Category preset · anime + cel-shaded
Tomodachi Life Anime Pixel Art Maker
Convert anime, manga, and chibi character art into Tomodachi Life Palette House pixel art. The tool below is pre-tuned with the Detailed + Atkinson preset that works best for cel-shaded sources — flat colour regions stay clean, shadows get just enough texture.
Recommended settings
StyleDetailed (64×64 grid)
Brush in-game4 px
DitheringAtkinson
Edge enhanceOff (lineart already crisp)
Saturation+10 to +20 if dull
Anime → pixel art
1 · Source image
⬆
Drop a PNG / JPG here
Or click to browse
No image? → Try the demo gradient
2 · Pick a style
Detailed = 64×64 grid · Balanced = 32×32 · Retro = 16×16 · Chunky = 8×8
3 · Dithering algorithm
4 · Adjustments
Side-by-side compare
Original
Pixel art
Your pixel art preview appears here
Upload an image on the left, or click Try the demo gradient to test the dithering algorithms.
Output specs
Upload an image to see the output.
Tips · anime sources
How to get the best anime pixel art
- Crop tightly. 64×64 is small. A full-body shot loses the face; crop to the head + shoulders for portrait-style pieces.
- Pick references with bold outlines. Lineart that's 2+ pixels thick at the source resolution survives the downsample. Hairline lines vanish.
- Use Atkinson over Floyd–Steinberg. Atkinson preserves clean flat regions — F–S spreads noise into your character’s skin and hair.
- Boost saturation for sticker-style art. Tomodachi’s palette is warm but slightly muted; +10 to +20 saturation makes anime colours pop.
- Test the preset, then iterate. If outlines blur, try None dithering. If shadows look flat, add Edge enhance.
Anime pixel art · FAQ
Best settings, source tips, and what works at Tomodachi Life’s canvas size.
What settings work best for anime in Tomodachi Life?
Use the Detailed style (64×64 grid, 4-px brush in-game) with Atkinson dithering. Atkinson preserves the flat colour regions typical of anime / cel-shaded art while keeping subtle texture on shadows. If your source has very bold flat fills (chibi, sticker art), switch dithering to None for the cleanest look.
Which anime sources work best?
High-contrast, cel-shaded references with bold outlines. Official key art, sticker designs, chibi panels, and fan art with clean lineart all convert well. Avoid heavily-painted illustrations — gradients lose detail at 64×64.
Should I crop my source first?
Yes — the tool centre-crops to a square. If you only care about a character's face, crop tightly before uploading so the head fills the canvas at the highest possible resolution.
Can I paste a URL from Pixiv or DeviantArt?
Direct image links work. If a host blocks cross-origin loading the tool falls back to a CORS proxy automatically; if both fail, save the image locally and drag it in.
How long does a detailed anime piece take to paint in-game?
A 64×64 grid is 4,096 cells. Most painters finish in 30–60 minutes — paint one colour at a time, large fills first, lineart last.