Make a Pixel Art Flower

In this quick guide, you’ll learn how to create a charming pixel art flower step by step! We’ll break down the process so you can design your own flower made entirely out of pixels.

Whether you’re creating a small in-game item or crafting a digital bouquet for social media, this tutorial will help you make a pixel flower from start to finish.

Materials You’ll Need

You can use a variety of tools to make your pixel flower, including:

Drawing a shaded pixel flower with pencil on white paper

Using black or brown paper and pastels for color (Canson XL Series Black Drawing Paper is a great option) #sponsored

Sketching with pencil, then tracing with a marker and adding color using any medium you like

Drawing lightly with pencil and finishing with watercolor to add life

Creating your flower digitally using a pixel art program

Example: a completed pixel flower drawn on beige paper with brown markers and colored pencils for a rustic sepia look.

Before You Begin

Think about the scale of your flower in relation to its surroundings. Scale shows the size relationships between elements in your art. Your flower might be tiny compared to larger background objects, like oversized leaves or a large pot.

Step 1: Pencil Sketch

No matter which medium you choose for the final version, start with a light pencil sketch. Keep your lines gentle until you’re happy with the shape.

Step 2: Choose Your Pixel Art Software

For this tutorial, we’ll use a pixel editor to make our flower. Popular options include:

Mega Voxels

Adobe Photoshop

Aseprite

Illustrator

Make sure you know how to create a grid and use the pencil tool. Once complete, your pixel art flower can be used in games like Minecraft or platforms like Unity. Check out our tutorials for:

Photoshop

Aseprite

Mega Voxels Pixel Art

Illustrator

If you want a list of the best free pixel art programs, see our post: Top Free Pixel Art Software.

Step 3: Create a Grid

We’ll start with a 32×32 pixel grid, a standard size for small pixel art designs, perfect for video games. Set your canvas to white (#FFFFFF). Your canvas should look like a blank spreadsheet ready for your flower design.

Step 4: Draw the Outline

Select black (#000000) and the pencil tool to draw your flower’s outline. This defines the shape of your flower. You can follow the example outline or create your own unique design. Perfectly straight lines aren’t necessary—quirky lines give your flower character.

Step 5: Fill in Color

Now it’s time to add color:

Flower petals: Yellow (#EED31B)

Flower center: Dark brown (#413002)

Stem and leaves: Green (#1F9D40)

Match the colors to your reference, or customize to create your own style.

Step 6: Add Shading

Shading adds depth and dimension. Start with shadows:

Darker yellow for the petals (#C4AD0F)

Dark brown for the center (#312401)

Darker green for leaves (#178835)

Then add highlights to give a 3D effect:

Lighter yellow on top of petals (#FFEB60)

Lighter green on top of leaves (#32B855)

Adjust colors and placement to make your flower unique.

Step 7: Finalize and Check

Turn off the grid lines to view your flower as a finished piece. Make sure you’re happy with the look before moving on.

Step 8: Fill the Background

To make your flower pop, add a background color. Use the bucket tool to fill the canvas with a light blue (#BCEAFE). Click the area outside your flower sprite.

Next Steps

Congratulations! You’ve made your first pixel art flower. Try creating other flower types with different colors—red roses, white lilies, or any flower you imagine.