [[silver age]], as several older artists returned to their hobbies after a hiatus.<ref>Benjaminsson, Klas (2020). ''The Masters of Pixel Art volume 1''. Nicepixel Publications. p. 191. {{ISBN|978-91-639-0485-1}}.</ref><ref>Benjaminsson, Klas (2017). ''Masters of Pixel Art volume 2''. Nicepixel Publications. p. 57, 181. {{ISBN|978-91-639-0486-8}}.</ref> In addition, the increasing popularity of pixel art in this decade also attracted new artists to the demoscene, who had not been active during the 1990s and 2000s.<ref>Benjaminsson, Klas (2017). ''Masters of Pixel Art volume 2''. Nicepixel Publications. p. 57, 159, 185. {{ISBN|978-91-639-0486-8}}.</ref> It is important to note that the demoscene and its graphics competitions never stopped, but the 2010s could nevertheless be considered a period of rejuvenation.

As advanced digital painting software like [[Adobe Photoshop|Photoshop]] became more widely available and easier to use, the pixel doll community split into a group of artists using traditional pixel art, known as pixel-shaders, and a group of artists using more advanced tools, known as tool-shaders. As internet forums lost popularity and drawn avatars were increasingly replaced by photos in internet communities, the pixel dolling community gradually became less active in this decade.


Perhaps because of the rise of pixel art in video games and social media, pixel art was also seen in other areas of [[popular culture]] and even made its way to public museums. Ivan Dixon and Paul Robertson received international attention for making a pixel art version of ''[[The Simpsons]]''' introduction sequence.<ref>{{cite magazine |title=Watch 'The Simpsons' Totally Reimagined as Stunning Pixel Art |url=https://time.com/3692217/simpsons-pixel-art-video/ |access-date=2022-09-04 |magazine=Time |language=en}}</ref> Eboy became well known for their isometric pixel art displays, often used for advertisement or sold as independent art.<ref name=":11">{{cite web |title=Creativity Bytes: A Brief Guide To Pixel Art |url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/creativity-bytes-a-brief-guide-to-pixel-art/ |access-date=2022-09-04 |website=Vice.com |date=23 February 2011 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |date=2010-08-30 |title=Weekly art websites: pixel art |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/art/weekly-art-websites-pixel-art-2067093.html |access-date=2022-09-04 |website=The Independent |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":3"/> The work of pixel artists such as Octavi Navarro and Gustavo Viselner was featured in major newspapers and magazines.<ref>{{cite web |title=Intricate Pixel Art Peels Back The Layers Of Imaginary Worlds |url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/intricate-pixel-art-peels-back-the-layers-of-imaginary-worlds/ |access-date=2022-09-04 |website=Vice.com |date=19 September 2014 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |date=2018-01-14 |title=Si las series de hoy se parecieran a los videjouegos de los 90 |url=https://verne.elpais.com/verne/2018/01/14/articulo/1515930475_766740.html |access-date=2022-09-04 |website=Verne |language=es}}</ref> French urban artist [[Invader (artist)|Invader]] received international attention for his urban pixel art mosaics, seen around the world.<ref>{{cite web |date=2021-07-06 |title=Pixel art hors de prix : un portrait du Dalaï-Lama composé de Rubik's Cubes vendu 450.000 euros |url=https://www.lefigaro.fr/culture/encheres/pixel-art-hors-de-prix-un-portrait-du-dalai-lama-compose-de-rubik-s-cubes-vendu-450-000-euros-20210706 |access-date=2022-09-04 |website=LEFIGARO |language=fr}}</ref> Among 1980s-inspired [[synthwave]] artists and groups, pixel art was used to make music videos, such as Valenberg's work for [[Perturbator]] and a [[Gunship (band)|Gunship]] music video by pixel artists Jason Tammemagi, Gyhyom, Mary Safro, and Waneella.<ref>{{cite web |last=Liptak |first=Andrew |date=2018-03-11 |title=Ernie Cline's Ready Player One gets a tiny adaptation in this music video |url=https://www.theverge.com/2018/3/11/17106194/ready-player-one-gunship-ernie-clines-art3mis-parzival-music-video-synthwave-nostalgia-watch |access-date=2022-09-04 |website=The Verge |language=en}}</ref> In 2012, the [[Smithsonian Institution]] museum of Washington created an exhibition called [[The Art of Video Games]], attended by almost 700,000 people.<ref>{{cite web |title=The Art of Video Games {{!}} Smithsonian American Art Museum |url=https://americanart.si.edu/exhibitions/games |access-date=2022-09-04 |website=americanart.si.edu |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Here's how many people saw The Smithsonian's Art of Games |url=https://finance.yahoo.com/news/2012-10-02-heres-how-many-people-saw-the-smithsonians-art-of-games.html |access-date=2022-09-04 |website=finance.yahoo.com |date=2 October 2012 |language=en-US}}</ref>