Pixel art (also known as dot art) is a form of digital art drawn with graphical software where images are built using pixels as the only building block. This type of art is often linked with the low-resolution graphics from 8-bit and 16-bit era computers and arcade video game consoles from the 1980s and 1990s.
Pixel art is sometimes associated with sprites. They are the images in 2D games that represent the various objects in a game like your player character, monsters, items, etc.
Nowadays, pixel art is still popular in games and as an artform in and of itself, despite realistic 3D graphics. The barrier to entry for pixel art is less steep than painted or 3D graphics, making it a welcome option for indie game developers.
This article recommends our favourite pixel art editors. We’re focusing on software dedicated to this form of artwork. Naturally, other image editors can also be used to create and edit pixel art.
Let’s explore the pixel art editors in detail. For each application we have compiled its own portal page, a full description with an in-depth analysis of its features, screenshots, together with links to relevant resources.
| Pixel Art Editors | |
|---|---|
| Pixelorama | 2D sprite editor, made with the Godot Engine |
| csprite | Tiny pixel art tool |
| LibreSprite | Create 2D animations for videogames |
| Piskel | Simple web-based tool for spriting and pixel art |
| PikoPixel | Draw and edit pixel art images |
| mtPaint | Painting program to create pixel art and manipulate digital photos |
| GrafX2 | Billed as the ultimate 256-color bitmap paint program |
| rx | Modern and extensible pixel editor implemented in Rust |
| Slate | Qt-based pixel art editor |
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