Softonic

Pixel Art Generator

Step 1 / 4 Set up
Loading the pixel editor…

Draw pixel art by hand on a blank logical grid, no prompt, photo conversion or upload required. Choose a canvas up to 64×64, sketch with pencil, eraser and bounded fill, sample colors, mirror strokes, undo edits and export a transparent sprite. The editor runs in your browser and keeps the project in the current tab.

How to draw pixel art from scratch

  1. 1

    Choose the logical grid

    Name the project and set width and height from 4 to 64 pixels. Presets provide quick square canvases.

  2. 2

    Draw and refine

    Use pencil, eraser, fill or eyedropper with your working palette. Add horizontal or vertical mirror drawing and undo whole strokes.

  3. 3

    Review the sprite

    Check its logical dimensions, colored-pixel count and number of colors before exporting.

  4. 4

    Export a crisp file

    Download transparent PNG at an integer scale, compact SVG, or validated project JSON for later editing.

A pixel-art maker for deliberate grid drawing

Pixel art is designed cell by cell. This editor starts with a transparent blank grid and stores one color, or transparency, for each logical pixel. It does not turn a photograph into averaged blocks; use the Image Pixelator for that separate workflow. It also does not generate art from an AI prompt.

A smaller grid forces a clearer silhouette, while a larger grid leaves room for shading and accessories. These are practical starting points, not platform rules:

Logical canvas Useful starting point
8×8 Tiny symbols, glyph exercises and simple tiles
16×16 Interface icons, inventory objects and compact sprites
32×32 Characters, creatures and game items
64×64 Detailed sprites, portraits and larger standalone art

Keep enlarged pixels sharp

PNG export uses an integer scale and disables image smoothing. A single 16×16 source pixel therefore becomes an exact 4×4, 8×8 or larger square instead of a blurred edge. The checkerboard and optional editor grid are interface guides only; they are never part of the file. Transparent cells remain transparent.

SVG export uses crisp-edged rectangles and omits transparent cells. Project JSON preserves the editable logical grid and working palette. It is a Hyperion project format, not a substitute for layered formats used by desktop pixel-art applications.

Drawing tools and mirror behavior

  • Pencil colors cells and joins fast pointer samples so a stroke does not develop gaps.
  • Eraser returns cells to transparency.
  • Fill changes a four-connected region; diagonally touching regions remain separate.
  • Eyedropper selects an existing cell color. Sampling transparency switches to the eraser.
  • Mirror drawing reflects the action left-to-right, top-to-bottom or both. Center rows and columns are applied only once.

Mouse, pen, touch and keyboard input use the same logical grid. Focus the canvas, move the active cell with the Arrow keys, then use Space or Enter to apply the selected tool. P, E, F and I select tools; Delete erases; Ctrl/Cmd+Z undoes.

Browser behavior and technical references

The editor uses the browser Canvas API, Pointer Events and canvas image smoothing control. PNG creation follows the browser canvas blob export API. Keyboard and pointer interactions are designed around WCAG 2.2 operability guidance.

Artwork, names and palettes stay in browser-local project state and are not added to URLs or server payloads. Normal page requests still happen when a funnel step changes. If tab storage is unavailable, the complete one-page editor can keep working in memory, but the funnel will not navigate forward and risk silently losing the project.

Frequently Asked Questions

No. It is a manual blank-grid pixel art maker. You choose every color and draw every cell with pencil, eraser, fill, eyedropper and optional mirror drawing. It does not accept prompts or call a generative service.

This tool creates new artwork from a blank grid. An image pixelator starts with an uploaded photo or illustration and reduces it into larger averaged blocks. The two workflows serve different intentions.

Try 16×16 for a small icon or 32×32 for a character or item sprite. Start smaller when silhouette practice matters, and use 64×64 only when the design needs more detail. The editor supports independent width and height from 4 to 64 pixels.

Yes. Blank and erased cells have zero alpha in PNG output. The editor checkerboard only indicates transparency and is not exported.

The export enlarges each logical pixel by an exact whole-number scale with image smoothing disabled. It does not interpolate intermediate colors between neighboring cells.

No. Version 1 edits one still image. Export individual art here, then use the separate Sprite Sheet Generator when you need to pack completed frames into an atlas.

The canvas accepts mouse, pen and one-finger pointer input. It is also keyboard operable: Arrow keys move the active cell, Space or Enter applies the selected tool, and letter shortcuts select tools.

No artwork, project name, palette or export file is uploaded by this editor. Project state is kept in your browser tab. Normal document requests still occur when you open the page or move between funnel steps.

Related Tools

Image Resizer

Resize images to pixel-exact dimensions or percentages while preserving aspect ratio. Batch-friendly, no upload.

Material Design Color Picker

Browse the Material Design color palette. Copy any shade (50 through A700) as HEX, RGB or HSL with one tap.

QR Code Generator

Generate a browser-local QR code from a plain text or URL payload. Adjust size, colours and error correction, then download PNG.

Lined Paper Generator

Make printable lined paper free. Choose college, wide or narrow rule, set line spacing in mm, paper size and a margin line, then print or download the SVG.

Flag Maker

Design a simple custom 3:2 flag in your browser with six layouts, colors, text, and a symbol. Download SVG or PNG, or open the browser print dialog.

JPG to Excel Converter

Run local OCR on a JPG or JPEG table image and download the inferred rows as XLSX or UTF-8 CSV. Files up to 20 MB stay in your browser.

Tool available in other languages