How to Draw a 16×16 Gilded Lattice-Guard Steel Broadsword in Pixel Art

Published on July 17, 2026 · 12 min read

This broadsword pairs a layered steel blade with a guard that occupies almost half the canvas. Black branches cross, separate, and reconnect around thirteen gold cells, eleven copper joints, and three leather spans. The empty pockets between those branches are as important as the coloured pixels.

The exact CC0 reference contains 136 visible pixels and 10 visible colours. We will build it in five stages. Coordinates use (x, y) from the top-left corner.

Explore the complete drawing history

Step through the saved frames first. Show changes separates the complete black lattice, midtone steel planes, bright blade facets, lower shadows, and all twenty-seven warm guard cells.

Start with an empty 16×16 canvas

The history viewer, automatic player, and editor share one exact 136-pixel gilded lattice-guard broadsword target.

Step 1: outline the broad blade and hilt lattice

Use black #000000 for all 62 outline pixels. Start with x0–2 on row 0, then follow this exact row map:

r1: x0, x3–4
r2: x0, x5–7
r3: x1, x7
r4: x1, x7
r5: x2, x8–11
r6: x2, x10, x12
r7: x2–4, x10, x13–14
r8: x5, x11, x14
r9: x5, x12, x14
r10: x5–7, x15
r11: x5, x8, x13–15
r12: x6, x9, x13
r13: x7, x11–12, x14–15
r14: x7–9, x11, x13, x15
r15: x10–11, x13–15

The blade widens abruptly at rows 1, 2, and 5. Below row 6, treat every black group as part of the guard lattice. Preserve the transparent pockets between the upper gold bow, left sweep, central grip, and right pommel cage.

Step 2: block in fifteen midtone steel cells

Place base steel #A5C9C9 at:

(4,2), (2,4), (9,7), (9,8), (10,8), (7,9), (8,9), (11,9), (8,10), (9,11)

These ten cells appear in separated planes: two near the tip, three at the blade shoulder, three across row 9, and two near the socket.

Add muted steel #608888 at (2,2), (3,3), (4,3), (3,4), and (7,7). The upper four form a compact diamond; the final cell starts the darker root transition.

Step 3: place twenty-two bright blade facets

Use light steel #CEECEC at:

(1,1), (2,1), (1,2), (3,2), (2,3), (6,6), (7,6), (8,6), (9,6), (6,7), (6,8), (6,9)

Then place near-white gleam #F4FEFE at (5,3), (6,3), (6,4), (3,5), (6,5), (7,5), (3,6), (4,6), (5,6), and (5,7).

The twelve pale cells define the upper blade face and a straight edge near x6. The ten gleams form a broad broken reflection around rows 3–7.

Step 4: deepen ten steel shadow cells

Place deep steel #476367 at (8,7), (7,8), (8,8), (9,9), (10,9), and (9,10).

Add shadow steel #83A3A3 at (4,4), (5,4), (4,5), and (5,5). The four-cell shadow square balances the upper gleam, while the six deep cells make a stepped lower rail that terminates at the blade socket.

Step 5: finish twenty-seven warm guard cells

Use gold #FBBD5D at:

(11,7), (12,7), (12,8), (13,9), (10,10), (11,10), (13,10), (7,11), (10,11), (7,12), (8,12), (9,13), (10,13)

Add warm copper #E0993C at:

(11,6), (13,8), (12,10), (14,10), (6,11), (12,11), (10,12), (11,12), (8,13), (10,14), (14,14)

Finish with dark leather #7E4E26 at (11,11), (12,12), and (13,13). Gold marks the brightest turns, copper builds connecting joints, and the three leather cells form a straight diagonal grip through the centre of the lattice.

Exact row blueprint

Rows	Final construction
0–2	black cap and stepped shoulder around light, base, and muted steel
3–5	broad gleam, shadow square, and black widening rails
6–7	brightest blade face, deep lower rail, and first copper/gold guard branch
8–9	base and deep root planes beside the rising right guard lattice
10–11	blade socket opens into dense gold, copper, leather, and black cross-branches
12–13	left gold sweep, copper joints, diagonal leather grip, and right cage
14–15	two lower guard caps connected by separate copper and gold branches

Watch the lattice fill around the grip

The automatic player draws every black branch first, fills the steel midtones, adds twenty-two bright facets, deepens the lower rail, and then places all twenty-seven warm guard cells.

Automatic drawing

Start with an empty 16×16 canvas

0 / 136 pixel changes

The replay separates broad silhouette, midtone blade planes, reflection, shadows, and the gilded guard lattice into five readable passes.

Draw the broadsword yourself

Complete the blade before entering the guard. Use Diff repeatedly while building the lattice so every intended transparent pocket remains open.

Draw the gilded lattice-guard steel broadsword yourself

Match 47%

Rebuild all 136 visible pixels. Use Diff view to check every broad blade facet and each transparent pocket inside the gilded guard lattice.

Target

Editor

What this sprite teaches

Complex guards begin with negative space. Drawing every black branch first makes the open pockets easier to protect.
A broad blade can hold multiple value clusters. Upper and lower facets remain distinct because they are separated by rails and gaps.
Square shadows can counter curved highlights. The four-cell shadow block stabilizes the irregular gleam.
Warm materials need separate roles. Gold marks focal turns, copper connects them, and leather defines the grip.
A diagonal grip can organize a lattice. Three leather cells create a central axis through the branching guard.

The source sprite is by Shade and is released under CC0 on OpenGameArt. The finished tutorial frame matches every source cell exactly.