Bringing a sprite to life is easier than it looks. With a few frames and onion skinning to guide you, you can animate a walk, a blink, or a bouncing coin and export it as a smooth, looping GIF to share anywhere.
Updated July 2026A GIF is just a sequence of still images shown quickly one after another. In pixel art you draw each of those images — called frames — by hand, changing a little from one to the next. Play them in a loop and your sprite moves. You can do all of this for free in the PixeMaker editor.
Quick overview: Draw frame 1 → add a frame and move the sprite a little → repeat → set the FPS → preview the loop → export as GIF.
Start with a finished sprite as frame 1 — the resting pose of whatever you're animating. New to sprites? Our how to make pixel art guide covers the basics of canvas size, palettes, and shading first.
Add a second frame and change only what moves — lift a leg, shift an arm, blink an eye. The trick to smooth animation is small, even changes between frames. Duplicate the previous frame first so the unchanged parts stay perfectly aligned, then edit just the moving pixels.
Onion skinning shows a faint ghost of the frames before and after the one you're drawing. It's the single most useful tool for animation: you can see exactly how far a limb moved and keep your motion consistent instead of jumpy. Turn it on in PixeMaker while you draw each new frame.
FPS — frames per second — controls how fast your animation plays. A lot of classic pixel art looks great at a low 8–12 FPS, which gives that snappy retro feel. Raise it for smoother, more fluid motion; lower it for a deliberately choppy look. Adjust the FPS in PixeMaker and watch the preview update live.
Play the animation and watch it loop. Look for hitches where the motion jumps or a pixel pops out of place, and check that the last frame flows back into the first so the loop is seamless. Tweak individual frames until the cycle feels continuous.
When you're happy with the loop, choose the GIF export in PixeMaker. Your frames become a single looping animated GIF at the scale you pick (1×, 4×, 8×, or 16×). Export at a higher scale so the animation stays crisp on social media, which often blurs tiny images.
Want the frames as a single image for a game instead of a GIF? See how to make a sprite sheet.
Simple loops like a blink or a bobbing coin work with just 2–4 frames. A basic walk cycle usually uses 4–8. More frames mean smoother motion but more drawing.
It shows a faint ghost of the neighbouring frames while you draw the current one, so you can line up movement precisely for smooth animation.
Many look great at a low 8–12 FPS for a classic, snappy feel. Raise it for smoother motion or lower it for a choppier, retro look.
Related guides: How to make pixel art · How to make a sprite sheet · All guides