Dark Patches – Pixel Art for a Narrative Indie Game
This project explores visual storytelling through stylized pixel art, developed as concept art for a hypothetical indie game. The aim was to create a series of eerie, humorous, and atmospheric illustrations that could form the visual backbone of a surreal side-scrolling or point-and-click adventure.
The challenge was to strike a balance between unsettling tone and playful color, using limited palettes and minimal detail to build compelling, animated-feeling snapshots of a strange world.
The series began with a simple prompt: “What would the night look like in a world just slightly off?” Each piece was planned around a single strange or unsettling moment like a glowing object in a field, hands reaching from a pool, or an unexpected burst of light designed to feel like scenes from a game you’re only beginning to understand.
Working in a pixel art format allowed me to focus on the essentials of mood and composition. I limited myself to bright, neon-like greens, blues, and yellows set against a dark background to create high contrast and a sense of glowing, otherworldly illumination.
Each illustration was created digitally using a low-res canvas, carefully plotting each pixel to emphasize shape, gesture, and movement. Though static, many of the pieces suggest narrative motion like something is about to happen, or just did.
This series was a playful departure from my usual whimsical, nature-based work, but allowed me to explore a darker, moodier visual voice perfectly suited for experimental games, short-form visual stories, or zine-style storytelling.
