Pixel art: a photo rebuilt from bright, color-dodged pixel tiles
Pixel art fills every cell with a single solid tile and rounds its color to six levels per channel, the same 216 colors as the old web-safe palette, so gradients break into clean retro steps. Instead of sitting on top of the blurred photo, the tiles are blended into it with Color dodge, which brightens the picture underneath and makes the whole frame glow like a backlit screen. Thin seams between the tiles keep the grid visible, so it still reads as pixel art on large displays.
Make it yours
Calm the glow
Color dodge can wash out pale photos. Set Blend to Normal and each tile shows its true rounded color, a flatter result that is closer to a classic game sprite or a cartridge cover.
Choose the pixel resolution
Cell size decides how chunky the pixels are. Around 6 keeps faces and lettering readable, while 20 or more reduces a photo to a handful of bold blocks, good for an icon-style thumbnail.
FAQ
Can I turn a photo into pixel art for a game or an avatar?
Yes. Pick a Cell size for the resolution you need, set Canvas frame to 1:1 for a square avatar, and switch Blend to Normal for flat colors before you export a PNG. Every tile keeps one of 216 colors, so the result already looks like hand-placed pixels.
How it works
Upload an image
Add a PNG, JPG or WebP up to 20 MB or pick a sample photo, then keep its own shape or crop it to 1:1, 4:5, 3:2, 16:9 or 9:16.
Choose a mode
Dither with 14 algorithms and 13 palettes, Shapes with dots, squares, lines, crosses and diamonds, or Photo art with 18 pixel and print styles from LED matrix to stained glass.
Style and use it
Set pixel size and contrast, add scanlines, bloom, grain or a vignette, then sign in with a free UX Pilot account to use it on the canvas or export it.