Pixel Art Grid Worksheet
Design your own sprites using classic pixel art grids! This is exactly how game artists designed characters on the Commodore 64 and early consoles.
How to Use
- On screen: Click cells to toggle them. Choose colors from the palette.
- On paper: Print this page and fill in squares with colored pencils or markers.
8x8 Grid -- Simple Sprites
Perfect for small items: coins, hearts, stars, projectiles. Classic Game Boy and NES sprites used this size.
16x16 Grid -- Character Sprites
The standard for most 2D platformer characters. This is the size used for Mario, Mega Man, and most SNES-era sprites.
Tips for Pixel Art
- Start with silhouette -- draw the outline first, then fill in details
- Use few colors -- classic sprites used 3-4 colors max. Constraints breed creativity!
- Think about readability -- your sprite needs to be recognizable at game size
- Animation trick -- design your idle pose first, then make copies and modify them slightly for walk/run frames
Color Reference
Classic console palettes were limited. Try designing with just these constraints:
| System | Colors Available |
|---|---|
| Game Boy | 4 shades of green |
| NES | 54 colors (4 per sprite) |
| SNES | 256 colors (16 per sprite) |
| GDevelop | Unlimited! But restraint makes better art |
Printable Grids
For paper-based design, print this page. The grids below are optimized for printing:
8x8 Blank Grid (Print Version)
+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
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+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
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+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
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+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
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+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
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+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
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+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
16x16 Blank Grid (Print Version)
+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
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+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
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+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
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+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
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+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
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+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
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+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
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+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
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+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
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+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
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+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
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+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
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+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
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+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
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+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
Scale Reference: The Pixel Doubling Trick
Classic game consoles displayed pixels at different scales. Here's how pixel art scales:
| Actual Size | Display Scale | Use Case |
|---|---|---|
| 1x1 pixel | Tiny dot | Raw data |
| 2x2 pixels | Small | Game Boy screen |
| 4x4 pixels | Medium | Comfortable on modern screens |
| 8x8 pixels | Large | Great for designing on paper |