How to Draw Pixel Art Characters
A step-by-step approach to pixel art characters: proportions that read at small sizes, where the face pixels go, and how to keep a character animatable.
Quick answer
Build characters from three masses — head, torso, legs — with the head slightly oversized. Place the face in the top third, keep limbs simple rectangles with one bend, and design the pose so every frame of animation can reuse it.
Small-size proportions
| Size | Head : body | Face budget |
|---|---|---|
| 16×16 | 1 : 2 (big head) | 2–4 pixels for eyes |
| 32×32 | 1 : 2.5 | Eyes + mouth, hair shape |
| 64×64 | 1 : 3 (stylized) or 1 : 6 (realistic) | Full facial features |
Large heads are not childish — they are functional. The head carries personality and the reader finds it instantly, so give it the pixels.
Construction order
- 1
Head mass
Draw the head as a rounded rectangle, slightly wider than tall. Add eye pixels in the upper half — two dark pixels usually suffice at 16×16.
- 2
Torso and limbs
Torso is a smaller mass below the head. Arms and legs are 2-pixel-wide bands; one visible bend each. Do not outline fingers or joints at small sizes.
- 3
Distinguish with one prop
One accessory — hat, sword, backpack — makes the character memorable. Give it silhouette space outside the body outline.
If two characters of yours look alike, change the prop, not the face.
- 4
Check the idle pose
The idle pose is the pose every animation starts from. Keep arms slightly away from the torso so walk/attack frames can move them without redrawing the body.
Put it to work
Designing for animation early
- Symmetry is your friend: draw one arm, mirror, then offset details.
- Avoid shapes that cross the body outline in the idle pose — they break in motion.
- Keep the head's pixel row count even; bobbing animations move it 1px up/down.
Common mistakes
- Realistic proportions (1:6) at 16×16 — the character collapses into a stick.
- Faces with 6+ pixel features crammed into a 6px-tall head.
- Details (belt buckles, fingers) that vanish or smear in animation frames.
Related
How to Make Pixel Art
The complete pixel art workflow for beginners: choose a canvas, block a silhouette, place base colors, then shade — with the mistakes to avoid at each step.
OpenGuideHow to Make a Pixel Art Walk Cycle
Build a 4- or 6-frame pixel art walk cycle: contact, passing and up poses, leg rules that avoid the moonwalk, and timing that makes small characters feel alive.
OpenExample16×16 Slime — Character Example
Why the classic slime works at 16×16: a single-mass silhouette, a 4-color ramp with hue-shifted shadow, and eyes placed for instant readability.
Open