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8-bit avatar maker

Turn a selfie, your pet or anyone you can describe into a chunky 8-bit bust with bold outlines and a tiny palette, like the hero of a cartridge you had to blow into before it would load.

Make yours free See examples

From a selfie or a sentence, in about ten seconds. No card needed.

8-bit examples

Each of these was drawn from one line of text, shown under it. Type your own, or add a selfie instead.

8-bit pixel art avatar of a young woman with a copper-red bob and round glasses
Made from “19-year-old woman with a messy copper-red bob, round tortoiseshell glasses, chunky green cardigan, curious look”
8-bit pixel art avatar of a young man with spiky brown hair in a basketball jersey
Made from “21-year-old man with a spiky mop of brown hair, oversized blue basketball jersey with no lettering over a white tee, cheeky grin”
8-bit pixel art avatar of a golden retriever in a red bandana
Made from “a golden retriever with a realistic, naturally proportioned head turned slightly to one side, long wavy golden fur, mouth open in a happy pant, wearing a red bandana”

What makes it 8-bit

Big, readable pixels

Every pixel is chunky and square, so the avatar still reads as you at 40 pixels wide in a chat sidebar.

A tiny palette

A handful of flat colours per avatar, like the colour limits of the first home consoles.

Bold dark outlines

A crisp outline around the character keeps it sharp on light and dark backgrounds.

Framed for a profile picture

Head and shoulders, centred like a passport photo, so it sits right in a round or square avatar slot.

How to make one

  1. Pick 8-bit. The button on this page opens minipic.me with 8-bit already chosen.
  2. Add a selfie or a sentence. One face in good light, looking at the camera, works best. Or describe anyone (or anything) in a few words.
  3. Keep it. Download PNG or WebP from 64 to 1024 pixels, with the background kept or cut out to transparent, or tweak it ("add a red scarf").

Great for

  • Discord and Slack profile pictures
  • Twitch and YouTube channel icons
  • Game forum and gaming platform avatars
  • Retro-themed team pages
  • Emoji-sized icons and stickers

Questions

Is this real pixel art?

It is drawn to look like hand-placed 8-bit pixel art: a hard pixel grid, a small palette and no blur. Download it at 64 or 128 pixels for the crispest look, or up to 1024 pixels for print.

What is the difference between 8-bit and 32-bit?

8-bit is chunky and iconic, with few colours and big pixels. 32-bit is the detailed role-playing game portrait, with more shading, more colours and finer pixels. Same subject, very different mood.

Is it free?

Your first two avatars are free, no card needed. After that, your first pack is $5 for 12 avatars, then packs start at $9 for 20, and credits never expire.

Do you keep my photo?

A photo you add to draw once is used for that drawing and not kept. Photos you save in People are kept privately until you delete them or your account.

More styles

32-bitDetailed role-playing game roster portrait HandheldFour-shade green monochrome screen KawaiiCute big-eyed chibi bust

See all styles

Two avatars on us.

Make a 8-bit avatar