Pixel Art Grid

The grid size is the resolution of the whole drawing, so pick it for what you're making. 16×16 is the classic size for icons, items and tiny characters. Every pixel counts, which makes it the best grid to learn on. 32×32 has room for a character with a readable face and outfit. 64×64 fits a portrait or a small scene, and 128×128 is a full illustration that takes real time to fill. When in doubt, go smaller. A finished 16×16 teaches more than an abandoned 128×128.

The starting palette is PICO-8's 16 colors, a fixed set that was picked so any two colors work together. Limiting yourself like that is half of what makes pixel art look like pixel art. If you need a skin tone or a brand color, the + button adds any color to the row. Show grid only changes the screen. Turn it off to see the piece the way it will look, and turn it back on to count squares.

There are three downloads. Download PNG saves the drawing with grid lines, at double size, to print or follow. Download blank grid PNG saves an empty grid at the current size, with a darker line every 10 squares, so you can sketch with a pencil before you draw on screen. Download pixel art PNG saves exactly one pixel per square with a transparent background, which is the file a game engine, a sprite editor or a sticker printer expects. Scale it up there with nearest neighbor so the edges stay sharp.

A pixel grid is also a craft chart. Each square can be one Perler bead on a 29×29 pegboard, one cross stitch on Aida, or one crochet stitch in a graphgan. When a drawing is done, open it in a pattern generator to get thread or bead colors matched and counted.