Aseprite pixel art tutorial: Noise texture background

Learn how to create a noise texture background in this step-by-step Aseprite pixel art tutorial. Create an image made up of many squares of varying sizes using two colours. Then make the image noisy using a convolution matrix. Use blend modes and gradients to add the finishing touches.

Step 1

Open Aseprite, and create a new 32×32 sprite on a transparent background.

Step 2

Select a colour and fill the background with the colour.

Background filled with green colour

Step 3

Press ‘X’ to switch colours, and select a second colour.

Switch to the pencil tool by pressing ‘B’.

Hold ‘CTRL’ and use the mouse wheel to scale the pencil size to 6 pixels.

Make sure the pencil shape is rectangle shaped, and not circle shaped.

Use the pencil tool to randomly place some squares over the canvas.

Dark green background filled with lighter green squares

Step 4

Switch back to the first colour by pressing ‘X’, then place some more squares randomly.

Dark green and light green squares placed randomly

Step 5

Switch colours again by pressing ‘X’. Then scale the pencil tool size down to 4 pixels using ‘CTRL’ and the mouse wheel.

Then paint some smaller squares over the other colour.

Light green squares of two sizes

Switch colours by pressing ‘X’. Now paint some more smaller squares.

Dark and light green squares of varying sizes

Step 6

Next go to:

Edit –> FX –> Convolution Matrix

Select the ‘drunk-5x5_x’ matrix and click ok.

Noise squares after drunk convolution matrix applied

Step 7

Create a new layer.

Next select two new colours. Select black first, then press ‘X’ and select white.

Press ‘shift’ + ‘G’ to select the gradient tool. Create a gradient from the top of the canvas, to the bottom of the canvas.

Black and white gradient

Step 8

Right click on the gradient layer, and select ‘Properties’.

Set the ‘Mode’ to ‘Hard light’.

Noise texture with hard light gradient layer on top with full opacity

Finally set the layer ‘Opacity’ to 30%.

Noise texture with hard light gradient layer on top with 30% opacity

Congratulations

Congratulations on finishing this tutorial! You now know how to create a cool noise texture background.

Feel free to experiment. Try change these:

Brush shapes or patterns.
Colours.
Blend modes.
Convolution matrices.
Gradients.

Bonus section

Alternative design using circles instead of squares, and the multiply blend mode instead of the hard light blend mode.

Background filled with circles of varying sizes in two different colours

Circle noise texture created using a convolution matrix

Circle noise texture with multiply blend mode gradient applied on top

Conclusion

Thanks for reading this tutorial, see you in the next one.

See more pixel art tutorials here.

Agate DRAGON Games