Pixel art is the format I came back to after years of trying to master realistic digital painting. Something about the constraint — every pixel is a decision — focuses my thinking in a way that freeform painting doesn't.

For total beginners: start at 16×16 or 32×32. It sounds tiny but it forces you to prioritize. You learn silhouette and shape first because you literally don't have enough pixels to add detail until the read is clear at thumbnail size.

Aseprite is the standard tool and worth every cent of the one-time purchase. Learn dithering early — it's how you simulate more colors than your palette contains. And pick a hard constraint for your first palette: 16 colors max. Tightening the palette teaches color harmony faster than any theory book.