AI pixel art generator
Type a sprite idea. The AI sketches it, and PixelMint turns the sketch into genuine pixel art on a retro palette, ready to edit, animate and export.
No AI? Still covered
If the generator is busy or you would rather not use AI, you can convert any picture to pixel art, or draw from scratch in the editor. Hand-drawn sprites are still the gold standard, and the pixel art tutorial gets you there quickly.
Writing prompts that pixelate well
- One subject, simple shapes. “A round blue bird” converts better than “a flock of birds over a city”.
- Say the view. Side view for platformers, front or three-quarter view for top-down RPGs.
- Pick the canvas afterwards. 16–24 px for items and icons, 32–48 px for characters. More pixels keep more detail but look less “retro”.
- Choose the palette on purpose. PICO-8 and Sweetie 16 are forgiving; Game Boy’s four greens give a strong, unified look.
Frequently asked questions
How does the AI pixel art generator work?
Your description is sent to an image model through Vercel AI Gateway, which draws a sprite-style illustration. PixelMint then does the pixel part in your browser: it downsamples the picture to your chosen size, removes the white background and snaps every pixel to a real palette, so the result is true low-resolution pixel art rather than a “pixel-look” picture.
Is it free?
Yes, with a small fair-use limit of a few generations per visitor every 30 minutes, because each image costs real money to generate. The palette conversion and editing are unlimited.
Can I use the generated sprites in my game?
You can use what you make here, including commercially. Check the image model provider’s terms if you need certainty for a specific use, and remember AI output can resemble existing work, so avoid prompts naming copyrighted characters.
Why does the sprite need cleaning up?
Image models do not think in pixels, so after downsampling you will see some noisy clusters and uneven outlines. Open it in the editor and spend a few minutes fixing the outline and eyes. That is the difference between a generated image and pixel art.