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Pixel Art Maker

Draw pixel art right in your browser. Pick a grid from 8 × 8 to 64 × 64, choose colors from classic palettes, use fill, line, rectangle and mirror drawing, or turn a photo into pixels. Export a sharp, scaled-up PNG or a clean SVG. Your drawing is saved automatically on this device.

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Color

Used in drawing

Canvas

Export

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How to use the Pixel Art Maker

  1. Pick a canvas size such as 16 × 16 or 32 × 32. Changing the size keeps your drawing centered.
  2. Choose a color from the palette or the color picker, then draw with the pencil. Use the right mouse button to erase.
  3. Use the tools: fill closed areas, draw straight lines and rectangles, pick colors with the eyedropper, and switch on mirror drawing for symmetric designs.
  4. Or import a picture to turn it into pixel art at the current grid size, then touch it up by hand.
  5. Export: choose a scale and download a PNG, or download an SVG for sharp printing at any size.

Pixel art tips for beginners

  • Start small. A 16 × 16 sprite has only 256 pixels, so you can place every one on purpose. Move to 32 × 32 once the shapes feel easy.
  • Outline first, then fill. Draw the silhouette with a dark color, use Fill for the large areas, then add shading.
  • Use a limited palette. Classic consoles had only a few colors on screen, and limits make art look consistent. The PICO-8 palette has 16 colors and the original Game Boy just 4 shades of green.
  • Shade with a light source. Pick one direction for the light (usually top-left) and use a lighter color on that side and a darker one on the opposite side.
  • Avoid "jaggies". In curves and diagonal lines, keep the steps regular (1-1-1, 2-2-2 or 2-1-2-1) so lines look smooth.
  • Mirror symmetric shapes. Faces, hearts, potions and many icons are symmetric: switch on Mirror X and draw only one half.

Common pixel art canvas sizes

SizeGood forExport at 16×
8 × 8Tiny tiles, items, emoji-like icons128 × 128 px
16 × 16Classic game characters and items, favicons256 × 256 px
24 × 24Detailed items, UI icons384 × 384 px
32 × 32Characters with faces, avatars, Discord emoji512 × 512 px
48 × 48Portraits, larger icons768 × 768 px
64 × 64Detailed portraits, scenes and profile pictures1024 × 1024 px

PNG or SVG?

PNG is a raster image: choose a scale so every art pixel becomes a solid block (for example 16× turns a 32 × 32 drawing into a 512 × 512 image). Upload it anywhere images are accepted. SVG is a vector file: each run of same-colored pixels becomes a rectangle, so it stays perfectly sharp at any size, which is ideal for printing, laser cutting, cross-stitch patterns or web pages. To turn an existing photo into blocky pixels without drawing, try Pixelate Image.

Frequently asked questions

What size should pixel art be?

Classic game sprites are often 16 × 16 or 32 × 32 pixels, icons and avatars work well at 32 × 32 or 48 × 48, and 8 × 8 is good for tiny tiles and emoji-style art. Start small: fewer pixels make every pixel count and the style looks cleaner.

How do I export pixel art without it getting blurry?

Use the PNG export with a scale such as 10× or 20×. The tool draws every pixel as a solid square of that size with no smoothing, so the image stays perfectly sharp. For printing or any size later, download the SVG, which is vector and never blurs.

What does mirror drawing do?

With Mirror X on, everything you draw is repeated on the opposite side of the vertical center line, and Mirror Y repeats it across the horizontal center line. Turn on both to draw in four quadrants at once, which is handy for characters, icons and symmetric patterns.

Can I turn a photo into pixel art?

Yes. Press Import image, choose a picture and it is scaled down to the current grid, with each cell taking the average color of that area. Tick Use palette colors only to map every pixel to the nearest color of the selected palette for a retro look. Small grids such as 32 × 32 give the strongest pixel-art effect.

Is my drawing saved?

The current drawing, canvas size and palette are saved automatically in your browser's local storage on this device, so they are still there when you come back. Nothing is uploaded. Export a PNG or SVG to keep a permanent copy.

What keyboard shortcuts are there?

B pencil, E eraser, G fill, L line, R rectangle, I eyedropper, M toggles mirror X, Ctrl+Z undo and Ctrl+Y or Ctrl+Shift+Z redo.

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