NapNodes
Free tool · Minecraft Java and Bedrock

Minecraft pixel art generator

Choose an image and the blocks you want to build it with: you get the plan, square by square, and the list of what you need to gather, counted in stacks and shulker boxes. With the block names exactly as they appear in the game.

How to build it

  1. Find a wall or a floor with room for it: as many blocks wide and high as the plan says. Upright, it can be seen from far away; on the ground, from the air or on a map.
  2. Gather what's on the list. Download the plan and the list to keep them open on another screen or on your phone.
  3. Start with the top row and go from left to right. The thick lines, every 8 blocks, help you count without losing your place; click a square to see which block goes there.

It goes faster as a group: everyone takes their own part of the grid. If you're building it on a server with friends, see the guide to WorldEdit on your Minecraft server to fill large areas of one colour at once, and how to set up a Minecraft SMP with friends to get started.

Frequently asked questions

What are the best blocks for Minecraft pixel art?

Concrete: bright, flat colours with no pattern, so from a distance it looks like a real pixel. Wool has the same 16 colours, a bit lighter and with texture, and it burns. Terracotta gives muted tones, good for skin, wood or landscapes. With “All three” the tool picks from all 49 and the image comes out closer to the original, but you have to gather more kinds of block.

How big should I make it?

For a logo or a character, 32 to 64 blocks per side is already recognisable. A photo needs more, 96 or 128, and dithering. Bear in mind that 64×64 is 4,096 blocks: more than two full shulker boxes.

What does dithering do?

With only 16 colours, a gradient comes out in patches. Dithering mixes two similar blocks in alternating squares so that from a distance you see the colour in between. It works well on photos and faces; on logos with flat colours it muddies the edges, so turn it off there.

Does it work for map art?

For the size, yes: a map covers 128×128 blocks, this tool's maximum. But a map paints each block with its own palette, not its texture, so the colours change a little when you look at it on a map.

Does it work in Minecraft Bedrock?

Yes: concrete, wool and terracotta are the same blocks in Java and Bedrock, with the same 16 colours. The names in the list are the game's English names.

How do I build it faster?

In creative, without counting blocks. In survival, gather what's on the list (the “In your inventory” column already gives it in stacks and shulker boxes) and build row by row from the top, using the thick grid line every 8 blocks so you don't lose your place. With WorldEdit you can fill large areas of one colour in one go.

Building it together?

At NapNodes you get a free Minecraft server, no card needed: start it when you want to build and it turns itself off when nobody's left. Each machine's load is public on the status page.

Create your free server

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