Lospec
A home for pixel art and other restrictive digital art: a large palette list, pixel art tutorials, a browser pixel editor and small tools such as a palette quantiser and dither pattern generator. For programmers making a pixel art game, picking a Lospec palette is the quickest route to a consistent look.
Tool
Other
Lospec
Beginner
Free
What it is
Lospec describes itself as a home for digitally restrictive art. It offers free tools and resources for pixel art:
- Palette list: thousands of curated colour palettes, searchable by number of colours and tag, downloadable in formats that editors and engines can use.
- Tutorials: a collection of pixel art tutorials from around the web, grouped by topic.
- Tools: a browser-based pixel editor, a palette quantiser, a dither pattern generator and other small utilities.
Is it worth using?
Yes, if your game uses pixel art. A limited palette is one of the easiest ways for a non-artist to make art that looks consistent, and Lospec has the best-known collection of palettes. The tutorials cover the basics beginners need: clean lines, shading with few colours, readable silhouettes and simple animation.
How to use it in the roadmap
In the art and audio stage:
- Pick one small palette (8 to 32 colours) for the whole game.
- Draw sprites at one fixed size, such as 16x16 or 32x32 pixels.
- In the engine, set textures to nearest (point) filtering and scale by whole numbers only.
Time
Choosing a palette takes minutes; getting comfortable drawing simple sprites takes a few weeks of short practice.
Free vs paid
The tools and palette list are free. Lospec is supported by optional donations and supporter programmes.
Common questions
Do I need a paid pixel editor? No. The Lospec editor, or free editors such as LibreSprite or Piskel, are enough for a first game. Aseprite is a popular paid option.
Can I use a palette in a commercial game? Palettes are colour lists; check the palette page for any notes from its creator, and credit them if asked.
A starter plan for a non-artist
- Week one: choose a palette, draw the player, one enemy, one pickup and a 16x16 tileset with ground and wall tiles.
- Week two: add two-frame or four-frame animations for idle and run, and a simple hit flash.
- Then play the game and fix readability before adding more detail. Consistency and contrast matter more than detail at this size.
Ready to start?
Opens on Lospec in a new tab.
Stuck on something specific?
Writing only gets you so far. If you want an answer to your situation rather than the general case, book a session and we will work through it together. Sessions are free for approved Sefism members, and a few slots open each week.
Follow along
New writing, resources and project ideas land here first.