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Learn to Code 8-bit graphics & Landscapes from Scratch

Sunday February 9 @ 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm GMT
Rediscover the Art of Digital Creativity
with Retro Graphics
In a world where digital art is dominated by ever-evolving software and AI-driven tools, the creative process has become abstracted and overwhelming. It’s easy to feel somewhat lost in this relentless pace of technological innovation, where complete understanding often feels out of reach.
But what if you could strip away the complexity and return to the fundamentals of how digital art is made?
Our Retro Graphics Course offers you that opportunity—to go back to the basics with the timeless BBC BASIC programming language. By exploring the roots of digital creativity, you’ll gain hands-on experience in building visuals from the ground up, pixel by pixel. Unlike today’s automated tools, this course puts you in control, teaching you how to create graphics step by step, using techniques that shaped a generation of digital artistry.
Why Retro Graphics?
Retro graphics aren’t just about nostalgia—they’re about mastering creativity in its purest form. The limitations of classic systems like the BBC Micro, Commodore 64 and ZX Spectrum demanded ingenuity, precision, and innovative problem-solving.
These skills remain as relevant today as ever, offering an antidote to the overwhelm of modern tools. Whether you’re revisiting the charm of retro aesthetics or seeking a deeper understanding of how digital visuals are crafted, this course provides a rewarding journey into the heart of digital art’s origins.
By the end of the course, you’ll have created an exciting project inspired by the Landscaping technique from the 80s classic game Lords of Midnight—a groundbreaking method of creating expansive worlds that you’ll learn to replicate and adapt using BBC BASIC.
Join us to reconnect with your creativity, learn valuable skills, and embrace the joy of creating art from the ground up!
Free Introductory Session
Why Retro Graphics Matter in a Modern World
Date: Sunday, 9th February 2025 : 19:00 GMT / 14:00 EST / 11:00 PST
Duration : Introductory event : 1 hour then followed by private group session for course members.
Get a taste of our 8 bit graphics course with our free introductory session. Here’s what we’ll cover:
- Why Retro Graphics?
- Learn how retro graphics offer a refreshing, hands-on approach to creativity in contrast to modern tools.
- Less = More and drives Innovation
- Uncover the “Black Box” and understand graphic fundamentals
- The 8-Bit Era – A Creative Revolution:
- Step into the 1980s and uncover how 8-bit computing revolutionized gaming and graphics.
- Meet the legendary systems—BBC Micro, ZX Spectrum, Commodore 64—that shaped a generation.
- The Rise of Pixel Art:
- See how developers transformed hardware limitations into a celebrated art form.
- Understand the creative ingenuity behind crafting visuals with minimal resources.
- Landmark Games That Defined the Era:
- Discover iconic titles that pushed the boundaries of 8-bit hardware and inspired countless creators.
- The Lords of Midnight – A Retro Graphics Masterpiece:
- Dive into Mike Singleton’s legendary game for the ZX Spectrum.
- Explore its groundbreaking “Landscaping” technique, blending vast landscapes with immersive gameplay.
- Reflect on its influence and legacy, despite never being released on the BBC Micro.
This session offers a unique perspective for digital artists seeking to understand the principles of classic graphics and how they can inspire modern creativity. Stay after the introduction for the first live class to start learning how to create your own retro-inspired visuals!
Back to BASICS Course
Learn to Create First Person Perspective Landscape Graphics
What You’ll Learn
- Retro Graphics Fundamentals:
- Master the basics of drawing elements like mountains, trees, and towers in BBC BASIC.
- Learn how to scale and position objects to create perspective and depth in your landscapes.
- Grid-Based Game Design:
- Create a map grid with different terrains, from plains to forests and mountains.
- Implement player movement across the map in 4 compass directions.
- Dynamic Landscapes:
- Recreate the iconic “Landscaping” technique, with scaled visuals that change based on your perspective.
- Add interactivity and design your own elements.
- Programming Essentials:
- Build a solid foundation in BBC BASIC programming, learning structures sich as loops, arrays, and procedures.
- Optimize your code to run efficiently on retro hardware with memory constraints.
- Creativity Custom-Designed:
- Design your own unique landscape elements and bring your artistic vision to life.
- Create a playable game prototype that’s uniquely yours.
Who Is This Course For?
- Retro Computing Enthusiasts: Relive the magic of 8-bit computing by tackling an uncharted challenge on the BBC Micro.
- Beginner Programmers: Start your programming journey with a simple yet powerful language.
- Digital Artists: Learn the fundamentals of graphics creation by coding your visuals from scratch.
- Lovers of Classic Games: Celebrate the legacy of Lords of Midnight by recreating its groundbreaking techniques.
The Lords of Midnight
The Lords of Midnight was a groundbreaking 1984 fantasy adventure and strategy game created by Mike Singleton for the ZX Spectrum and other platforms. It combined first-person exploration with a vast, open-world map and a unique “Landscaping” graphics technique that used scaled visuals to create a sense of depth and perspective.



Throughout the course, you’ll learn how to design a streamlined and efficient BASIC program that brings the iconic landscaping graphics technique to life, enabling you to navigate and explore an adventure map from a first-person perspective.
What’s Needed for the Course?
We’ll be using free development tools emulating BBC Basic that are easy to learn that can either be run within a browser or installed on any PC or Mac.
You won’t need a real retro computer to run the code, but if you do have one – then you’ll get the authentic experience of running your own developed code on the original machine.
No prior experience of BBC BASIC is required! This course is designed with beginners in mind, starting with the fundamentals of BBC BASIC and gradually building up your skills. You’ll be guided step by step through each concept, with clear explanations and hands-on examples, ensuring you feel confident at every stage.
“Will I be able to keep up with the technical aspects of the course?”
Absolutely! The course is structured to be approachable, with a focus on practical, bite-sized lessons that break down even the most technical concepts into easy-to-follow steps. Plus, you’ll have access to source code and example projects to help you along the way, and you can revisit any lesson at your own pace.
Full Curriculum
=> Click HERE to see what you’ll learn in Detail
Module 1: Introduction to BBC BASIC and Graphics Programming
- Why retro graphics?
- The 8-Bit Era:
- Overview of the 8-bit computing revolution in the 1980s and its impact on games and graphics.
- Key machines of the era: BBC Micro, ZX Spectrum, Commodore 64, and their graphical capabilities.
- The rise of pixel art and the ingenuity required to create visuals within the constraints of memory and processing power.
- A few Landmark Graphic Games of the 80s Era
- Discussion of how these games pushed the boundaries of the BBC Micro’s hardware.
- The Lords of Midnight – A Retro Graphics Masterpiece:
- Overview of The Lords of Midnight (1984) by Mike Singleton for the ZX Spectrum.
- How the innovative “Landscaping” technique used scaled graphics to create a sense of vastness.
- The game’s dual focus on strategic wargaming and first-person exploration.
- A reflection on how it set new standards in 8-bit game design, despite never being released on the BBC Micro.
- Getting Started with BASIC Programming:
- Overview of BBC BASIC and why it was a revolutionary language for its time.
- Running programs on a BBC Micro or emulator.
- Loading/Saving and Editing
Module 2 : Introduction to BBC BASIC and Graphics Programming
- Programming Fundamentals:
- Variables, constants, and data types.
- Input/output commands (
INPUT
,PRINT
). - Control structures: loops (
FOR...NEXT
,REPEAT...UNTIL
), conditionals (IF...THEN
).
- Introduction to Graphics Programming:
- Explanation of screen MODEs (focus on MODE 1) and their impact on resolution and color.
- Understanding the coordinate system (x, y grid) for positioning elements.
- Using
MOVE
,DRAW
, andPLOT
to create simple lines and shapes.
- Working with Colors:
- Using
GCOL
to apply colors to lines and shapes. - Experimenting with the BBC Micro’s 4-color palette in MODE 1.
- Using
- Creating the Sky or Background:
- Introduction to dithering techniques to simulate gradients or texture.
- Creating atmospheric backgrounds for landscape scenes
Module 3: Scaling
- The Concept of Scaling:
- Introduction to scaling: how changing the size of graphical elements creates the illusion of distance.
- Discuss the relationship between scaling factors and visual depth.
- Building Scalable Procedures:
- Write procedures for individual graphical elements:
- Mountains: Using triangles and lines to represent peaks and ridges.
- Trees: Combining a trunk and canopy with scaling for depth.
- Towers: Adding details like windows and battlements, with size adjustments for distance.
- Add parameters to control scaling dynamically for each element.
- Write procedures for individual graphical elements:
- Combining Graphics and Scaling:
- Integrate scaling logic into procedures to automatically adjust the size of elements based on distance from the player.
- Experiment with different scaling factors to refine visual consistency.
Module 4: Creating a Grid-Based Map
- Building a Map Grid:
- Creating a 2D array to store terrain information (plains, mountains, forests, towers).
- Understanding and managing memory in BBC BASIC.
- Terrain Representation:
- Using simple strings or numbers to represent different types of terrain.
- Randomly generating a map layout.
- Visualizing the Map:
- Convert the grid data into a visual representation using characters or symbols.
- Experiment with colors or character symbols to differentiate between terrain types.
Module 5: Perspective and Directional Rendering
- Reading Map Data Based on Perspective:
- How to “read” the map array to determine which elements are visible based on the player’s position and facing direction.
- Explain the
pd%
variable (perspective depth) and how it determines how many rows of the map the player can see.
- Defining the Cone of Vision:
- Introduction to the
cp$
variable (cardinal points row widths) and how it defines the triangular or conical shape of the visible area. - Demonstrate how the rows further from the player are wider, and closer rows are narrower.
- Introduction to the
- Directional Rendering:
- Rotate the “cone of vision” dynamically based on the player’s direction (e.g., North, East, South, West).
- Adjust the starting point of visible rows to align with the player’s facing direction.
Module 6: Navigating the Map and Drawing the Landscape
- Implementing player movement in 4 compass directions.
- Explaining a procedure for updating the player’s position and checking boundaries.
- Dive into the procedure to teach how the landscape is drawn based on the player’s position and direction.
- Explore how the perspective is adjusted dynamically as the player looks in different directions.
Module 7: Adding Interactivity and Finalising the Game
- Add functionality for finding the dragon, displaying distance, and handling win conditions.
- Explain how to integrate text-based information with graphical output for feedback.
- Teach optimization techniques for improving performance (e.g., minimizing memory use).
- Customize the game’s map generation to include student-created objects.
Join at the VIP Level
VIP Session 1 : Learning to Create Additional Graphical Elements and Place Names
In this session, we’ll dive into creating additional graphical and textual elements that defined The Lords of Midnight, helping you bring a richly immersive game world to life. Using BBC BASIC, you’ll design and integrate these elements step-by-step.
- Create extra graphical representations of Icy Wastes, Downs, Henges, Caverns, and Liths that set the tone for your world.
Building Landmarks and Structures:
- Learn to design and scale iconic landmarks like Citadels,, Keeps, Snow Halls, Villages, and Ruins, ensuring they stand out in your game.
- Place Names: Learn how to store and display place names on your map, creating a deeper connection between the graphical elements and the game world.
VIP Session 2 : World Building for the 8 Bit Era
- The Legacy of Mike Singleton:
- Gain insights into how Doomdark’s Revenge and Midwinter pushed the boundaries of 8-bit gaming, introducing vast open worlds, procedural generation, and layered storytelling.
- World-Building Strategies:
- Learn how to create interconnected game worlds with rich map design, unique locations, and a consistent visual style that enhances exploration and immersion.
- Storytelling for 8-Bit Games:
- Discover how to weave compelling narratives, memorable characters, and in-game lore into your retro projects, even within the constraints of 8-bit hardware.
- Graphics and Gameplay Synergy:
- Understand how to balance visual design and gameplay mechanics, using visual cues like landmarks and terrain types to guide and engage players.
- Applying Singleton’s Principles to Your Projects:
Adapt Singleton-inspired techniques to design your own rich worlds and engaging stories, blending graphics, storytelling, and mechanics seamlessly.
Your Training Coach : Paul Bussey
I’m Paul Bussey, the owner of Digital Art Live, where I’ve spent years inspiring and educating digital artists worldwide. My career as a software developer spans over 20 years across three industries, but my passion for programming started much earlier—on the BBC Micro and ZX Spectrum, where I first learned BASIC and dabbled in assembler programming.
Today, I’m proud to be a lead organizer of retro computing events in the UK, bringing together enthusiasts to celebrate the golden age of 8-bit and 16-bit systems. I’ve hosted over 300 online events and coached dozens of courses, helping people from all walks of life develop their creative skills.
For me, retro computing is more than nostalgia—it’s about rediscovering the ingenuity and creativity that shaped modern computing. Through this course, I’m excited to share my passion for programming and graphics with you, guiding you step by step as we recreate the magic of retro game design together.
I split my time between near Edinburgh, Scotland, and CĂłrdoba, Spain, where I live with my family.
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