PixelCraft - a Pixel Art Editor - Interview with Abhishek Chaudhary

It's cool to write small web applications for the sake of learning. You can set the boundaries yourself and experiment with new technologies.

Abhishek Chaudhary developed a pixel art editor to learn, and in this interview he'll give an overview of the tool.

Can you tell a bit about yourself?#

I am a web developer who likes making web applications. I create apps that are fun and useful. I also enjoy contributing to open source.

I have a portfolio online at theabbie.github.io and you can find my articles at freeCodeCamp

How would you describe PixelCraft to someone who has never heard of it?#

PixelCraft is a pixel art editor; you can create pixel art images and animated GIFs using this tool. It is effortless to use and is a progressive web app, i.e., you can use it entirely within a web browser on any device.

How does PixelCraft work?#

PixelCraft uses HTML5 canvas to draw graphics on a webpage. You can create all sorts of pixel arts using it. For creating animated GIFs, it uses gif.js, and it then renders GIF within the browser.

To learn more about the technical details of the application, read Abhishek's code oriented article about PixelCraft.

What challenges did you have while developing PixelCraft?#

The biggest challenge was making it responsive, i.e., compatible on all screen sizes; this is challenging because there's less space available on mobile devices. At the same time, we needed to utilize the large space available on the desktop.

Another challenge was to keep the code-base maintainable, so it's easy to add new features. At the same time, the source remains readable for the wider community.

How does PixelCraft differ from other solutions?#

It differs in terms of simplicity and ease of use. Most other pixel art editors require some practice to master them, PixelCraft is easy to use compared to other options. It is also mobile-friendly so that you can use it on your phone too.

Alternatives: Lospec, Pixilart, and Piskel.

Why did you develop PixelCraft?#

Because it was a fun project and I wanted to build an easy to use pixel art editor which people could play around with. It has easy to understand design and is compatible with all screen sizes.

What next?#

We plan to add many features to PixelCraft to make it more useful without losing its simplicity, adding support for useful editing features like layers, onion skinning, and much more.

What does the future look like for PixelCraft and web development in general? Can you see any particular trends?#

Web development has been very underappreciated since application development became popular. People don't understand that web apps can do most of the things that don't need a native app. They also provide performance and security.

Web development has been gaining popularity thanks to developers worldwide and is likely to become more prevalent in the future.

What advice would you give to programmers getting into web development?#

There is no better way to learn than to build things; when you create something unique and share it with the community, they appreciate it, and that motivates you to do even better. Start small, keep trying new things, you will master it.

Who should I interview next?#

I would suggest Anurag Hazra. He has been building great things and would be very insightful on this topic.

Any last remarks?#

The web is a great place and the easiest to share your creations with people. Building great stuff is never tricky. Find the thing that motivates you, and don't give up.

Conclusion#

Thanks for the interview, Abhishek! I hope you push your pixel editor further although it looks nice already.

You can try PixelCraft online and find the source on GitHub.