Free online pixel art maker
Draw pixel by pixel with your finger or mouse, or turn a photo into pixel art. Download your creation as an upscaled PNG, with or without a background. Free, no account needed.
- Free
- 8×8 to 64×64 grid
- Image to pixel art
- Transparent PNG export
100% private — Everything is processed directly in your browser: your files, voice, and image are never sent to Chatzam's servers.
How to make pixel art
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Pick a color and a tool
A sample drawing is already on the grid: wipe it with the trash button or draw over it. Grab the pencil and a color from the palette, then click or drag your finger across the grid. The paint bucket fills an area, and the color picker grabs a color you have already used.
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Set the canvas size and work faster
Switch from 8×8 to 64×64 with the size menu. Turn on mirror mode to draw a symmetrical face or character while only drawing one half. Undo and Redo fix any mistake.
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Download your image as a PNG
Choose the upscale factor (from ×1 up to ×64 depending on the grid size), keep the background transparent or pick a color, then download. Pixels stay sharp, with no blur.
A complete pixel art editor that is easy to pick up
All the essential tools
Pencil, eraser, paint bucket, color picker, line and rectangle (outline or filled), plus horizontal and vertical mirror. Keyboard shortcuts (P, E, G, I, L, R) speed things up on a computer.
Ready-made palettes
A classic 16-color palette, a 16-color retro palette inspired by arcade machines, a 4-shade green palette in the style of old handheld consoles, and a pastel palette. A custom color is always available.
Turn a photo or logo into pixel art
Import an image: it is scaled down to your grid size. Keep it whole or crop it to fill the grid, and optionally use only the palette colors for a retro look.
Made for phones too
Draw with your finger without the page scrolling, pinch with two fingers to zoom in on an area, and enjoy automatic saving on your device: your drawing is still there next time you visit.
What is pixel art?
Pixel art is a style of digital drawing where every square of the image is colored by hand, like a mosaic. It comes from early video games and home computers, whose screens were only a few hundred dots wide: artists had to express a face, a background or a character with very few pixels. Today it is a deliberate style, loved for its readability and retro charm. It is used for indie game sprites, avatars, icons, stickers and custom emojis, and also to plan fuse bead (melty bead) patterns, cross-stitch charts or crochet grids, because a pixel grid translates directly into a grid of beads or stitches.
Making pixel art online: grid size, palette and tips
To get started, stick with the 16×16 grid: small enough to finish a drawing in a few minutes, big enough to show a character or an object. Move up to 32×32 or 64×64 when you want more detail. Keep your color count low: a short palette gives a more consistent result, and the 16-color retro palette or the 4-green palette are built for exactly that. Start with the outline in a dark color, fill it with the paint bucket, then add a lighter shade for highlights and a darker one for shadows. Mirror mode is perfect for faces, butterflies, hearts or symmetrical spaceships: you only draw one side.
Turn a photo or logo into pixel art
Don't want to start from an empty grid? Import a photo, a logo or a drawing: for each square, the tool works out the average color of the matching area of the image, and you can then touch up the result pixel by pixel. Simple images with a clear, high-contrast subject work best; a 32×32 or 48×48 grid keeps more detail than 16×16. If you tick the palette colors option, each pixel takes the closest color from the chosen palette, giving the look of a 1980s video game or a handheld console. As long as you haven't drawn on it, you can change the size, the framing or the palette to adjust the image. It is never uploaded anywhere: everything happens in your browser.
Exporting your drawing: crisp PNG, transparent background, large size
A 16×16 drawing is tiny: to print it, post it or use it in a game, you need to scale it up without blurring it. This tool's export enlarges each square by a whole-number factor (×2, ×4, ×8, ×16, ×32…), so the edges stay perfectly sharp. The background can be transparent, handy for placing your character on another scene, or a solid color of your choice. For a sticker or a profile picture, a ×16 or ×32 export usually works well. You can also come back later: your drawing stays saved on your device as long as you don't clear your browser data.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I make pixel art online for free?
Open this page, pick a color from the palette and draw on the grid with the pencil, using your mouse or finger. Use the paint bucket to fill areas and the eraser to fix mistakes, then download the result as a PNG. There is nothing to install and no account to create.
What grid size should a beginner use?
16×16 is a good start: you finish a drawing quickly and learn to keep only what matters. 8×8 suits a very simple icon, 32×32 a detailed character, 64×64 a whole scene. You can change size at any time; shrinking the grid crops the drawing, but the Undo button brings it back.
How do I turn a picture into pixel art?
In the import area, drop your image or choose a file. It is scaled down to the grid size. For a sharper result, increase the grid size; for a retro style, tick the option that limits the image to the colors of the selected palette. Simple, uncluttered images give the best results.
How do I export with a transparent background?
In the download area, leave the transparent background option ticked, choose the upscale factor and download the PNG. Empty squares in your drawing stay transparent; untick the option to get a solid background in the color of your choice.
Can I draw on a phone or tablet?
Yes. Draw with your finger directly on the grid without the page scrolling. Use two fingers to pinch-zoom and move the grid to reach the details. The palette sits just above the drawing, with the size menu and zoom just below.
Is my drawing saved? What happens to my images?
Your drawing is saved automatically in your device's browser and is never sent anywhere. Imported images are also processed locally. Remember to download the PNG to keep a copy: clearing your browser data erases the automatic save.