I've never posted anything before. Hopefully this will be helpful to some... I stumbled upon this software the other day:
http://www.marmoset.co/hexels
It is EXTREMELY easy to use, very fun and addictive. So far I've only used the free 14 day trial, but I will be purchasing a full license because I've never come across a piece of software that was so intuitive for creating pixel art before. It's very easy to create stunning images in a matter of minutes... both 2d as well as 2.5d.
Best wishes to all of you!