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Creating Pixel Art
How to make, convert, and prepare pixel art for the Pixa blockchain.
Pixa is built for one art form: pixel art. Every post on the platform contains a pixel art image stored directly on the blockchain. Whether you're a seasoned pixel artist or someone who has never placed a single pixel, Pixagram provides the tools to create, convert, and publish your work.
This guide covers PixaPics (Pixa's built-in editor), AI-assisted photo conversion, external tool workflows, and how rendering works once your art is on-chain.
PixaPics (pixa.pics) is a free, browser-based image editor built specifically for pixel art. It is a sibling product of Pixagram — designed to be the creation tool that feeds directly into the publishing platform.
Think of PixaPics as a specialized version of Photoshop, stripped down to only what pixel artists need.
| Feature | What it does |
|---|---|
| Pixel-precise drawing | Place, erase, and edit individual pixels |
| Color palette management | Create and save custom palettes |
| Canvas sizes | From tiny (16×16) to detailed (128×128 and beyond) |
| Layers | Stack multiple layers for complex compositions |
| Selection tools | Select, move, and transform regions with precision |
| AI conversion | Convert any photograph into pixel art automatically |
| Export | Output as PNG or WebP, optimized for on-chain storage |
No installation is required. PixaPics runs entirely in your browser on any device.
Pixel art is defined by its constraints. Smaller canvases force creative decisions about every single pixel. Larger canvases allow more detail but produce larger files.
| Canvas size | Character | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| 16×16 | Iconic, minimal | Avatars, icons, emojis |
| 32×32 | Classic, balanced | Characters, items, small scenes |
| 64×64 | Detailed | Portraits, complex scenes |
| 128×128 | Highly detailed | Large compositions, landscapes |
Remember: the on-chain post limit is 73.6 kB. Smaller canvases produce smaller files, fitting comfortably within this limit.
A color palette is the set of colors available for your artwork. Limited palettes are a hallmark of pixel art — they force cohesion and give pieces a distinctive look.
Common approaches:
- Classic palettes — NES (54 colors), Game Boy (4 shades of green), PICO-8 (16 colors)
- Custom palettes — Build your own set of 8–32 colors for a specific mood or style
- Full color — No restrictions, but harder to achieve the characteristic pixel art aesthetic
Use PixaPics' tools to place pixels one at a time, draw lines, fill areas, and build your composition layer by layer. The editor displays your work at both actual size and zoomed-in for precision editing.
Pixel art is about intentionality. Every pixel is a choice. Start small, work deliberately, and let the constraints guide your creativity.
PixaPics includes an AI-powered feature that converts any standard photograph into pixel art automatically. This is designed for users who want to participate on Pixagram but are not experienced pixel artists.
- Upload any image (JPEG, PNG, etc.)
- Choose a target resolution (e.g., 32×32, 64×64)
- The AI analyzes the image and generates a pixel art interpretation
- Review and edit the result before publishing
The AI produces results described as "stunning quality in under one minute." However, AI conversion is a starting point — not a finished piece. The best results come from artists who use the conversion as a base and then refine it manually.
The Pixagram app allows five free AI conversions per day. Beyond that, users send a small amount of PXA (between $0.10 and $0.20 per image) to the app's account to cover processing costs.
Yes. Any pixel art editor that exports PNG or WebP files is compatible with Pixagram. Popular choices:
| Tool | Platform | Free? | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aseprite | Windows, Mac, Linux | Paid ($20) | Animation, professional workflow |
| Piskel | Browser | Free | Quick sketches, beginners |
| GraphicsGale | Windows | Free | Classic pixel art, animation |
| Photoshop | Windows, Mac | Paid (subscription) | Artists already in the Adobe ecosystem |
| GIMP | Windows, Mac, Linux | Free | Full-featured, open source |
When using external tools, export your final artwork as PNG (lossless) at the original pixel resolution. Do not upscale the image — Pixagram's rendering system handles display scaling.
The export step matters because it determines file size and quality — both of which affect on-chain storage.
| Format | Quality | Size | Recommended |
|---|---|---|---|
| PNG | Lossless (perfect) | Small for pixel art | Yes |
| WebP (lossless) | Lossless (perfect) | ~10% smaller than PNG | Yes |
| JPEG | Lossy (blurs pixel edges) | Varies | No — never for pixel art |
| GIF | Limited to 256 colors | Variable | Only for animation |
Export at the native pixel resolution of your canvas. A 32×32 piece should be exported as a 32×32 image. Do not scale up to 320×320 or 640×640 — this multiplies file size for no benefit, since Pixagram renders the upscaling client-side.
Your final encoded post must fit within 73.6 kB. After Base64 encoding (which adds ~30% overhead), a practical limit for the raw image file is roughly 50 kB. Most pixel art at standard canvas sizes falls well under this.
| Canvas | Typical PNG size | After Base64 | Within limit? |
|---|---|---|---|
| 32×32 | 2–5 kB | 3–7 kB | Yes |
| 64×64 | 5–15 kB | 7–20 kB | Yes |
| 128×128 | 15–40 kB | 20–52 kB | Usually yes |
| 256×256 | 40–100+ kB | 52–130+ kB | Often exceeds limit |
When in doubt, keep your canvas at 128×128 or smaller. Pixel art's beauty comes from constraint, not resolution.
Once your pixel art is on-chain, it is stored at its original resolution (e.g., 32×32 pixels). But screens today are thousands of pixels wide. Pixagram bridges this gap with three rendering engines that users can switch between in a single click.
The default renderer. Each pixel is scaled as a sharp, clean square. A 32×32 image displayed at 640×640 shows perfectly crisp 20×20-pixel blocks. This is the classic retro look — faithful to the golden age of video games.
An advanced upscaling algorithm that detects edges and curves in pixel art, then smooths them into clean, rounded shapes. The result looks like a polished illustration while preserving the original composition. Ideal for displaying art to audiences unfamiliar with pixel art conventions.
A custom shader that renders each pixel as a hexagon instead of a square, processed by the viewer's GPU. This creates an unusual, textured visual style — like looking at pixel art through a honeycomb lens.
All three renderers work client-side — in the viewer's browser. The blockchain stores only the original pixel data. No additional files, no server processing.
You create at 32×32. Viewers see it at full HD. The blockchain stores the truth. The renderer presents the beauty.
Technical quality directly affects how your work is received and voted on. Curators and collectors look for:
| Quality signal | What it means |
|---|---|
| Clean lines | Deliberate pixel placement, no stray pixels or jagged edges |
| Cohesive palette | Colors that work together, limited and intentional |
| Readable composition | Clear subject, good use of the tiny canvas |
| Originality | Unique style or concept, not generic or copied |
| Animation (optional) | Smooth, well-timed frame animation adds significant value |
The community rewards craft. A simple 16×16 piece with perfect execution will outperform a messy 128×128 piece every time.
| Step | Tool | Output |
|---|---|---|
| Create from scratch | PixaPics or external editor | Original pixel art file |
| Convert a photo | PixaPics AI conversion | Pixel art interpretation |
| Choose format | PNG or lossless WebP | Optimized, lossless image |
| Export at native resolution | Editor export settings | Small file, no upscaling |
| Publish on Pixagram | Pixagram post editor | On-chain, permanent, earning rewards |
Creating pixel art for Pixa follows one principle: small, lossless, and intentional. The tools are free, the formats are standard, and the blockchain handles everything else. Your only job is to make something worth looking at.