It all began with a little toy called The Animator.
Etch A Sketch released The Animator in 1985, and I began seeing commercials for it around my 6th birthday. I fell in love instantly. I begged and begged my parents to get it for me for Christmas. At that time, the price was a little steep for them, but they made it work.
By December of 1985, I had my hands on The Animator, and I began making my first pixel art animations!
Here is a video showing you what The Animator looked and sounded like:
This video isn’t mine… unfortunately, I don’t have my old Etch A Sketch Animator anymore 🙁
Although, honestly, after seeing this video and remembering the noises it made, I’m a little less wistfully reminiscent about it…
These days, I’m using Photoshop for my pixel art pieces and animations. I rekindled my love for pixel art thanks in part to Pixel Art Academy, a game that is being created by the talented Matej “Retro” Jan.
I was lucky enough to stumble onto the Kickstarter for Pixel Art Academy, and even luckier to learn that there was a whole community eager to create, consume, and love pixel art. I still have SO MUCH to learn, but that just motivates me more.
I never, ever want to stop learning.
You can follow my pixel art @SquidAndCrow.