Pixel Art Guide
Learn the fundamentals of pixel art and master the PixelMint editor
🚀 Your First Pixel Art (5 Minutes)
Start with a Small Canvas
Open the editor and start with a 16×16 or 32×32 canvas. Smaller canvases are easier to work with when you're learning. You can always scale up later!
Choose a Limited Palette
Pick one of our retro palettes (like Game Boy or Pico-8). Using fewer colors forces you to be creative and helps you learn color theory faster.
Draw a Simple Shape
Try creating a simple icon like a heart, star, or mushroom. Use the pencil tool (P) and start with an outline. Keep it simple - pixel art is all about simplicity!
Fill and Shade
Use the fill tool (F) to color your shape. Add simple shading by choosing a darker color and placing it on one side. Light comes from top-left in most pixel art!
Export and Share
Click Export to save your creation as a PNG. You can scale it up (4×, 8×) to make it look crisp. Congratulations - you just created pixel art!
🛠️ Tool-by-Tool Guide
Pencil Tool (P)
Your main drawing tool. Click to place individual pixels or drag to draw lines. Perfect for outlines, details, and freehand drawing.
Eraser Tool (E)
Removes pixels by making them transparent. Works just like the pencil tool but clears instead of draws.
Fill Tool (F)
Flood fills connected areas with your selected color. Click any enclosed region to fill it instantly.
Eyedropper Tool (I)
Pick colors from your canvas. Click any pixel to copy its color to your active color.
Line Tool (L)
Draw perfect straight lines between two points. Click once to start, click again to finish.
Rectangle Tool (R)
Draw rectangular outlines or filled rectangles. Click and drag to define the size.
Circle Tool (C)
Create perfect circular shapes. Click and drag from center to define radius.
Selection Tool (S)
Select rectangular areas to move, copy, or delete. Drag to create selection, then drag inside to move.
🎓 Essential Techniques
Shading & Lighting
Good shading brings your pixel art to life. Follow these principles:
- Light source: Decide where light comes from (usually top-left)
- 3 tones minimum: Use at least 3 shades: base, shadow, highlight
- Gradual transitions: Blend colors smoothly using dithering
- Rim lighting: Add a thin bright edge on the opposite side of shadows
Anti-Aliasing
Smooth out jagged edges by adding intermediate colors:
- Place medium-toned pixels at the "steps" of diagonal lines
- Use sparingly - too much makes art look blurry
- Works best on curves and diagonal lines
- Not needed for retro 8-bit style art
Animation Basics
Create smooth animations with these tips:
- Start simple: Begin with 2-4 frames for basic movements
- Use onion skinning: See previous frames while drawing next ones
- Timing is key: Adjust frame duration (FPS) for the right feel
- Loop-friendly: Make sure first and last frames connect smoothly
- Squash and stretch: Exaggerate movement for more life
Color Selection
Choose colors that work together:
- Limited palette: Start with 4-16 colors maximum
- Consistent saturation: Keep similar saturation levels across palette
- Contrast: Ensure good contrast for readability
- Reference palettes: Use proven palettes from retro consoles
- Test with grayscale: Convert to grayscale to check value contrast
⌨️ Keyboard Shortcuts
Tools
Actions
Ready to Create?
Put these techniques into practice and start making pixel art today!
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