Top 20 Easy Pixel Art Ideas

Are you excited to create your own pixel art but need some easy pixel art ideas? There is a ton of excitement surrounding this popular art style called pixel art and best of all it is super easy to get started. We have a list of the top 20 easy pixel art ideas that you can start drawing to today to create pixel art graphics and games.

Pixel Art Ideas

Pixel art ideas are creative concepts that involve designing images using small, distinct pixels in a grid-based format, which can be used to create a retro look and feel. These designs are commonly used in video games, animations, and digital illustrations, providing a nostalgic look while maintaining a unique, stylized charm. Pixel art can be used for everything from character sprites and backgrounds to icons and user interfaces, offering a wide variety of options for both modern and classic digital projects.

What is Pixel Art?

Pixel art is a type of digital art form where 2D images are created using squares called pixels using a software called a pixel editor. This simple type of art was originally created on older video games consoles where the graphics were constrained to 8-bit and 16-bit devices. Because of the lower resolution, artists designed innovative ways of placing pixels on a canvas to portray all kinds of 2D graphics. This has led to millions of pixel art examples and ideas across dozens of different categories. Even though new devices have higher resolutions and color support, pixel art is still a very popular art style used frequently in video games because of how easy it is to create and its unique nostalgic style. With these easy pixel art ideas this fun art style is a great choice for artists of all levels.

Check our list of pixel art ideas below:

Pixel Art Star

Star Pixel Art is by far one of the easiest pixel art ideas you can draw today. Pixel Art Stars can used as power-ups in games, icons for menu UI and even a static image for a profile picture. Because of its simplicity, it’s easy to make and even easier to color.

Read the tutorial How to Make a Pixel Art Star

Pixel Art Cat

Cat Pixel Art is a commonly drawn piece of pixel art that is loved by beginner and expert pixel artists. Naturally a pixel art cat is very easy to make therefore making it a great pixel art idea for characters in video games or even a simple background character in a scene.

Read more about the How to Make a Pixel Art Cat

Pixel Art Apple

Apple Pixel Art is not only a yummy treat, but easy to draw too! Pixel Art Apples make great pick up items in a game for health boosts and have also been used quite frequently as an icon to represent tutorials. Because of the different colors, its one of the easy pixel art ideas to quickly add color to a scene.

Read more about the How to Make a Pixel Art Apple

Pixel Art Tree

Tree Pixel Art is an incredibly popular pixel art idea for first time pixel artists to create and simple to color. Pixel Art Trees by far are the de facto choice for background elements because depending on its shape and color it can define what picture is all about such as a fall afternoon or a chilly winter morning.

Read more about How to Make a Pixel Art Tree

Pixel Art Heart

Heart Pixel Art is by far one of the most loved pieces of pixel art in our list of top pixel art ideas. Like other standard icons, pixel art hearts represent health or stamina in games and can even be used to signify the amount of lives a video game character has.

Read more about How to Make a Pixel Art Heart

Pixel Art Sun

Sun Pixel art is one of the easier items on our list that can add some light to any scene. A pixel art sun is, as you might have guessed, a great choice for making backgrounds especially skies. This is an easy pixel art idea for creating simple sky backgrounds for games and desktop wallpaper.

Read the tutorial How to Make a Pixel Art Sun

Pixel Art Dog

Dog Pixel Art is an fun pixel art idea that has inspired hundreds of different versions because of how simple they are to make. Pixel art dogs are a popular choice for characters and sidekicks in games and even animations.

Read the tutorial How to Make a Pixel Art Dog

Pixel Art Dragon

Dragon Pixel art is the perfect choice for the bad guy and fun pixel art idea to draw! Pixel art dragons are used frequently for the nemesis of a hero in video games and can even be used as an ally in some cases.

Read the tutorial How to Make a Pixel Art Dragon

Pixel Art Flower

Flower pixel art can add beauty to any piece of pixel art fast making it one of the easier pixel art ideas to start drawing today. Pixel art flowers are incredibly easy to make and a simple way to add color to dull backgrounds and in some cases have been used to represent special power ups in games.

Read the tutorial How to Make a Pixel Art Flower

Pixel Art Basketball

Basketball pixel art is an easy item to draw for beginners which is why we decided to add it to the list of pixel art ideas. Pixel art basketballs can not only be used as props in images but can even be used as the main item in video games such as sports.

Read the tutorial How to Make a Pixel Art Basketball

Pixel Art Ghost

Ghost pixel art has become a cute pixel art idea that is simple to make. Pixel art ghosts have actually come to be an item that doesn’t necessarily have to be scary but can be funny and in most cases cute making them perfect for colorful graphics.

Read the tutorial How to Make a Pixel Art Ghost

Pixel Art Fish

Fish pixel art are the perfect piece of art for underwater scenes. Pixel art fish is really easy to make and even easier to make different color versions which is a colorful pixel art idea that can add life to any sea-based theme.

Read the tutorial How to Make a Pixel Art Fish

Pixel Art Emoji

Emoji pixel art is super popular and super easy to draw too making it a funny pixel art idea! Pixel art emojis are ideal for chat boxes and social media icons in apps and games.

Read the tutorial How to Make a Pixel Art Emoji

Pixel Art Knight

Knight pixel art is the perfect hero that can be made quick and easy. Pixel art knights are frequently used in video games because the represent the hero and can be used in combination with other pixel art ideas such as a horse or castle.

Read the tutorial How to Make a Pixel Art Knight

Pixel Art Pizza

Pizza pixel art is simple to make and delicious to eat making it fun pixel art idea that you can draw in seconds! Pixel art pizza is commonly used in video games for pick up items and can sometimes be used as fun icons in a chat app.

Read the tutorial How to Make a Pixel Art Pizza

Pixel Art Horse

Horse pixel art is a simple pixel animal to draw and one of the most requested pixel art ideas on our site. Like we mentioned with the knight, the pixel art horse can be used in combination with other pixel art in video games.

Read the tutorial How to Make a Pixel Art Horse

Pixel Art Clouds

Cloud pixel art are an easy pixel art idea to add flair to your skies and create depth. Pixel art clouds are really common when making backgrounds and skies in scenes and games.

Read the tutorial How to Make a Pixel Art Cloud

Pixel Art Pig

Pig pixel art is funny pixel art character that is easy to create which made it an easy choice for our list of top pixel art ideas. Pixel art pigs are perfect for creating that farm scene for your next piece of artwork.

Read the tutorial How to Make a Pixel Art Pig

Pixel Art Lightning

Lightning pixel art is simple but powerful pixel art idea. Pixel art lightning has become synonymous with power and is almost always used to represent some kind of boost in video games.

Read the tutorial How to Make a Pixel Art Lightning

Pixel Art Bunny

Bunny pixel art is cute, simple and easy to make all-in-one! Pixel art bunnies are simple to make and and easy pixel art idea for that nature scene.

Read the tutorial How to Make a Pixel Art Bunny

Are you interested in making pixel art? View our new tutorial How to Create Pixel Art: Beginner’s Tutorial!

For more pixel art examples visit our complete list of pixel art tutorials!