Pixel Art Basics Tutorial

Dereck Yu has released a very detailed tutorial on how to create pixel art. The tutorial covers all basic steps of production:

• Software. Find out what software works best for pixel art, including professional tools. The list of software includes free tools, too, so don't miss it out!
• How to choose the palette of the sprite, which one is best to begin with, how many colors will work best for you - Dereck gathered together all advice regarding the colors.
• Jaggies are a key element of pixel art. During this step, you will find out the basic types of it, and how they are created.
• Forum and Volume can be quite essential even in pixel art. Check out how to work with it!
• Outlining workflow. Learn how to avoid harsh segmentation and to make your art look nice and stylized.
• Learn the dithering technique to create smooth color gradient.
• One last look. Know when you have to stop tweaking some spots and leave it as it is.

You can check the tutorial here.