Carving 8-Bit Jack-O-Lanterns
A Guide on how to Transfer Pixel Characters from Classic Video Games
Oct 30, 2008
Along with costumes, candy, and scaring people, one of Halloween's best customs is carving pumpkins into Jack-o-Lanterns. For some people, not just any Jack-O-Lantern will do. For those passionate about video games, especially older titles, carving a pumpkin using an 8-bit diagram can satisfy one's excitement of the holiday and video games. For this project, a photoshop or paint editing program, a printer, tape, a pumpkin, and carving tools will be needed. It's recommended that children should have parental supervision while carving.
Choosing a Picture
While there are many characters from 8-bit titles, they do not have to be from an actual 8-bit game. Any pixelated image, like from an Atari 2600 for example, will also work for this project. Choose a favorite character and search for an image on the Internet. (If you already have a photo or game box, use a scanner to transfer it onto your computer.) Use a search engine's "image search" to view pictures without having to browse pages.
One good tip is to type the name of the video game, then add "sprite sheet" to the search terms. Sprite sheets are large images that have character animations/poses from older games. Several web sites have many sprite sheets from famous games and each one typically has several options for the same character or multiple characters from a games.
Preparing the Picture
Once the image is ready, load it onto the photo or paint editing program. From here, change the image size down to just the part with the character. From this point, change the image from color to black and white. If the picture has several colors, change certain color to black or white as needed. From here, the image can be broken up into what will be cut out of the pumpkin and what parts will be shaped. Choose either black or white to distinguish the parts that will be removed.
There are two key points to keep in mind while designing the picture. One, the image has to connect together so that when the image is cut out, the block edges of the graphics will hold up and not fall apart. Two, this effect can be achieved even if the picture is not exact. If the white section was used as the pieces to be cut out, draw black lines to connect parts of the pumpkin if it will hold up. If a part of the image needs to be shown but can't be cut out, then just cut a straight line in the pumpkin. It will show through when the pumpkin is lit up.
Transferring the Image
Scale the picture to the size of the pumpkin and then print the image. Prep the pumpkin to be carved and tape the paper onto the pumpkin, keeping the image as flat on the pumpkin as possible. This method is similar to carving kits that come with images for pumpkins. Poke holes in the edges of the picture, pushing far enough into the pumpkin to see the holes after the image is pulled off. Pull of the paper, but keep it handy as reference when cutting.
Carving the Image
Once the image is pulled off, use a knife, preferably one specifically for carving pumpkins, to cut out the pieces using the holes as a guide. Cut the larger pieces out first to minimize the risk of breaking pieces while cutting. This takes precision and patience, but if done correctly, it can produce great results that will make any jack-o-lantern stand out among others.
