Draw a pixel art apple, step by step

By · October 16, 2026

To draw a pixel art apple, go in this order: outline, flat colors, shading, lighting, then details. Draw it below, one step at a time. If you get stuck, press Watch me draw it and I'll show you.

This sprite is wide. It's easier to draw on a computer, or with your phone turned sideways.

Step 1

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Why draw in steps?

One of the most common mistakes I see is trying to finish a sprite all at once. People throw in a bunch of colors and texture, then go back and forth trying to fix everything. Working in steps is faster, because each step only asks you one question. Is the outline clean? Are the colors right? Where does the light come from?

I always start with a shape, a rough silhouette that sets the size and proportions. Here I've done the shape for you, so you start straight with the outline.

Step 1: Outline

Black one pixel outline of an apple with two leaves

Outlines are the lines around the shape. Contours are the lines inside it, like the vein of a leaf. Both should be clean and smooth. Watch out for three mistakes:

  • Doubles. Two pixels stuck together side by side. Parts of a line should only touch each other by the corner, diagonally.
  • Jaggies. A misplaced pixel that breaks the line.
  • Breaking the math order. In a curve, add or subtract only one or a couple of pixels at a time: 3, 3, 2, 1, then back up 2, 3, 4. Jump from 2 straight to 6 and the curve looks broken.

Step 2: Flat colors

The apple filled with flat red and green, with a dark red outline

Now fill the shape with one flat color per area: red for the apple, green for the leaves. I also recolor the outline. Once the black outline has done its job and set the shape and scale, we don't need it black anymore. Dark red goes around the apple, dark green around the leaves.

This is where a lot of beginners stop and wonder why their sprite doesn't look like real pixel art yet. Part of it is the colors, and part of it is that shading, lighting and details are still missing.

Step 3: Shading

The apple with darker red shading on the bottom right and a grey shadow on the ground

Shading gives your pixel art depth. It can also make it worse if you don't know what you're doing, so decide where the light comes from first. Here it comes from the top left, so the shaded side is the bottom right. I use two darker reds: the main shadow and a thin band just before it. The leaves get a darker green on the side away from the light, and the apple casts a small shadow on the ground.

Step 4: Lighting

The apple with a small light highlight on its top left

Lighting gives the sprite a crisp look. A small highlight on the top left, where the light hits first, is enough. Here it's only 7 pixels. Like with shading, be careful and don't overdo it.

Step 5: Details

The finished pixel art apple with lighter leaf creases, bounce light and anti-aliasing

At the end I check every step again. Is the shape right? The outline? The colors? Then I fine tune:

  • Lighter leaf creases. The leaves are on top and get a lot of light, so their creases shouldn't be that dark.
  • Bounce light. Light hits the ground and bounces back onto the bottom of the apple. It's an artistic choice, but small details like this are what separate amateur work from pro work.
  • Anti-aliasing. Where two contrasting colors meet, like the light pink highlight and the red, I add a pixel of a mid-tone between them to smooth the edge. Use it in a few places only. Anti-aliasing every edge makes the sprite blurry.

What next?

Try the same five steps on your own sprite: a cherry, a potion bottle, a coin. Keep the light coming from the top left and you'll be surprised how fast it starts to look right.