How to Draw a 16×16 Twin-Blade Steel Polearm in Pixel Art
This polearm begins with two separate steel prongs at the top edge. They descend in parallel, overlap inside a dense multi-plane head, and resolve into one small socket. A thin warm-metal shaft then continues to the bottom-right corner.
The exact CC0 reference contains 94 visible pixels and 8 visible
colours. We will construct it in six stages. Coordinates use (x, y) from
the top-left.
Explore the complete drawing history
Use the saved frames to study the silhouette before drawing. Show changes isolates the two blade tips, three steel values inside the head, and the warm shaft running away from the socket.
Step 1: outline the twin blades, central head, and shaft
Start the left blade with black at x0–1 on row 0. Start the second blade at x5–6 on the same row, leaving three transparent cells between the tips.
Carry both prongs down-right through rows 1–3. From rows 4–8, use short black segments to divide their overlapping steel planes instead of drawing one empty outer shell. Close the lower head around x3–10 on row 9.
The shaft begins at the amber socket on row 9. Draw paired black rails around a one-cell diagonal core through rows 10–14, then close the foot with black at x14–15 on row 15. The complete silhouette and internal separators contain 55 black pixels.
Step 2: block eight base-steel anchor cells
Use base steel #A5C9C9 at these anchors:
(1,1), (6,1), (2,2), (10,4), (1,5), (7,7), (8,8), (4,9)
The first three establish the two prongs. The four cells across rows 4–8 mark
the broad head’s main masses. The final cell at (4,9) closes the lowest steel
edge before the warm shaft begins.
Step 3: add twelve light-steel cutting planes
Use light steel #CEECEC to create the brightest edges. Continue the right
prong from (7,2) through (7,3), and place highlights along the left prong
and central crossings on rows 3–8.
Keep each pale region narrow. The two blades must still read as overlapping planes, not one large silver patch. On rows 7–8, light steel sits between deep steel cells and points toward the socket.
Step 4: cut deep and charcoal facets into the head
Add deep steel #476367 to six cells where the blade planes turn. Then place
charcoal steel #2F4049 in seven tighter recesses around the central overlap
and lower socket.
The two dark values have different jobs: deep steel continues visible blade surfaces; charcoal represents gaps and undersides where one prong crosses the other. Preserve black between neighbouring facets whenever the source row shows a hard boundary.
Step 5: seat the shaft with amber collars and a copper foot
Place amber #E0993C at (9,9) and (13,13). The first cell is the head-side
collar; the second prepares the shaft for its darker foot.
Add copper #C07F3A at (14,14). The colour sequence now has both endpoints,
but the middle three shaft cells remain empty.
Step 6: finish the three-cell golden shaft core
Fill (10,10), (11,11), and (12,12) with gold #FBBD5D. Read the complete
one-cell core as:
amber → gold → gold → gold → amber → copper
Every warm cell must stay between the two black diagonal rails. A one-cell shift would make the shaft appear bent away from the heavy steel head.
Exact row blueprint
| Rows | Main construction |
|---|---|
| 0–3 | two independent outlined blade tips with base and light steel |
| 4–6 | widening overlap of light, deep, charcoal, and base steel planes |
| 7–8 | dense central head with internal black dividers and lower facets |
| 9 | last base-steel edge, charcoal socket, and first amber shaft cell |
| 10–12 | black rails around the three-cell gold core |
| 13 | amber lower collar |
| 14 | copper foot core |
| 15 | two-pixel black end cap |
Watch two blade tips become one weapon
The automatic player builds every outer and internal black boundary first, adds base and light steel, cuts both dark facet layers, and finishes with the amber, copper, and gold shaft sequence.
Automatic drawing
Start with an empty 16×16 canvas
Draw the polearm yourself
Complete the two blade tips independently before filling the crowded centre. Use Diff to inspect internal black separators, then finish the six-cell shaft from its two collars inward.
Draw the twin-blade steel polearm yourself
Rebuild all 94 visible pixels. Use Diff view to check the two separated blade tips, dense steel overlaps, and narrow warm shaft.
What this sprite teaches
- Separated tips can merge into one readable head. Preserve the transparent gap across the first four rows.
- Internal outlines organize overlapping metal. Black dividers are structural, not decorative noise.
- Three steel values create depth at tiny scale. Light, deep, and charcoal planes each have a distinct role.
- A narrow shaft balances a wide head. The one-cell warm core keeps visual weight at the top.
- Material order reinforces direction. Amber, gold, and copper guide the eye toward the foot.
The source sprite is by Shade and is released under CC0 on OpenGameArt. The finished tutorial frame matches every source cell exactly.