Turn a photo into pixel art with AI
Turn a photo into pixel art for an avatar, pet portrait or retro-style illustration. This AI pixel art converter redraws the picture; exact pixel grids and palette selection need a pixel editor.
- Nothing to install
Photo to pixel art examples
Drag the divider to compare.
Turn a pet photo into pixel art
A corgi photo redrawn as 16-bit pixel art
Turn a car photo into pixel art
A vintage sports car rebuilt from a limited palette of pixels
Turn a city photo into pixel art
A night street turned into a pixel art game scene
Make a pixel art avatar from a portrait
A head-and-shoulders portrait turned into a pixel art avatar
How to convert a photo to pixel art
- 1
Upload your photo
A clear subject on a simple background converts best. Crop close to the subject.
- 2
Keep the Pixel art style
This page opens the tool with Pixel art already selected.
- 3
Set strength and process
Lower strength keeps more shapes. Compare, download or run again.
Pixel art converter for game dev, avatars and crafts
A photo to pixel art converter redraws a portrait, pet or object as a retro-style image. Use this AI version for an avatar or a visual starting point for game artwork. It generates a normal image in a pixel-art style, so exact sprite grids and palette cleanup are separate editing steps.
Game developers
Get a sprite or scene reference from a real photo.
- Scale down to your sprite size
- Tidy stray pixels by hand
- Use night scenes as moody backdrops
Pixel avatars
Make a retro avatar from a head-and-shoulders photo with an even light.
- Crop close to the face first
- Hair and clothes carry the likeness
- Plain backgrounds read best
Bead and cross-stitch crafters
Use the blocky result as a reference for a pattern.
- Pets and objects make clean patterns
- Count and match colors by hand
- Pick photos with bold, simple shapes
Turn an image into pixel art: what you get
Big shapes and a few colors replace the fine detail, much like a sprite from a retro game.
- Your composition and main colors stay.
- Small details disappear into blocks of color.
- The look is retro game art, such as 16-bit.
- Pixel size and palette are not adjustable.
- Lower strength keeps more of the photo.
- Strength starts at 60 on a 0 to 100 slider.
Photos that work as pixel art
One clear subject with strong outlines converts best.
- Works well: pets, cars, buildings, food and single objects.
- Works well: night scenes with bright lights.
- Works well: sketches, illustrations and game screenshots.
- Harder: group photos where faces are a few pixels wide.
- Harder: busy markets and dense foliage.
- Harder: fine line work and small text.
Make pixel art from a photo: tips and limits
The result is a normal image in a pixel art style, not a file built from an exact grid.
- Crop tight on the subject before you upload.
- Use nearest-neighbor resampling to resize for a sprite.
- Fix edges by hand when a game needs exact pixels.
- Upscale the image before printing a poster or sticker.
- Lower the strength if the subject loses its shape.
