THE TAO OF PIXEL ART : An interpretation

[Helm]

* Don't get set into one form, adapt it and build your own, and let it grow, be like water. Empty your mind, be formless, shapeless — like water. If you put water in a cup it becomes the cup, if you put into a bottle it becomes the bottle. You put water into a teapot it becomes the teapot. Now, water can flow or it can crash. Be water, my friend.

There is no distinction between pixel art styles. They are all aspects of one thing. Study it holistically.

* Like everyone else you want to learn the way to win, but never to accept the way to lose - to accept defeat. To learn to die is to be liberated from it. So when tomorrow comes you must free your ambitious mind and learn the art of dying!

Attempt pixel art beyond your comfort zone. Be ready to face failure, for you will learn from it! Don't do the same thing over and over again!

When there is freedom from mechanical conditioning, there is simplicity. The classical man is just a bundle of routine, ideas and tradition. If you follow the classical pattern, you are understanding the routine, the tradition, the shadow — you are not understanding yourself.

Pixel art skills are no different from any other art skills. There is no point to obsess over technical details of pixel art if only to forget that it is as much a technical methodology, as it is intuitive art

A goal is not always meant to be reached, it often serves simply as something to aim at.

Enjoy the making of the art as much as the benefits of presenting the end result!

A martial artist who drills exclusively to a set pattern of combat is losing his freedom. He is actually becoming a slave to a choice pattern and feels that the pattern is the real thing. It leads to stagnation because the way of combat is never based on personal choice and fancies, but constantly changes from moment to moment, and the disappointed combatant will soon find out that his "choice routine" lacks pliability. There must be a "being" instead of a "doing" in training. One must be free. Instead of complexity of form, there should be simplicity of expression.

Those that only draw fighter sprites, or rpg tiles, or only game-art are losing their freedom! Practise everything and your specialties will benefit! nonetheless

All fixed set patterns are incapable of adaptability or pliability. The truth is outside of all fixed patterns.

Always be yourself, express yourself, have faith in yourself; do not go out and look for a successful personality and duplicate it.

Hear that SNK copiers and Capcom copiers! Don't do as they do! Do as you'd do!

Art is the expression of the self. The more complicated and restricted the method, the less the opportunity for expression of one's original sense of freedom. Though they play an important role in the early stage, the techniques should not be too mechanical, complex or restrictive. If we cling blindly to them, we shall eventually become bound by their limitations. Remember, you are expressing the techniques and not doing the techniques.

The limitation is only meaninful if it breeds expression which would not otherwise occur without said limitation

Do not deny the classical approach, simply as a reaction, or you will have created another pattern and trapped yourself there.

One should study and understand proper pixelling techniques before saying 'I do not need this!'

I am happy because I am growing daily and I am honestly not knowing where the limit lies. To be certain, every day there can be a revelation or a new discovery. I treasure the memory of the past misfortunes. It has added more to my bank of fortitude.

Do not be ashamed of past errors! Be glad for them and push forward! Do not try to just outrun your friends. Don't just try to outrun the bear. Try to outrun GOD. There is no limit!

I hope martial artists are more interested in the root of martial arts and not the different decorative branches, flowers or leaves.

SNK people! Capcom people! There is only one Pixel Art!

If you always put limit on everything you do, physical or anything else. It will spread into your work and into your life. There are no limits. There are only plateaus, and you must not stay there, you must go beyond them.

If you spend too much time thinking about a thing, you'll never get it done.

Make more art than you think about it! Practise as much as you can, all sorts of art!

In Jeet Kune-Do, physical conditioning is a must for all martial artists. If you are not physically fit, you have no business doing any hard sparring. To me, the best exercise for this is running. Running is so important that you should keep it up during your lifetime. What time of the day you run is not important as long as you run. In the beginning you should jog easily and then gradually increase the distance and tempo, and finally include sprints to develop your 'wind.' Let me give you a bit of warning: just because you get very good at your training it should not go to your head that you are an expert. Remember, actual sparring is the ultimate, and the training is only a means toward this. Besides running, one should also do exercises for the stomach — sit-ups, leg raises, etc. Too often one of those big-belly masters will tell you that his internal power has sunk to his stomach; he's not kidding, it is sunk and gone! To put it bluntly, he is nothing but fat and ugly.

Not related. I just found it awesome.

In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity.

When challenging yourself with difficult Pixel Art subjects, new solutions will come to you!

It is true that the mental aspect of kung-fu is the desired end; however, to achieve this end, technical skill must come first.

The more technical practise you do in the Way of the Pixel, at the end you'll come across the Pixel itself.

Jeet Kune Do, It's just a name, don't fuss over it. There's no such thing as a style if you understand the roots of combat.

Selout/AA/Dithering/Color Conservation/Hue Tinting/Whatever, are just names. Don't fuss over them. In action, it all becomes one thing.

Let the spirit out — Discard all thoughts of reward, all hopes of praise and fears of blame, all awareness of one's bodily self. And, finally closing the avenues of sense perception, let the spirit out, as it will.

Do not think why you pixel, but pixel. Pixel Zen.

Take no thought of who is right or wrong or who is better than. Be not for or against.

Do not concern yourself with measuring your pixel art idols against each other. Concern yourself with the Art.

When I look around I always learn something, and that is to be yourself always, express yourself, and have faith in yourself. Do not go out and look for a successful personality and duplicate him.

Finally:

The key to immortality is first living a life worth remembering.

[Panda]

Heh, now the banners have a reason to exist.
Bruce was a neat man.

[khorin]

Ahhh it's always refreshing to read Bruce's words again.

[ptoing]

 

[Cow]

This is cool, great advice. Drinks all around!

Be ready to face failure, for you will learn from it!

That one's pretty nice to hear. Because I have failed a lot.

[Zolthorg]

  i'm still in the failure phase

[Scotteh]

Who's Bruce?

[ptoing]

Lee

[Scotteh]

oh, ok

[Rydin]

Jeet Kune Do = real-time, dynamic chop suey

...from what I can remember...should really re-read his paper...


Great job translating to pixels!

[eck]

*meditates*

[Zach]

yoiiii this is nice

thankies helm!

[Luzeke]

I was listening to "Budget Meeting" from the King Arthur soundtrack when reading this. Made for a very unusual reading experience.

This one is the best:

"Do not be ashamed of past errors! Be glad for them and push forward! Do not try to just outrun your friends. Don't just try to outrun the bear. Try to outrun GOD. There is no limit!"

 

[johnnyspade]

hey, that was a really nice reading!

It is true that the mental aspect of kung-fu is the desired end; however, to achieve this end, technical skill must come first.

The more technical practise you do in the Way of the Pixel, at the end you'll come across the Pixel itself.

^ my favourite!

“Mere technical knowledge is only the beginning of Pixel Fu. To master it, one must enter into the spirit of it.”

“There are lots of guys around the world that are lazy. They have big fat guts. They talk about chi power and things they can do, but don't believe it.”

[Xelados Nafshir]

Art is not enjoyable if you're not good at it.
Yet in order to get good at it, you must do it.

Explain your way out of THAT paradox.

[Rydin]

I argue that art is enjoyable even if you aren't good. *

I am happy because I am growing daily and I am honestly not knowing where the limit lies. To be certain, every day there can be a revelation or a new discovery. I treasure the memory of the past misfortunes. It has added more to my bank of fortitude.

Focus on the other aspects that are fun...otherwise just don't enjoy it for a while. 

[ptoing]

Art is not enjoyable if you're not good at it.

That totally depends on your mindset.
Also if art is not enjoyable if you are not good at it, please explain more than half of Deviantart to me.
Fail!

[sharprm]

Art is not enjoyable if you're not good at it.
Yet in order to get good at it, you must do it.

Explain your way out of THAT paradox.

You don't do it because its enjoyable but just want to improve. Or your concept of what is 'good' is never beyond what you can draw. For instance, in kindergarden I thought i was great because i drew the
arms and legs coming out of a body, rather than coming out of the head, like the other kid did. Now I think there is more to drawing figures than just that, but I'm still think I'm awesome because I don't think proper anatomy is that important.

[JJ Naas]

I'd say being able to be enthusiastic about something in a long run equals creativity. When you're enthusiastic enough to try keep on doing whatever it is.. drawing, playing guitar, writing stories, it'll eventually lead to mastering enough skills to make something good.

[ptoing]

I'd say being able to be enthusiastic about something in a long run equals creativity. When you're enthusiastic enough to try keep on doing whatever it is.. drawing, playing guitar, writing stories, it'll eventually lead to mastering enough skills to make something good.

Quoted for truth!

[Xelados Nafshir]

I can't speak for Deviantart, but perhaps I'm weird or something. I play video games more often than I pixel. Why? Because I'm better at them (and thus enjoy them more) than pixeling. If I don't have at least a respectable amount of skill in something, it loses appeal and I no longer want to do it. If I were to gain more skill in pixel art, I would enjoy it more because I would be more able to produce what my imagination sees.

Yes, I'm aware that you don't get better without practice, but if given the chance to practice at two different things -- one that you were okay at and one that you sucked at -- which would you choose? I'd choose the former.

[Helm]

It's strange to put these two things against each other and compare them. In the aspect that you're not actually leaving much behind in terms of self expression and enduring artistry while playing a game no matter how good you are.

[Xelados Nafshir]

I don't understand what you mean by "enduring artistry", and what could I do to express something in an image? What is there to express? An image is an image. I've heard of a lot of artists saying a lot about expression but they never did back it up, as if they assume the reader to know what they mean. Color me one of the (apparent) few that doesn't. Also, only great artists really leave behind a reputation. There's no recognition in it anymore unless you're dead.

[ndchristie]

I don't understand what you mean by "enduring artistry", and what could I do to express something in an image? What is there to express? An image is an image. I've heard of a lot of artists saying a lot about expression but they never did back it up, as if they assume the reader to know what they mean. Color me one of the (apparent) few that doesn't. Also, only great artists really leave behind a reputation. There's no recognition in it anymore unless you're dead.

What do you mean nobody has ever backed it up?  Perhaps you have just never understood (and you have not, by your own admittance), but that does not mean that you are right to discredit the millions (perhaps hundreds of millions) of people who have spoken about and published on the subject of expression through the visual medias.

In terms of no recognition until death, that's simply false, past and present.  True, many artists receive posthumous recognition, in many cases by their own desire, but modern medicine and rapid communication makes recognition during ones lifetime very common.  Most of the "great" artists of the past 200 years were recognized in their lifetime on at least some level, even those who were reclusive.  to name a few -

Andrew Wyeth
Picasso
Monet
Manet
Toulouse-Lautrec
Suerat
Degas
El Greco
Sargent
Hopper
Matthew Barney
Zac Smith!!!!
Caspar David Friedrich

and that's just my top favorites* just in a minute or two until i got bored of typing, this name should be thousands of names long

*with the exception of el greco, sargent and barney

[ptoing]

What is there to express?

Have you never looked at a painting or any kind of picture for that matter and felt something that left a lasting impression on you? If not, then I am sad for you.

[Xelados Nafshir]

I meant that nobody's actually explained it (that I've seen). Maybe it's just me and I don't understand expression as readily as the average person. The core question is "What expression is there in an image?" Do video game graphics have any expression in them? If so, how can you tell? If all art has expression, what do you say about the pieces that are crappy?

I'm of the belief that this 'expression' either doesn't exist or has to be an explicit goal in the process of a piece.

Ptoing: I'm more of a creator than an onlooker. That is, I get more out of making things than I do looking at them. I don't really look at art galleries or anything; it's boring. I'm more interested in making my own stuff and getting better. I know I sound selfish, but I can't find a better way to explain why I don't enjoy looking at the art of others (outside of the concept or pixel art for some games).

[Feron]

I meant that nobody's actually explained it (that I've seen). Maybe it's just me and I don't understand expression as readily as the average person. The core question is "What expression is there in an image?" Do video game graphics have any expression in them? If so, how can you tell? If all art has expression, what do you say about the pieces that are crappy?

The expression of an image depends on the picture you are looking at.  By the colors, the forms, the direction of strokes (if we're talking painting), just every basic aspect of a painting will be chosen (probably sub-consciously) to give some feeling and emotion.  Hopefully the viewers would also feel this emotion and therefore the art would have an impression on them.  If you don't feel this, then you have no soul 

Video game graphics are made to be functional, they have a primary use of on-screen readability and have to work in game.  A painting does not.  I doubt many video game creators try and capture emotions in 24x24 sprites, unlike a traditional artist would who is creating for an entirely different reason.

[ndchristie]

I meant that nobody's actually explained it (that I've seen).

there's a book written about every subject known to man, and plenty of those are about expression in art.  such scholarly sources are probably better at explaining than we are to someone who just doesn't understand it by looking.

You are right, on the one hand, an image does not necessitate art in the same way that sound does not necessitate music, yet most people can recognize music and art readily enough.  Thereby no, not all images have expression.

Furthermore, not all art is expressive.  there is a great deal of art that tries to stay away from expression.  Here is a short list of general artistic qualifiers and their "antonyms".  Please bear in mind that not only are these only vague descriptors, but that even those that seem to conflict are not by any means mutually exclusive.

Naturalistic - Of or mimicking nature as close as it can be experienced by the eyes (and, at times, the hand).
Abstract - Not intending to appear or feel like nature.

Representational/Objective - Intended to denote real or plausible objects, places, or events.
Non-Representational/Non-Objective - Not intended to denote real or plausible objects, places, or events.

Mannered - Intended to demonstrate technical prowess; to serve mundane purpose.
Expressive - Intended to demonstrate emotion; to serve "artistic" purpose.

then there is further qualification within Expressive pieces, based on whether the expression comes from the artist or the piece itself.  Laocoon and his sons by a Rhodian collaboration and Ugolino and sons by Carpeaux are both pieces which contain very expressive subjects, and these evoke personal reactions from the viewer (or at least, they should!), but the hand that made them was very measured, mannered, and NOT what is considered to be expressive.

Similarly, Piet Mondrian produced some works that was intended to evoke emotion, but were by themselves very mannered, while Jackson Pollack tended to produce works that were purely expressive.

It continues to be confusing, however, because many artists manage to be both meticulous AND expressive. 
Another work by Mondrian demonstrates his breadth of character.  Furthermore, desperation and haste does not always mean expressive, as such 'fits of inspiration' only demonstrate what the artist feels is a great idea and not necessarily one of emotional importance.

The biggest kicker though?  Not all expression is expressionism.  Expressionism deals primarily (and some would argue, exclusively) with "big" emotions, overwhelming sensations.  Reflection of calmer, more passive feelings is often overlooked in talking about expressionism because (in my perhaps overly-critical opinion) many of the people* who get all hot and bothered by splashy red paint and piss christ don't always take the time to appreciate simpler things.  To say that Monet's lovingly rendered, meticulously rendered, intimately rendered gardens are without expression is to piss in the face of art (to express my disdain politely).

In the end i think it still just comes down to feeling.  There is, at least to those who appreciate art, a tangible presence of the creator's hand in all art, and it is very easy to tell which hand was forced, which hand was passionate, which hand was timid, which hand was gentle, and so on.

*(and by that i mean one in a million - 99.9% of good artists are intelligent.  still....there are a lot of dicks; i could be one for all i know)

[AdamAtomic]

if you want to jump into feeling expression feet first, i highly recommend la guernica at the reina sofia...when i saw it i felt like i'd been punched in the stomach and couldn't move for about 30 minutes!

[ndchristie]

forgot to mention that expression does not need to be intentional in the same way that emotions are seldom intentional.  if something of you comes out on the page without your meaning it, it's a thousand times more expressive than a work where every emotional investment is measured by the ounce.

[Helm]

I don't understand what you mean by "enduring artistry", and what could I do to express something in an image? What is there to express? An image is an image. I've heard of a lot of artists saying a lot about expression but they never did back it up, as if they assume the reader to know what they mean. Color me one of the (apparent) few that doesn't. Also, only great artists really leave behind a reputation. There's no recognition in it anymore unless you're dead.

Enduring artistry is any piece of tangible art left behind when you're done expressing yourself through art. I don't care if it's game-art or oil-painting, and it has nothing to do with recognition from your peers. Playing a videogame is an activity that could be deemed expressive initself but leaves no trace once the console is off, besides in your fleeting memory. I am not discrediting that feeling, that memory, but it's a different beast from a painting you might draw today and look at again tomorrow or 30 years from now. There is a reflection staring back at you from your art that is very emotionally important, clensing and to some degrees it builds character, humility and empathy. If you know nothing of these things you'd be surprised once you do.

What is there to express?

My answer to your question is: MU

[ndchristie]

My answer to your question is: MU

Buddhist philosophy FTW (oh, and it turns out i learned something in college!)

[Corsair]

I'm more of a creator than an onlooker. That is, I get more out of making things than I do looking at them. I don't really look at art galleries or anything; it's boring. I'm more interested in making my own stuff and getting better. I know I sound selfish, but I can't find a better way to explain why I don't enjoy looking at the art of others (outside of the concept or pixel art for some games).

okay, so if you're more of a creator than an onlooker, and you don't glean any pleasure from artistic pursuits, but rather observe/interact with video games...

How exactly are you more of a creator?

I don't mean to sound standoffish but it seems, at least to me, to be rather contradictory.

[Akira]

He likes the process more than the product... I don't see any contradiction.

[Xelados Nafshir]

I'm more of a creator than an onlooker. That is, I get more out of making things than I do looking at them. I don't really look at art galleries or anything; it's boring. I'm more interested in making my own stuff and getting better. I know I sound selfish, but I can't find a better way to explain why I don't enjoy looking at the art of others (outside of the concept or pixel art for some games).

okay, so if you're more of a creator than an onlooker, and you don't glean any pleasure from artistic pursuits, but rather observe/interact with video games...

How exactly are you more of a creator?

I don't mean to sound standoffish but it seems, at least to me, to be rather contradictory.

I understand where you're coming from. Akira hit the nail on the head, though. It's the process that's more fulfilling to me than the end result. I do like to look at what I've created over time and see how I've improved, but that's about it. Maybe I have some sort of inability to express myself through art; some block that prevents me from translating a feeling into imagery. My ideas are generally things I think would just look good; I can't think of anything I've ever made that made me feel like I put emotion into it. I've put some hard work into a piece or two, and it generally shows, but that's as far as my artistry really goes.

Now that I think about it, this expressive element might be what's keeping me from improving. It's hard to tell.. how does a real artist consider his emotions and learn to translate them to the image? Is it in the idea itself? I don't know. For most of my life, I've tried to deny my emotions and keep them at bay. They've caused me much grief and/or guilt. That part of my psyche may be responsible for my emotional "disability", as it were.

All I know is that I like to create things that look good to me and show improvement in my skills. Some art from others looks good to me, but I never feel emotionally moved by it. The only exceptions I can think of are animated movies. It may be the attachment to the characters and story that gets me there, though, since still images don't faze me at all.

I apologize if I've derailed this topic and acted selfishly. I tend to be an introverted person and have difficulty conveying my conversation outside of using the word "I". I guess if I have difficulty relating to something, I don't talk about it well.

There is, at least to those who appreciate art, a tangible presence of the creator's hand in all art, and it is very easy to tell which hand was forced, which hand was passionate, which hand was timid, which hand was gentle, and so on.

How do you figure that sort of thing out?

@Helm: I'll be the first to tell you that playing video games isn't really expressive unless there's a clear goal in mind. And even then, it's more of a "wow, he's really good at doing _____"; not "I feel what he's doing on an emotional level." Also, what is Mu? I don't see a reflection in my work. I see art that has slowly improved over the years.

[ilkke]

Helm, this is very nice.
Only crit that I can possibly have is that most if not all of what was being said applies to much broader topics than just plain pixel art. Not really a crit, and this is a pixel forum after all, but in true spirit of those teachings why limit one's scope? Just thought I'd say that, I'm not implying anything. Moving on...

"Do not deny the classical approach, simply as a reaction, or you will have created another pattern and trapped yourself there."

Apart form your interpretation, I'd say this works on a larger scale. Many people try to keep the external pressure form crowding in on them and forcing them to work in this or that manner. Being anti-anything is in a sense as much limiting as being a conformist. Both are basing your actions on external pressures, just in juxtaposed manner. In other words, try pixeling approaches that others have made you despise, 'cause it's not about them, it's about yourself.

Also, I'd compare the physical fitness/technique practice with traditional art skills/pixel technique. Practicing composition, textures, colors, light etc and especially working from nature/reference all help pixel pushing, especially since pixel art has a layer of technical limits on top of everything that can prevent one from focusing on the art itself.
Maybe someone else has another interpretation? That is what I believe is the topic of the thread, not teaching fish to fly.

[Helm]

Yeah it's much wider if you want to look at it widely, this was just a playful pun on the banner bruce, really.

Practicing composition, textures, colors, light etc and especially working from nature/reference all help pixel pushing, especially since pixel art has a layer of technical limits on top of everything that can prevent one from focusing on the art itself.

This is very true. A lot of people become great technicians with pixels while masking real defeciencies on traditional skills below.

[sharprm]

In regards to it being wider, I found this article interesting:

http://www.martialdevelopment.com/blog/advice-from-a-blind-kungfu-master/

[Xelados Nafshir]

Yeah it's much wider if you want to look at it widely, this was just a playful pun on the banner bruce, really.

Practicing composition, textures, colors, light etc and especially working from nature/reference all help pixel pushing, especially since pixel art has a layer of technical limits on top of everything that can prevent one from focusing on the art itself.

This is very true. A lot of people become great technicians with pixels while masking real defeciencies on traditional skills below.

Couldn't you say that an artist is a technician in his medium? Depending on his preferred subject matter, it may take a boatload of technical or engineering knowledge to produce the work he does. Especially if they render the human body or something mechanical. Aren't these traditional skills you speak of technical in nature? Things such as perspective are not necessary to work with from start to finish in 3-d work, since the perspective is built-in (except for the positioning of the camera in modeling and the positioning in sculpture). Therefore, it's a technical thing to work with in a 2-d medium. proportions and anatomy are also technical, and they apply to most forms of art.

I guess what I'm saying is that becoming a great technician in a medium is just as noteworthy as learning the fundamentals found in all media. It's merely a difference in priority; focusing on one medium and becoming extremely good at it, or learning the basics and being able to approach any medium. It's kinda like the difference between two characters in an RPG; let's say someone chooses a Fighter, focusing everything they have into Strength and Vitality (and thus becoming nearly immortal in melee, but a sitting duck in a magic fight), while someone else chooses a Rogue and has decent stats across the board (thus being good enough to get by in all situations). Both are effective in their own right.

[Helm]

Yes. There's technical work in traditional skills and technical work in pixels. I said that a lot of people mask their technical deficiencies in traditional skills with their technical merits in pixel art. However:

I guess what I'm saying is that becoming a great technician in a medium is just as noteworthy as learning the fundamentals found in all media. It's merely a difference in priority; focusing on one medium and becoming extremely good at it, or learning the basics and being able to approach any medium. It's kinda like the difference between two characters in an RPG; let's say someone chooses a Fighter, focusing everything they have into Strength and Vitality (and thus becoming nearly immortal in melee, but a sitting duck in a magic fight), while someone else chooses a Rogue and has decent stats across the board (thus being good enough to get by in all situations). Both are effective in their own right.

I think this might be a comfortable (?) rationalization on your part because there really seems to be to me less merit to a pixel art technician without trad. skills than to one that knows both aspects of drawing. To carry your analogy, the artists that seem to have the best chance to make me feel the impact of their work are the ones that multiclass Anatomy/Composition/Mannerism/Pixel art. It might not be so for you, but I think it's an easy case to make that it is so for most.

[Cure]

I'd forgotten why I posted here or what my original comment was in reference to. Hmm.

[Shrub]

There is no spoon. Only your mind.
This means... uh, I dunno.

[zez]

My answer to your question is: MU

"Upon hearing this, absolutely nobody was enlightened. Primarily because nobody could understand Chinese."

On a vague aside, am I the only person who gets an overwhelming sense of isolation from Xelados' avatar? No, really... It cant just be me, the way the sword is clearly the focal point, and its radiating all this energy, and then everything around it is just flat and vaguely representational, but just feels totally hallow, like nothing but the blade has any sort of soul?
Cant just be me...

[Xelados Nafshir]

My answer to your question is: MU

"Upon hearing this, absolutely nobody was enlightened. Primarily because nobody could understand Chinese."

On a vague aside, am I the only person who gets an overwhelming sense of isolation from Xelados' avatar? No, really... It cant just be me, the way the sword is clearly the focal point, and its radiating all this energy, and then everything around it is just flat and vaguely representational, but just feels totally hallow, like nothing but the blade has any sort of soul?
Cant just be me...

What do you mean by "isolation"? The piece was merely my first attempt at 1-bit. The majority of my effort was indeed spent on the sword and I figured the effect of rippling water would be neat, as well as improve my understanding of dithering. As for the emblems surrounding it, I was trying to challenge myself by putting these emblems I sketched out into readable 16x16 icons, just for the hell of it. The piece had no real direction to it, it was pure experimentation and fun.

May I ask if your post has an underlying message that I, or others, are supposed to gather from it?

[zez]

The first bit is a little tongue in cheek, and is basically philosophy for round eyes. One of the more common mistakes made in interpenetrating Taoist  and by proxy zen writings, comes from not catching the significance of the word 'Mu' and frequently leads to people either totally missing the point or using it to reinforce nihilist beliefs and/or general ego masturbation. That was also a direct quote from the principia discordia, as it seemed important. Mu, btw can be literally translated to no-thing, but rather then meaning literally that the answer to the question is nothing (generally done either too reinforce nihilism, or used to reinforce some sense of understanding of a deeper untranslatable meaning,) is actually a reference to the question itself holding no meaning or information.
The second part was actually literal truth. I did get an emotional reaction and impression from your work. If you WANT to take that to mean that art is purely in the eye and soul of the viewer, you could. If you want to take that to mean that someone unconsciously (or consciously at times,) puts a part of them self in everything the create, and that in itself makes it art, you could take that meaning away from it as well, however I wasnt actually making either statement, and was simply expressing my personal reaction to the piece.

[Xelados Nafshir]

Hm. To be honest I don't know what to say in response. I guess that's sort of a masked compliment, for I apparently know how to expose the soul of a sword in 1-bit. Maybe I should explore it more.

I understood mu, as I looked it up months ago when Helm first brought it up. I'm sure other readers may gather more understanding from your post, though.

As for the philosophical parts of art... I believe I'm beyond the mindset I had months ago and choose to believe that art simply is. The question "Where does art come from and what is it made out of" is beyond our comprehension, simply because it's much like humanity itself; no innate purpose, really. It is what we make it.

[Mathias]

The first bit is a little tongue in cheek, and is basically philosophy for round eyes. One of the more common mistakes made in interpenetrating Taoist  and by proxy zen writings, comes from not catching the significance of the word 'Mu' and frequently leads to people either totally missing the point or using it to reinforce nihilist beliefs and/or general ego masturbation. That was also a direct quote from the principia discordia, as it seemed important. Mu, btw can be literally translated to no-thing, but rather then meaning literally that the answer to the question is nothing (generally done either too reinforce nihilism, or used to reinforce some sense of understanding of a deeper untranslatable meaning,) is actually a reference to the question itself holding no meaning or information.
The second part was actually literal truth. I did get an emotional reaction and impression from your work. If you WANT to take that to mean that art is purely in the eye and soul of the viewer, you could. If you want to take that to mean that someone unconsciously (or consciously at times,) puts a part of them self in everything the create, and that in itself makes it art, you could take that meaning away from it as well, however I wasnt actually making either statement, and was simply expressing my personal reaction to the piece.

So mu means "nothing", got it.

[Xelados Nafshir]

No, answering a question with "mu" (or the Japanese "wu") is the equivalent of saying "Your question relies on incorrect assumptions and cannot be answered" or "your question is tricking you and has no answer".

[Helm]

Exactly, so when asked 'what is there to express [with art]?' The only answer that comes to mind is...

[Dennis]

..candy-bars!