Art by: Bryant Hodson
In micro-grid pixel art, everything is abstract. The presence or absence of a single pixel completely alters shape and expression. Unexpectedly, I found this binary art form closer to sculpture than illustration. Adding or subtracting pixels reveals the image like how a sculptor adds or subtracts clay from a maquette.
Inspired by the legendary icon work of Susan Kare, I gave myself a pixel art challenge: communicate an idea or story on the most constrained canvas possible: 16x16 pixels in 1-Bit (i.e. black & white only). The impossibly limited space and the puzzle-like nature of the design exercise was both challenging and therapeutic—utilizing the recognition and closure abilities of the mind.
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/6766bd7d-a358-4832-84d4-eaf9fb93c243/e8277102-6ae4-4557-93a4-88e8b74b6e9b_rw_1920.jpg?h=50cde59d58d975a8dd19ccae60241787)
The Grid
Much of my pixel art is created using a 16x16 pixel grid. A total of 256 pixels may seem like a lot, but the fight for negative space is real. When you add more “ink”, you add weight to your subject but lose definition. You also can't go thinner than a 1px line, and at this size of grid, a 1px line is fat!
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/6766bd7d-a358-4832-84d4-eaf9fb93c243/101f90b1-1a57-4def-a142-97ddde610aa6_rw_1200.jpg?h=65e06b1b2e75bba7c20122da7054dc0a)
Nouns
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/6766bd7d-a358-4832-84d4-eaf9fb93c243/83c1bd63-37c9-4357-940c-5af2e8eb8b7d_rw_600.png?h=9e36e9f2c6e0a26ec0f25c05cfd9fc53)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/6766bd7d-a358-4832-84d4-eaf9fb93c243/14f5c9cd-8d50-48a9-8ad6-86ed9b9190cf_rw_600.png?h=619c18b3342e8c3ec200f0b800334351)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/6766bd7d-a358-4832-84d4-eaf9fb93c243/dfed5840-47d1-478d-a09a-fa39b57d401a_rw_600.png?h=940ae7c98ddc2bf0084a2d5f43fb91c4)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/6766bd7d-a358-4832-84d4-eaf9fb93c243/b15c92e4-a034-44c5-941c-12da04cbabae_rw_600.png?h=1e14ba2f32fdbcacbc1772367a6df7c5)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/6766bd7d-a358-4832-84d4-eaf9fb93c243/61aecdc0-6904-4846-b4f4-5dad5905c1a8_rw_600.png?h=1a5320c4aa6c0976fe5ddd2bec0a2aa7)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/6766bd7d-a358-4832-84d4-eaf9fb93c243/be693759-ebf2-4662-a016-519bddda3e4e_rw_600.png?h=3ce992a6c04b8a90a92b89e26f38d329)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/6766bd7d-a358-4832-84d4-eaf9fb93c243/fed1f5fb-171b-4210-83a5-4d1b5f5ae679_rw_600.png?h=0a94ca00b104bc6a4ce47818b58f64d5)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/6766bd7d-a358-4832-84d4-eaf9fb93c243/c9f9160f-56ae-4dd0-9729-895f4fcf07d3_rw_600.png?h=750044d23e9cb601da6a3f05f6b669a1)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/6766bd7d-a358-4832-84d4-eaf9fb93c243/fa742e5e-7556-4214-a609-95a9ba6d00e6_rw_600.png?h=0c7dbfabdc7edd7c8cbcb60c8836effd)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/6766bd7d-a358-4832-84d4-eaf9fb93c243/425a8267-b504-4907-84f2-8160b0c5a89d_rw_600.png?h=970a420f98b9e11dd64698df96bf0bda)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/6766bd7d-a358-4832-84d4-eaf9fb93c243/c7313bad-d033-4802-949d-ead400eb3658_rw_600.png?h=6ca71f43c89506ecd9d3867e29750d7d)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/6766bd7d-a358-4832-84d4-eaf9fb93c243/aa44f01f-d438-45f4-91f2-5f773c4fafc9_rw_600.png?h=a744657424cec5723beb044c4f194049)
Conceptual
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/6766bd7d-a358-4832-84d4-eaf9fb93c243/e16a7690-a7ff-410c-9263-2ccd902e7bce_rw_1200.png?h=e93e31830fb5ca604bd50b53ff131598)
Poison, 16x16px
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/6766bd7d-a358-4832-84d4-eaf9fb93c243/31266cb9-5e36-4826-9b98-378dd2aad457_rw_1200.png?h=778d8646eb1252b4191a977ac8117c0d)
Teleporter, 16x16px
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/6766bd7d-a358-4832-84d4-eaf9fb93c243/b667093c-a545-4721-b7b7-407812d6cd1e_rw_1200.png?h=7aab5eb980a9360d93f68ad2043d1e44)
X-Ray, 16x16px
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/6766bd7d-a358-4832-84d4-eaf9fb93c243/abe08c39-c60a-449c-888c-ddfcd95752bd_rw_1200.png?h=0096d57700f59b6ebf22a0f60e0d411c)
Puppet, 16x16px
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/6766bd7d-a358-4832-84d4-eaf9fb93c243/1384355e-0dca-450a-bf2a-9a0087436dcb_rw_1200.png?h=44260ccfc0198a894e09646eaed119a5)
Tail, 16x16px
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/6766bd7d-a358-4832-84d4-eaf9fb93c243/5a8e3058-434d-417f-bfc1-ad89ed7bc96d_rw_1200.png?h=c51a654d01712ff5f0747b9bc4c65dc7)
Headshot, 16x16px
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/6766bd7d-a358-4832-84d4-eaf9fb93c243/ca4b78c3-6cc3-4745-af85-6c8f3229668d_rw_1200.png?h=680c8d3b79a2058e0bd5088ffbd65f69)
Skate or Die, 32x32px
Portraits
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/6766bd7d-a358-4832-84d4-eaf9fb93c243/4dcd23cf-8d67-43e8-aad5-0044b42e356b_rw_1200.png?h=265eaac974a65cfb6ad5ced0a3e9b230)
Bob Ross and Happy Little Tree, 16x16px
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/6766bd7d-a358-4832-84d4-eaf9fb93c243/847f750a-b81e-4b13-8d8a-36bfe2855108_rw_1200.png?h=5c07a08fe426b0d222719e11ae2d064e)
Fred Rogers and Trolley, 16x16px
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/6766bd7d-a358-4832-84d4-eaf9fb93c243/016132e5-ead5-4ade-8247-54c12d2b6169_rw_1200.png?h=2c7d64d705fe4a02bef485732433e66c)
Hayao Miyazaki and Totoro, 16x16px
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/6766bd7d-a358-4832-84d4-eaf9fb93c243/f1b92d1a-bfb7-4ede-8739-5469ed78a351_rw_1200.png?h=319c500b7ee2d9a5528c73c022d3d929)
Susan Kare, 100x100px
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/6766bd7d-a358-4832-84d4-eaf9fb93c243/067b0649-8960-49d0-8794-e773dd884493_rw_1200.png?h=0667b34cf14f0ca2ba2e9515d3cb9d4e)
Batman, 16x16px
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/6766bd7d-a358-4832-84d4-eaf9fb93c243/7c641c8b-e454-4702-a45b-5df198318e70_rw_1200.png?h=dd3212db80e971fe2e925d5bb33d0556)
Porco Rosso, 16x16px
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/6766bd7d-a358-4832-84d4-eaf9fb93c243/5e03deba-6860-4def-9093-74df84fb6944_rw_1200.png?h=8a3830a11eb5bd59fe3d6dc00d135175)
The Prince (Katamari Damacy), 16x16px
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/6766bd7d-a358-4832-84d4-eaf9fb93c243/2fee5db6-0825-41d1-8ee2-d62c16939cca_rw_1200.png?h=ccfb6b91e882c902d8cc4c8ea8f3a42e)
Hellboy, 32x32px
Type
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/6766bd7d-a358-4832-84d4-eaf9fb93c243/bd969a70-e191-4ba1-9cbf-5c2df9772bf4_rw_600.jpg?h=aaa55b139763be71cd8e783cd5a80b8c)
The Fut Ure Typeface by Bryant Hodson
Photo by Scott Webb on Unsplash
Photo by Scott Webb on Unsplash
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/6766bd7d-a358-4832-84d4-eaf9fb93c243/d85b0134-a780-4a65-8174-da0a53b0cba1_rw_1200.png?h=c1db57672acabca1f96c82143496da36)
Invisible Sans, 5x7px characters