My pixel outlines. You can download them here.

My color charts. Right click on them and save to your computer.

My image is just a guide. Feel free to change the colors, apply cutouts or not, or add other effects to your liking. I put everything on its own layer (and name each one). That way you can easily go back and change colors later and correct any mistakes you've made. It makes a lot of layers, but it also keeps things organized and will save you a lot of heartache.

It makes things easier if you enlarge your graphic (use your magnifier tool) so you can see the pixels clearly. Feel free to save my images in this tut too, and enlarge them as necessary.

The basic procedure for each piece will be the same. You'll add a new layer. Set your brush size to 1 and paint the outline of the piece in a darker color and then paint the inside in a lighter color (Hint: to do the inside coloring, make the outline layer active, choose your magic wand and click inside the section you want to color - then apply the color on your new layer).

I've applied a cutout to some pieces, usually using the same color as its outline color. To apply the cutout, select and float the selection (selections>select all>selections>float). You'll see the marquee ("marching ants") around the selection. Apply a cutout (effects>3d effects>cutout), using the settings in the screenshot (the shadow color will change for each selection). For some items, I repeated the cutout, changing the horizontal and vertical to -2 instead. Just play with the settings, it's a bit of a personal preference.

[Hint: When you're going to add a cutout, set your foreground or background color to the shadow color you're going to use. Then, when you apply your cutout, just right click on the shadow color box and choose the color from the recent colors displayed there.]

Step 1. Open up the pixel outline you downloaded. There are three layers - a background, the boardwalk scene, and the people. Turn the people outline off for the moment (if you don't wish to add the people, you can just go ahead and delete this layer).

Open up the color chart you saved. Copy and paste it as a new layer onto your image. Move it to the top, out of the way. When you need a color, just click on it with your dropper tool.

Step 2. I'll show you the colors I used for each section of the graphic - feel free to change these as you wish.

Water outline - 1 Water inside - 2 Sand - 3 Sand cutout - 4

Boardwalk

Posts outline - 5 Posts inside - 6 Ropes - 7 Boardwalk outline - 5 Boardwalk inside - 6

Optional: Apply inner bevel to the posts, using settings in the screenshot.

 

House 1

Bottom outline - 8 Stripes, windows outline - 9 House inside - 11 House inside cutout - 8 Stripes inside - 10 Door inside - 10 Windows inside - 12 Door handles - black

House 2

Outline -13 Inside - 14 Inside cutout - 16 Roof outline -15 Roof inside - 13 Stripes, windows, door outline - 16 Stripes, door inside - 13 Windows inside - 12 Chimney outline - 17 Door handle - black Chimney inside - 18

House 3

House outline - 19 House inside - 20 Roof, Windows, Door outline - 21 Roof, Door inside - 22 Windows inside - 12 Door handle - black

House 4

Outline - 23 Inside - 24 Windows outline - 25 Windows inside - 14

House 5

House outline - 26 House inside - 27 WIndows, Door outline -26 Door inside - 28 Windows, top of door inside - 14

House 6

House outline - 29 House inside - 30 Door, window outline - 31 Door inside - 29 Window inside - 14

Sun

Sun outline - 31 Sun inside - 32

Step 3. Now to do the sky. I decided to make my sky a morning sunrise. To do so, you'll just use your airbrush to spray on different colors and them smudge them together. Here are the colors I used: 34, 35, 36, 37.

Add a new layer and place it underneath all layers except the background.

Choose your airbrush, using settings in the screenshot (feel free to change these settings as you wish).

Set your foreground to one of the colors you want your sky to be, then spray it onto your canvas.

Then choose your smudge brush, using settings in the screenshot.

And soften the color out.

Repeat this process, using as many colors as you want. Here's my finished sky.

Step 4. If you want to add the people to your image, go on to Step 5 now. If you only want the boardwalk scene then you're done. Just delete the color chart and merge all layers.

Step 5. As above, add a new layer for each color you use, to make it easier to change later if you wish. My colors are just guides, feel free to change them.

Turn off all layers except your background and your people outline. Copy the people colorchart and paste it as a new image onto your canvas.

Woman

Hair outline - 1 Hair inside - 2 Skin outline - 3 Skin inside - 4 Blouse outline - 5 Blouse inside - 6 Buttons - White Shorts outline - 7 Shorts inside - white Shoes outline - 8 Shoes inside - white Nose - 3 Eyes - white, black, 9, 10

Man

Hair outline - 11 Hair inside - 12 Skin outline - 3 Skin inside - 4 Shirt outline - 13 Shirt inside - 14 Shirt stipes - 15 Pants outline - 16 Pants inside - 17 Shoes outline - 8 Shoes inside - white Nose - 3 Eyes - white, black, 9, 18

Step 6.Now turn all layers back on. Delete the color chart layers. Merge all layers.

And that's it, all finished! I hope you enjoyed the tut, and as always, please let me know if you experience any problems (and of course, I'd love to see your results).