Icon Art
Introduction
Welcome, dear apprentice, visitor, and maker, to my tutorial on RTP VX/Ace in the Pixel Art section. Here, I will discuss both theory and practice. I hope you understand what I want to convey and practice for those who are learning.
What is RTP?RTP, or Run Time Package, is a simple yet comprehensive resource package used in Makers, containing graphics and sounds. Each graphic follows a pattern, which I will explain here regarding the RTP VX/Ace pattern in characters, so pay attention, my dear apprentices.
Which Colors?Firstly, RTP VX/Ace uses a specific number of colors for each part of the icon. Take a look
at the icon from the RTP Iconset:
If you look closely, you'll notice which colors are used. For the border, it's always a slightly darker 1-pixel black, usually using a minimum of 6 pixels for shading, but this can vary depending on the space available for shading on the icon. White pixels are often used to show the lighter part of metallic, glass, and other objects that reflect light. The border pixel is also frequently used to provide highlights and sometimes serves as shading.
This part is the most important—shading, something that is quite useful and makes the project beautiful. It's important to know that shading in RTP icons comes from the upper-left corner. See some examples:
Did you look closely? Did you notice that the left side of the helmet, bag, and sword is brighter? This makes a significant difference, making the item's graphic look more natural. But there are other types of shading, such as on shields, which are somewhat cylindrical, and on armor as well
Let's Get to Practice, Shall We?Well, enough theory; now let's get our hands dirty. First, let's take a model to start and a color palette, preferably vibrant colors and from existing icons, which are essential in VX/Ace. You can create or edit icons; the easiest way is to edit, just like the previous Pixel Art tutorial. The model or example image I will use is the clothing of Arkhan's
favorite character, the administrator of "RPG Maker Brasil.NET".
I'll start by parts, first going for the breastplate, which will include the cape, as it seems fixed in the armor from the image. The base I'll take will be silver armor.
Let's go in numerical order:
1. I took the armor icon;
2. I erased the armor shape to make it similar to the character and fixed the edges;
3. I edited the shading on the shoulder pad to create some stripes like in the base;
4. I took the light bulb icon and used its colors on the armor;
5. I drew the cape with the border pixel and used it as shading;
6. I used the colors of the brown bottle for the cape, making it lighter at the ends to give the impression of depth, and adjusted the cape's border;
7. I took the orange from the coins to make the cross on the armor like in the character;
8. I edited the shading of the cape and slightly on the armor due to lighting.
ShieldNow let's move on to the shield; well, from the image, it seems wide and large. Like before, I'll edit an existing icon to make it easier for beginners in Pixel Art and to help me, of course.
In the same order:
1. I took the shield icon, which already has a cross;
2. I separated the shield by cutting it in half and spreading the parts to make the shield longer and wider;
3. I filled the cutout space with the cross colors on the shield and also did the shading, leaving the middle lighter, the left bright, and the right dark;
4. I took the white pot to use its color on the cross and modified it with arrow borders, copying and pasting the up arrow to put in the down direction;
5. I made right and left arrows, but smaller since the shield is not a completely flat surface, but somewhat cylindrical like the armor;
6. I made stripes in the shape of shuriken tips with white color;
7. I took the brown cloth to put on the shield and made shading to give it relief; if you look closely, you'll see the light pixel after dark and light again;
8. I changed the color of white to a beige that matches the model, taking tones from the image itself. Then, I took the red cape icon to make a rose. Since the space is small, I made some scribbles, and around it, I placed the border pixel to represent the heart on the shield in the image.
AccessoryThis time, I'll take an accessory from our model for this tutorial, the cross that he holds so
dearly for his prayers.
Again:
1. I took the icon of a cross;
2. I reduced it a bit to make the cross tips;
3. Then, I made shuriken tips again with the color of the cross itself;
4. I took the fire sword icon and took its colors to introduce them in the middle of the cross, as in the model image;
5. I corrected the shading on the gold borders to match the upper-left lighting;
6. Then, I made the cross's cord with a yellow line and added the border and shading.
I hope you understood and liked it. I apologize for not showing the other items, as the tutorial would be long, and the goal is to demonstrate how to easily edit an icon to resemble a desired image.
Acknowledgments
I would like to thank Enterbrain for creating RPG Maker VX/Ace, and you for reading this
tutorial and following it to the end.
![]()
