2D Game Artist: Learn GIMP For Game Art

Learn How To Make 2D Art for Video Games Using GIMP. Master GIMP's interface & Create Greate 2D Art From Scratch

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2D Game Artist: Design Pixel Art From Scratch Online Course

Learn How To Make 2D Art for Video Games Using GIMP. Master GIMP's interface & Create Greate 2D Art From Scratch.

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GIMP is a super powerful, free, 2D art package. It's also 'open source' which means it's owned by the community, and constantly updated. Most of the features of the much more expensive Photoshop are available, giving you the power to create industry strength 2D art.

The challenge with this package is it can be intimidating for beginners, especially those who don't have much confidence in art or drawing. We make learning from scratch easy with our simple step-by-step process.

Even if you have no prior experience in drawing, or computer art, we'll take you from the very basics. By investing in a structured course like this you'll learn faster and more effectively than on your own, just check-out our latest reviews.

We provide challenges in every video to cement your knowledge, an active community of students and instructors to help you if you get stuck, and continuous updates to the course to improve the learning journey.

How is the course structured?

  1. We start by helping you master GIMP's interface
  2. Then we constrain you to just 8x8 pixels, to get you started
  3. Moving on we add colour, contrast and more to bring your images alive
  4. In section 2 we increase our canvas to 32x2 and beyond
  5. By the end of the course you'll be able to create great looking 2D icons.

Looking for 3D art, Blender, Unity or more? Check out our other courses, let the green leaf logo be your guide :-)

Also included with the course...

  • Access to our thriving community forum, and live chat server
  • Use of our custom built texture sharing service
  • Daily responses to your Q&A.

2D artwork is in demand, and now's a great time to get into GIMP.

Ben & Michael


What you'll learn on this course:Master GIMP's powerful interface

  • Convey meaning through shape and colour
  • Use GIMPs fundamental drawing tools
  • Work with layers for complex images
  • Create gradients, drop shadows and reflections
  • Organise and professionally export your work
  • Work to a specification like a pro
  • Create pixel art assets for your games
  • Create your own character
  • Becoming a digital artist

Your Instructor


Ben Tristem
Ben Tristem

Ben has a degree in computing from Imperial College London, and a physics diploma from the Open University.

He started working for himself at the age of 15, and never looked back. He's explored careers as varied as being a commercial pilot, stunt-man, rock climbing instructor, and more. None of these provided a continued challenge, and stable income in the same way technology did.

After building and selling a home computer support business, he became an angel investor and business mentor in Cambridge UK. He fell in love with teaching game development through one of his investments, and now spends all of his time sharing this passion with people like you.

He can't wait to help you experience the fulfilment, and financial freedom, that having a deep understanding of technology brings.

So why not start learning to make games with him and the GameDev.tv now?



Course Curriculum (18+ hours)


  Emotion Icons - Get Creative At 8x8 Pixels (1 hours 32 minutes)
Available in days
days after you enroll
  • Preview
    Introduction To Section 1 (2:03)
  • Start
    Getting GIMP Installed (3:19)
  • Start
    Getting Comfortable In GIMP (16:50)
  • Start
    How To Share & Ask Questions
  • Start
    Using GIMP At High Resolutions (6:36)
  • Start
    Black And White Outlines (13:45)
  • Start
    An Outline Story (11:24)
  • Start
    Exporting Your Work (12:53)
  • Start
    Introduction To Value (11:26)
  • Start
    A Splash Of Colour (13:11)
  • Start
    Quiz 1
  • Start
    Section 1 Wrap Up - Congratulations! (1:17)
  Game Icons - Creating 32x32 Pixel Art (4 hours 11 minutes)
Available in days
days after you enroll
  • Preview
    Section 2 Introduction (1:13)
  • Start
    Working To A Specification (9:44)
  • Start
    Drawing Straight Lines (6:53)
  • Start
    Introduction To Layers And Alpha (17:57)
  • Start
    Using The Eraser (13:29)
  • Start
    Using Pallets For Consistency (14:23)
  • Start
    Using The Paintbrush And Airbrush (17:19)
  • Start
    Quickly Selecting An Existing Colour (8:33)
  • Start
    Filling An Area With One Colour (20:00)
  • Start
    Using The Selection Tools (19:05)
  • Start
    Shading With Gradients (14:57)
  • Start
    Quiz 2
  • Start
    Moving Images And Layers (9:08)
  • Start
    Rearranging an Image (4:14)
  • Start
    Modifying Your Selections (11:13)
  • Start
    Using Selection Modifiers (12:15)
  • Start
    Combining Multiple Images (11:11)
  • Start
    Making A Composite Image (7:41)
  • Start
    Moving Selections (9:03)
  • Start
    Drop Shadows and Reflections (11:46)
  • Start
    Floating Selections (8:10)
  • Start
    Keeping Yourself Organised (12:11)
  • Start
    Creating A Game HUD (8:47)
  • Start
    Quiz 3
  • Start
    Section 2 Wrap Up (1:50)
  • Start
    What Now?
  Animated Sprites (5 hours 15 minutes)
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  • Preview
    - Section 3 Introduction (1:54)
  • Start
    What is Animation (4:21)
  • Start
    Setting Up Gimp For Animation (12:31)
  • Start
    Deciding On Frame Rate (17:55)
  • Start
    Layer Animation Parameters (12:43)
  • Start
    Layer Boundaries (13:19)
  • Start
    Squash And Stretch (14:43)
  • Start
    Making a Bouncing Ball (17:24)
  • Start
    Multi Layer Images And Animation (13:11)
  • Start
    Straight Ahead And Pose To Pose (9:24)
  • Start
    GIFs And Layer Groups (15:38)
  • Start
    Slow In And Out (13:11)
  • Start
    Two Different Feeling Animations (15:26)
  • Start
    Quiz 3
  • Start
    Colour Change Over Time (16:30)
  • Start
    Making An Animated Sunset (16:19)
  • Start
    What Is A Sprite Sheet (17:35)
  • Start
    Creating A Basic Sprite Sheet (9:24)
  • Start
    Too Many File Types (8:36)
  • Start
    Checking Your Sprite Sheet Works (3:16)
  • Start
    Manually Installing GIMP Add ons (8:21)
  • Start
    Add On Fuse Layers (9:32)
  • Start
    Add On Sprite Sheet (10:03)
  • Start
    Easy Repeating Elements (8:27)
  • Start
    Building a Modular Wall (11:46)
  • Start
    Mocking Up A Scene (13:29)
  • Start
    Nested Layer Groups (6:12)
  • Start
    Blending Animation (5:19)
  • Start
    Quiz 4
  • Start
    Section 3 Final Challenge (7:20)
  • Start
    Section 3 Wrap Up (1:27)
  Character Sketch (5 hours 49 minutes)
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  • Preview
    Section 4 Introduction (1:14)
  • Start
    Section 4 Specification (2:43)
  • Start
    Drawing Options (8:50)
  • Start
    Basic Shapes (7:04)
  • Start
    The Paths Tool (14:01)
  • Start
    First Principle References (4:30)
  • Start
    Using Building Blocks (19:25)
  • Start
    Toolbox Transforms (6:25)
  • Start
    Bone Structure (11:11)
  • Start
    Proportions (18:20)
  • Start
    Basic 3D Shapes (19:59)
  • Start
    Quiz 5
  • Start
    Importing Line Work (11:07)
  • Start
    Pacing Yourself And Staying Motivated (4:18)
  • Start
    Presence Through Use Of Value (14:09)
  • Start
    The Free Select Tool (18:18)
  • Start
    Surfaces and Overlap (17:39)
  • Start
    Caging (11:06)
  • Start
    Presence Through Use Of Perspective (11:06)
  • Start
    Lighting Basics (13:33)
  • Start
    Avoiding Tangents (8:12)
  • Start
    Exploration Through Studies (8:12)
  • Start
    Understanding Anatomy (9:47)
  • Start
    Study Of The Head (9:47)
  • Start
    Study Of The Eyes (17:41)
  • Start
    Study Of The Eyes Challenge (17:41)
  • Start
    Study Of The Nose (16:36)
  • Start
    Study Of The Mouth (19:10)
  • Start
    Study Of The Hands (13:19)
  • Start
    Quiz 6
  • Start
    End Of Section 4 Challenge (11:39)
  • Start
    Section 4 Wrap Up (2:17)
  Bonus: Tiling Textures (1 hours 31 minutes)
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  • Preview
    Bonus Section Introduction (3:05)
  • Start
    What Is A Digital Image (14:40)
  • Start
    Colour Channels (14:40)
  • Start
    Layer Math Modes (14:40)
  • Start
    Tiling Textures Introduction (14:40)
  • Start
    Quick Win Tiling Textures (14:40)
  • Start
    Quiz 7
  • Start
    Tiling Textures Wrap Up (14:40)
  Extras (0 hours 0 minutes)
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  • Preview
    All Downloads

Frequently Asked Questions


When does the course start and finish?
The course starts now and never ends! It is a completely self-paced online course - you decide when you start and when you finish.
How long do I have access to the course?
How does lifetime access sound? After enrolling, you have unlimited access to this course for as long as you like - across any and all devices you own.
What if I am unhappy with the course?
We would never want you to be unhappy! If you are unsatisfied with your purchase, contact us in the first 30 days and we will give you a full refund.

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