Sprite Maker
Draw pixel art, build an animation one frame at a time and preview the movement as you work. This free sprite maker includes a pencil, eraser, fill tool and color picker, plus onion skin to compare your drawing with the previous frame. Create animated bead-art previews or game sprites, then download a looping GIF, a horizontal PNG sprite sheet or an editable project file. Everything runs in your browser. Physical beads do not animate: each frame is a separate design.
Saved automatically in this browser. Download JSON for a portable backup.
How to animate a sprite
- Start with a 16 × 16 grid and draw a clear silhouette.
- Duplicate the frame and move a few pixels to create the next pose.
- Use onion skin to compare with the previous frame. It never appears in exports.
- Press Play and adjust the speed. Reorder frames to smooth the loop.
- Download the GIF for sharing or the sprite sheet for a game engine.
Export and project limits
Use up to 32 frames on grids from 8 × 8 to 64 × 64. PNG and JSON retain your original colors. GIF uses an approximate 256-color palette with transparency and loops continuously. The sprite sheet places frames in a single row at their original resolution, without padding.
Keeping your animation
This editor uses its own browser save, separate from the pattern designer. Importing a project can be undone. Save all animation frames to your account, or publish a looping GIF in the gallery. Export the JSON before clearing browser data or changing devices.
Animation tips
Begin with two or four frames and a low playback speed. Keep the main shape consistent, change one small detail between frames and check the last-to-first transition. Avoid rapid flashing or large high-contrast changes.