Decide the Cell Size
Pick a frame size and a frame count before drawing anything.
Your result
A 64 by 16 canvas divided into four 16 by 16 cells, with the arithmetic written down.
01What you will learn
- Choose a cell size that matches the character's detail, not your screen.
- Calculate total sheet size as cell width times frame count.
- Decide the frame count before drawing, so the canvas has a fixed width.
Start with: A finished character at a size you are happy with, or start from the robot provided with this course.
02See the technique
A 64 by 16 empty sheet
64 × 16 pixels
Cell one filled in
64 × 16 pixels
03Follow the steps
- 1
Choose the cell, not the sheet
Decide the character's own size first. A 16 by 16 character is the right cell if you want it readable on a 320 by 240 screen; a 32 by 32 cell needs twice the pixels for the same sprite.
A single number: your cell size.
- 2
Count the frames you actually need
This course uses four frames for a hop. Fewer frames is a legitimate choice, but decide now: the canvas width depends on it and cannot change later without redrawing.
A frame count of four.
- 3
Multiply for the canvas
16 by 16 times four frames is 64 by 16. Height stays at the cell height because frames sit side by side, not stacked.
A 64 by 16 canvas.
- 4
Mark the cell boundaries
Turn on the grid and note where columns 16, 32 and 48 fall. Those three lines are the only places a frame may start or end.
Three boundaries you can check against.
04Practice in Pikanim
Create the 64 by 16 sheet and use the grid to mark where each 16 by 16 cell begins.
Opens a 64 × 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 Art Game Asset Size Guide
Standard pixel sizes for game assets: characters, tiles, items, UI icons and effects — and how to keep a whole game on one consistent scale.
Sprite Sheet Guide
What a sprite sheet is, how rows, columns, frame size and padding work, and how to export a sheet your game engine can slice correctly.