About Liz
Pixelated Pixie is the working name of Liz Shine. I'm an illustrator and pixel artist working primarily in digital media, with a side practice in hand-made Perler bead sprites that ships through my Etsy shop.
Background
I came to pixel art the way a lot of people my age did: through games. The first art I cared about was 16-bit JRPG sprite work in the mid-1990s. The constraints of the pixel grid (fixed palette, fixed resolution, fixed sprite size) felt clarifying rather than restrictive. Twenty-something years later, the constraint still works for me.
Formal training is in graphic design, with a self-taught extension into illustration and game-asset work. Most of my commercial work today is for indie game studios who want hand-crafted pixel art rather than AI-generated or upscaled bitmap work.
What I make
- Pixel art commissions — portraits, character sprites, game tiles, animated GIF avatars. Most commissions are 64×64 or 128×128 base resolution.
- Illustration work — editorial pieces, social-media campaigns, small-business marketing assets. Style varies by brief; pixel-y by default, smooth-vector where the brand needs it.
- Perler bead sprites — physical bead-fusion sprites of original designs (and occasional fan art where the licence permits). Sold on Etsy in small drops.
- Graphic design — small-business brand work, often for clients who don't want generic-template design.
The bead-sprite side
Perler bead sprites are physical pixel art. You pour small plastic beads onto a peg-board grid, arrange them by colour, and fuse them with an iron. Each sprite takes between 20 minutes (for a small 64-bead design) and several hours (for a 5,000-bead figurine).
I started making them as a hobby for friends. They've grown into the part of the practice that pays for the studio rent. Etsy drops appear roughly every six weeks. Subscribe to the Etsy shop announcement list if you want first crack at limited pieces.
The commission process
- Send a brief: what you'd like, rough size, target use, deadline. Reference images are useful.
- I come back with a quote and turnaround. Typically $50–$300 for digital commissions, $30–$200 for bead sprites.
- 50% deposit secures the slot. I send a sketch or rough mock for sign-off.
- Final delivery in your preferred format. Digital files include source PSD/Aseprite where applicable; bead sprites ship by USPS (US) or international airmail.
What I don't do
- AI-generated art. Every piece is hand-made. Commercial clients sometimes ask whether I "use AI to speed things up"; I don't.
- NFT projects. Personal choice; I'll politely decline.
- Tattoo designs. Pixel art at tattoo scale doesn't quite work; I usually refer to specialists.
Find me online
Instagram: @pixelated.pixie · DeviantArt: pixelated-pixie · Etsy: pixelated_pixie · YouTube: @Pixelated_Pixie.
Email: [email protected].