Draw a Readable Silhouette
Make your character recognizable before adding color or detail.
Your result
A connected, rounded slime silhouette that reads at its actual size.
01What you will learn
- Block a character with one solid color.
- Build curves from deliberate groups of pixels.
- Judge the whole shape before adding a face.
Start with: The transparent canvas from lesson one. If you are joining here, open the lesson starter to create one.
02See the technique
Details can hide a weak shape
16 × 16 pixels
A shape that stands on its own
16 × 16 pixels
03Follow the steps
- 1
Place the top and the feet
Pick the darkest course color. Leave two empty rows above the slime and at least one empty column on each side. Make the dome narrower than the base so the creature feels soft and grounded.
A small top arc with room to grow down and outward.
- 2
Connect the outline
Use the pencil to step outward as you move down each side. Work in short runs of two or three pixels instead of alternating single pixels everywhere. Connect the base so the outline encloses one area.
A closed shape without gaps in its edge.
- 3
Fill the silhouette
Choose the fill tool and click inside the outline using the same dark color. If the fill escapes, undo and close the gap. The body should be one connected cluster, not separate marks.
A solid silhouette on a transparent background.
- 4
Check it small
Zoom down and compare the overall shape with the example. Remove any floating pixels with the eraser. Do not add eyes yet: the shape should look like a slime without them.
A rounded, recognizable character with a clean outer contour.
04Practice in Pikanim
Continue on your saved canvas. Draw one solid slime with the pencil and fill tools, leaving empty space around it.
Opens a 16 × 16 canvas with the lesson's starting pixels. Your work saves in the Workspace.
05Check your result
Compare your own work with these checkpoints. Check each one when your result is ready.
Progress saves in this browser. No account needed.
06Continue learning
Keep these references handy
Pixel Perfect Drawing
What 'pixel perfect' means in practice: clean corners, consistent pixel runs, no orphan pixels — the cleanup pass that separates amateur from crisp pixel art.
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.