Pixel Art Maker Tutorial: Draw Free in Your Browser + Let AI Help (128×128 Mech JSON Included)

I've been playing with the free Pixel Art Maker on TTLB Tools, and it's become my go-to for quick sprites and icons. It runs entirely in your browser: no install, no sign-up, and your artwork never gets uploaded anywhere. Here's how to use it, how to get an AI chatbot to draw for you with the AI command tab, a few gotchas I hit while making a 128×128 piece, and a full JSON you can paste in and remix.

Drawing by hand

1. Open the Pixel Art Maker and pick a canvas size under "New blank canvas": 8×8, 16×16, 32×32 or 64×64.
2. Choose a colour and paint with the tools: Draw, Erase, Fill and Pick colour.
3. Tick "Mirror left-right" and everything you paint on one side is copied to the other. Great for characters, robots and anything symmetrical.
4. Made a mistake? Use Undo and Redo. Want a clean slate? Hit "Clear all".
5. When you're done, choose an export size (1× actual, ×8, ×16 or ×32) and press "Download PNG". The background stays transparent.

Letting a chatbot draw: the AI command tab

The site has no built-in AI. Instead, the "AI command" tab gives you a prompt to take to whatever chatbot you already use, and you bring its answer back:

1. Describe what you want, then copy the prompt.
2. Paste it into your chatbot and say what to draw and how big.
3. Copy the chatbot's answer (a block of JSON) and paste it into step 3, "Paste the chatbot's answer".
4. Press "Check", then "Preview". If it looks right, press "Apply" and keep editing by hand, then export.

Tips from actually doing this

• The format is strict: the number of rows in pixels must equal the height, and every row must be exactly as long as the width. For 128×128 that means exactly 128 rows of exactly 128 characters. One pixel off and it won't load.
• Chatbots are bad at counting on big grids and often get row lengths wrong. Start with 32×32 or 64×64. If you really want a big piece, ask the chatbot to write a Python script that converts an image to pixel data and checks every row length.
• Press "Clear" in the paste box before pasting new JSON so it doesn't mix with what was there.
• Use "." for transparent pixels, so your exported PNG has no background.
• The palette holds up to 32 colours, and the maximum size is 128×128.

Example: 128×128 red-and-gold rhinoceros beetle mech (JSON)

This mech is my own original design. The JSON below was generated by a conversion script from my own image. It wasn't hand-placed pixel by pixel, and it wasn't typed out by a chatbot.

Feel free to use it. Copy everything from the first "{" to the last "}", paste it into step 3 of the AI command tab, press "Preview", then "Apply". From there you can tweak it on the canvas and export a PNG. It's long, so the page shows it in a few chunks; just copy the whole thing in one go.

{ "version": 1, "width": 128, "height": 128, "palette": [ "#050609", "#0c0709", "#1d1e25", "#3d2511", "#3b3b3f", "#1f2027", "#372a47", "#793665", "#505054", "#858384", "#d5d3cf", "#281d15", "#573512", "#8a571a", "#9b784f", "#bb7f2e", "#eda942", "#f2c779", "#e8d4b3", "#241112", "#4b1a15", "#60303f", "#76291e", "#a4392b", "#8a5a44", "#dd704f", "#f0b7a5", "#3e6051", "#2a6533", "#3ba05b", "#4ce193", "#81e4ad" ], "pixels": [ "................................................................................................................................", "................................................................................................................................", "...................................0............................................................................................", ".............................00...0g0...........................................................................................", "............................0gg0.0gf0..000000...................................................................................", "...........................0ggf00ggf000ggggff0..................................................................................", "...........................0ggf00ggf0ggggffffd0.................................................................................", "..........................0gggf0gggffggfffddd0..................................................................................", "..........................0gggf0gggfffffddd00...................................................................................", "..........................0gggf0ggffffddd00.....................................................................................", "..........................0hhf44ggggdccb0.......................................................................................", "..........................0ghgffgggdccb0........................................................................................", "..........................0gghiiggdccc0.........................................................................................", "..........................0cgggigfdccc0....................0000.................................................................", "...........................0cggigfddd0...................00gggg00...............................................................", "............................033igfddd0..................0ggggggff0..............................................................", ".............................03ggfdddc0........0.........00gggfff0..............................................................", "..............................03hgdddc0.......090..........0bfhffd0.............................................................", "..............................03hgfddd0......09d0...........0bghd220............................................................", "...............................0cgfdddd0.....0hd40...........03ggdd0............................................................", "...............................0cgfdddd0....0ohd40...........03ggdd80...........................................................", "................................0hgddddk0...0ogd40...........03gggd80...........................................................", "................................0hhgddkmk0..0egde0............0ghgdo0...........................................................", ".................................0hgddkkm0..0egded0.00000000..0ghhdoc0..........................................................", ".................................0hhgddmmm001ggffd101111111100dhghddc0..........................................................", "..................................0hgdddknc01ggffd11nppnnnn110dgggcc60..........................................................", "..................................0hggddkknc1gffd1pppnnnnnm11dhggcc460..........000000000.......................................", "...................................0hgdddkknn1gffgg1npnnnmk1dhgggcc40........000llooooo44000....................................", "...................................0egfddckkn1ffgggg1nnnnmk1ggggcco40......00mhhffqqqqqpppoo000.................................", "....................................0egfddckmm1fgggggf1nmkk1ggdcco40......0mmjjjfhhdaaaqpppppnk00...............................",

"....................................08ggdddk1mm1ggggffff1mk5ddcdo40.......0m111111aadaaaqqppnnnkl0..............................", ".....................................08gfdddf1m1ffffddddd15511111mk0.....0mmjjj1111aadqqqqppnnnmnl00............................", "......................................0fgfddff1dd111111tuu11knmkkkmk0....0mjjjjjj111ahgppppppnnnmml60...........................", ".......................................0fgfdfdd15555tuvvut1nknnmkkkmk0...0mjjj1111111hgnnnnnnnnnmmm760..........................", "..................................0000..0egffddd15tuvvut1g1n11nmkkkkmm0..0mjjjffffd111hgnnnnnnnnnnkm760.........................", "...............................000ccck00.0egddd1tut11111gf1n81nmmmkkkmm000jhhgggggfdd11hgnnnnnnnnnmkm760........................", ".............................00qffhhkkkl0.0ed1111aaaa1ggf1n181kkk11111mkkhhhaiigggggdd1dggnnnnnnnnnkmm760.......................", "...........................00aqqfh11111kl0.0n1u19aaa91gfd1nnjj1111bb122khiaaaaaig331ccd1hgmnnnnnnnnmkmk70.......................", "..........................08aaphh111jjj1ll001n15599951fdd15511ihhhdccc2qiiigggie1111111d1hgmnnnnnnnmkkk770......................", ".........................08aaphh1111jjjjkl001n155111551dd1554iiiddbkk21qiggggge11422111111ggmnnnnnnmkkkk770.....................", "........................08aaphh111jjjjkkkl6001f11bbb11111224gffffb55211ggggggge14a421511c1ggcnnmnnnnmkkkk70.....................", ".......................08aqpehe11jj111bbjjl601f111b11199982egfiif545111ggggggg119a445221c11ggcmnnnnmmkkkk710....................", "......................08qqpnhe11j1199911bl1l611iipppppmm182ehiii3541588ggggggd1999844251c11hggnnnnmmmkkkkk710...................", "......................0oqpnhh111dhaggieb1111paqqpnnnnnmmm11hhggf3455582ggggggd1499824521c1j1hgmmnnmmmkkkkk7l0...................", ".....................0oppndhd11dhaaaiej11gcpaqnnnnnnnnmkkmmhgggf3525582gefggd149111222cjjjb13hgggmmmnmkkkkl70...................", ".....................0ppnnhd11dhaiiaaj12g1ceeennnnnnnmmkkkggcddd3525185egfbb155111112hcccb3b13ggggmmnmkkkkk7l0..................", "....................0npnnhh111hhggggc12hgiiggggnnnnnmkkkkmkffcc114215551eb155515aa52ghc5bb3b311bggggmmkkkkkl70..................", "....................0pnneh111hihggggc15hegeggggnnnnmkkkkkdm1c111844111111115118aaaa55gg55c33333b13gggfkkkkkk770.................", "...................0npnmhe111higggggb5fpegdeggcnnnmkkkkkdmmk114488551111111118aaaaa51ggd5c1333333113ggfkkkkk770.................", "...................0pnmfh111132fggegb2fpdgdgggcnmmkkkkkdd3mk111484451111111118aaaaaa51dgdd1333333b3b1fgfdkdkk70.................", "..................0kpnfh111jj3b2fgegb2fmdghgffcmmkkkknn33311ppk244555111116jj19aaaaa8513313bb3cc33b3313ffdkkk760................", "..................0knnhf11j3j1b811eb12kmkghfffdmkkkkn11111hhrpkk2225555116633j89aaa888522311nk3ccc33c311fffkk760................", "..................0nngf11jkk33118811111kkkggfddkkkkk11tt21hrddkk1122555566b333j8aa811182213pnkclccccccc113fdkk70................", "..................0ncg11jkk331e1aa888111k1ggfddkkkk1tvv521ffkkkkkk11255661b333318811411841opnmflcccccccc113fdk70................", ".................0jngc1jk33314e1aaaa84111kkffddkkk1tv551121kjkkkk3kk126613cbcc331844881841oennmflcccccccc113fd720...............", ".................0jgg1jk3c344eoaaaa884111pkffdddkk1rr4144111j1113kklkk22333cccccc118881541eonnmkckcccccddc11jd720...............", ".................0mgk133c1004eoaaaa844481pk1gdddkk144114541441111klkkl333ccccccccc18445154ennnmkk7cccccddejj11d20...............", ".................0mg1kc310nk1111149444860kk1egddd188221451494521221bll1ccccccccccc9225511pnnnnkcc7kcdcceeedj1k120...............", ".................0gc1c309nnk111441944860.0111egd41442115119a25522111b001ccdcccddd191211igpnpnnkc1kkdddcedde1kk620...............", ".................0g1c309qnk184914188480...0018111411251519a92211211000001cddddddd1n112igmnppnnm88163eecceeee1jk60...............", ".................0gc304qnn188449811120.....08188844f12515a92mmpmmk1kkjj000cdddddd1nniigggmpnnnmk9163deeceeeeejkl0...............", ".................0c304qnnm111545188210...008811122hfn11159npmpaak5ppjel70.0ccdddd1nnhiiggmnnmmnk9411deeeceeeejkml0..............", "..................000qpnnmdd511518821k000m2951881hfmmn1mppnpqaqqk51pjfel70.00cddd1nnnhaggfnmhfnn4116deeeceeeeejml0..............",

"...................08pnnmdhae5511112k66epm291511hgdmm1mmnnnqqkkkk1chneffl70..00dddnnnfaggfnhhfg118416eeeeceeeecknl0.............", "..................08qnnnmfahgeennk1kk6eapppii1hhgfdkk1mnnnookk111chcnmkfc770...0ccknnfigggndhgff18421eeeeceeeecknl0.............", "..................0qnnnmfgagfnnnkkkklkaaanmgghggfdkk11mnnnokjc1151ggmnmkck770...00knnngigfgdhhggf15261eeeedeeeeknn0.............", ".................09qknnmgagfnnnkkkjklnnnanm1ghfffmmk1mnnnnkjcg11514hgnnmkkk70....0nknmgigfd1ddhgfd2561eeeedeeeeennk0............", ".................09idkmgaggfnnkkkkjjpn1kmmn1ghfffmkk1nnnnnnnhg15841hgmnnmkkk60...0mmmgg91112113ddfd261eeeeeeeeefnnk0............", "................09idkkkhagfnnmkkkkjpp11nknm1ghffnkk11pnnnnnnoh18851ghfmfmkkk760..0mmjg1198882113dfde1eeeeeeeeeeffnn0............", "...............09ggf1khahgmnmkkkklkpp1ennnm1phffnkk11pnnmnnogg189552hgfmmmkkk70...0jcc1198412211chde1beeeeeehhefhnnj0...........", "...............0dgff1118ggdmkkkkllnp11ennnm1pfnnnkk11pnnnmfgg218a942hgggfmkkk770...01c1111412111chde80beeeeeehhehnnj0...........", "..............0egd11188111gdkkkkllni1hennmf1ppnnnck12dnnoggf2219aa8411gggffkkk70....01119994e5511hfe80004eeeehhfhhnm0...........", "..............0eg3118998821dokkl6nin1hgnnmf1ppnnnc122dnogg31549aaa8845115fffkk770...0898198ee5121hfo80..04eeehhfhhnm0...........", "..............0ge31111114421obl62ng11bhgnee1mfmnkk11efogg31549aaaaa88455111fddk70..04988188he882233o80...001ehhhhhmn10..........", ".............0cgcc1i88111121b962dg11babggdd1mfmnn122efgg114449aaaaa888455111ddd730.04422598he188411o80.....01ehhhhhn10..........", ".............0cfcc1i814881121920fd11aa8bggd11fmnj122eggd11449aaaaaaa884551jjbcde30049411589heeb5451o0.......00ehhhhn10..........", ".............0cfc1i8814882122200fjjjaaa8gg351nfnj222egd111148aaaaaaa844555b33bce9004941118eecedb5650..........0bhhhnk0..........", "..............0c0ci881189222000efjk1a9aa9g345nnn2122eg22111888aaaa9811pppm5b3c3c980441101411coodb60............0bhhfk0..........", "...............00c9881189160..0efckaaa999g3445n24111ee12211888aaa9111ipgfkm6b3ccc8004111894113ooo80.............0bhfk0..........", "................091111188160..0ccc1aaa999334454423b1b1jjj1jj889aa819niipgfkm6003c80018119821113eo80..............0bfk0..........", "...............0224411812120...0c02a29aa8444448213bbbj111jll1889a819nnagggfk70.0330.088882125123e80...............00k0..........", "...............0114848812210..00002222998884448133333331jklll188a821pnaaggfkk70000..01221155121110..................0...........", "................01248421120..0ehha21829988188960bc3333331kklll188925pnnagggkk7440....0112551251120..............................", ".................0212211120.0eggaen811298181960.0bccccc313k77l149955pnndgggdkk7450....00111252220...............................", "..................01222110.0eggiekn582198bb440...0bccccc313777004151pnndgggdkk7j500.....01112200................................", "...................021120..0hgiikmn25211111150....0bccccc333770.0111ppnngdcckk7j5jj0.....00000..................................", "....................0000..0ehhimkmkk222241cb150....00bcccc3c77600441nnnndckkkk7c1jkk00..........................................", "..........................0egghkmmkk12244hccbl50.....0bccccc7760e8e2nnnnmdkkkk7ce1nkk60.........................................", "..........................0gggfkmkkk1224fh52c1l50.....00ccccc7608e82cenmmdkkkk7ce1nnnl60........................................", "..........................0gfffkkkkm1121df25d1k70.......000ccc60beb1ecmmddkkkklde1nnnkl60.......................................", "..........................0gdfcjkkkkm111bddd1kkk70.........0000.0b11ghckmmkkkkldormnnmkl0.......................................", "..........................0gdfcj3dkkkdfb1b111kkkk70............0bpn1nghdkmmkkk1govrmmkkk60......................................", "..........................0gdfd3d3dkbfdoopnkkkkkk70............0nppn1gghdkmkkk1gdvrkkkkkk60.....................................", "..........................0dddd333jbfdd1pnmkkk3kkk70...........0nppm11dghkmkk11gdvvjkkkkk70.....................................", "..........................0dfffkkj1fddd1nnmkkkk3kk70...........0nnnm11vdghm11kggdovjkkkkk760....................................", "...........................0fdf3k11fdds1nmkkkkkckk70...........0nnnnk1uvgghggggddov1jklkkk60....................................",

"...........................0ddfd32dfdvs1mmkkkkkcck760..........0nnnnk11utgho1111dov11kl3dk70....................................", "...........................0dddd22fdvvu1mmkkkkkcd3k60..........0nnnmk14rtggo11212fo151l3dk70....................................", "............................011122fdtud1kkkkkkkcd3k60..........0mnmkk144rtgg18221fo5551ccd720...................................", "............................05552efdtudd1kkkkkkcddk70...........0mkkk11818gg18888241555oooo20...................................", ".............................0eeeffdttdc1kkkkkkdeek70...........0kkkk11481ff899884215565boe80...................................", ".............................0e33ffdddc122jkkkkddek70............0kkk1148411aa8884f515660be80...................................", ".............................03111gddc12221jkjjdeec70............0jkkk118441a9fffgfgfd5620080...................................", ".............................08341gdd12521j11jlceec70.............0jkk1188819aggfggfgdff2200....................................", ".............................08481cc1252221600llceo70..............00kk18441gaaggggfgfdff20.....................................", "..........................000048e141254222260.0lceo60................011184ggaaggggfggddff200...................................", ".........................09fhhie14244455222660.01eo60.................00184gggaaggggggfdfgddd0..................................", "........................09hfghiggb244552221660001ee0...................081egggaagghhffffdggcfc0.................................", ".......................09hfghhgfffb2455992111d600ee0...................091egggaaag111111ddgfcf0.................................", "......................0igggiigfffgfb218912fffd60.00....................091gggghh1111111113ffcoo0................................", ".....................0igggiigfffgdffb18812hfcdd20.....................0111ggggh111555555113fdco0................................", "....................0ccjjjbgggffdfddfb221dhc52d20....................0eh1ddggh11144448445113dooo0...............................", ".....................0c1111bggfffdddffb21dg252d20...................01eh1dggg311199888884221cdco0...............................", ".....................0c554411gfdfddddf311dgd22f1l0..................01ehd1ffg3114498818822211cdo80..............................", "...................00089995211ffdfdddd3111dgdf11l20.................01fgd1ggf1114498bb11bb1211cd80..............................", ".................00bbb899255211fffdddd11111dd11kk720................01fgc1fgc1h1419hgffdfffk111dd0..............................", "................0eggignn2252efc1fdddd115221111kkk720.................0ffc11f1chm1nhaggffdffk711110..............................", "...............0eghignkkkkjeffdc111d1152221nkkkkkk720................0dfc1111ffhmnhaggffdffkk71j0...............................", "..............0eghigkkkkmmmjddcck111111221knkkkkkk720................0kd114418fmnnniiggfffffk7j1l0..............................", ".............0eegickkkkkkkkk11kkmkk1111111nkkkkkkkk70.................0k1122488nnnniagggdddfkk71l10.............................", "............0echhckkkkkkkkkkk1mmkkkk111111nkkkkk3kk760................0nk121nnmnmnnnaggd111kmkk71l0.............................", "...........0ecehfkkkmkkkkkkkk1kkkkk11111111jjjjj333k60...............0nnm112nmmnmnnnihg11511mmk71110............................", "...........0e3hfkmmmkkkkkkkkjj11110000000000000000000................0nnmj1nnknnnnnnihc15451mnkkk110............................", "..........033efkmmm000000000000000....................................0nj11nnknnnnnnhic154451mnk7110............................", "...........00000000....................................................00000000nnnnnni2254455mnkk70.............................", "...............................................................................0000nni11111111mnkk0.............................", "...................................................................................000000000000000..............................", "................................................................................................................................" ] }

Want to make your own? Open the Pixel Art Maker and start small with 16×16 or 32×32. You'll be surprised how much character fits in a tiny grid.