Sixteen colours are enough

Every time I open a pixel art editor with the full colour picker available, I spend twenty minutes choosing a shade of green and zero minutes drawing. So this month I made myself a fixed palette and promised to use nothing else.

How I picked them

Two ramps do most of the work: a warm one running from deep purple through pink and orange to cream, and a cool one from dark teal to pale cyan. Greys are slightly blue so they sit well next to both. Nothing is pure black or pure white; those always look harsh at small sizes.

The rule I ended up with is simple: every colour should be able to act as a shadow for the one after it and a highlight for the one before it. If a colour only works in one role, it goes.

Was it worth it?

Yes. Finished three small scenes in two weekends, which is more than the whole previous year. Constraints are underrated.