Pixels are literally the building blocks of any digital image; each one is a tiny light source that can emit red, green, and blue primaries. By adjusting the intensity of those three sub‑pixels you can synthesize millions of colors. The science behind digital art starts with color depth—8‑bit gives 256 shades per channel, 10‑bit gives 1024, and so on—so that each pixel can represent a wider gamut and smoother gradients. Display technologies then translate those electrical signals into photons, with CRTs using electron beams, LCDs using liquid crystals that filter backlight, OLEDs emitting light directly, and quantum‑dot panels adding extra color accuracy. When an artist creates a piece digitally, they’re working with layers, masks, and blend modes that let them manipulate these pixel values programmatically; algorithms like gamma correction, tone mapping, and dithering adjust the final look for the target medium. So that single dot isn’t just a static point—it’s a programmable emitter that, when combined with millions of others, can capture an entire scene or a fleeting moment in a way that analog media can’t match.