How to Draw a 16×16 Winged Steel Spear in Pixel Art

Published on July 17, 2026 · 9 min read

This spear combines three shapes at the head: a broad central point, a small upper lug, and a wider lower lug. A three-cell gold collar then narrows the weapon into a one-pixel shaft. Building those pieces separately keeps the tiny silhouette readable.

The exact CC0 reference contains 68 visible pixels and 9 visible colours. We will draw it in five stages. Coordinates use (x, y) from the top-left.

Explore the complete drawing history

Step through the saved frames before drawing. Show changes isolates both side lugs from the main point and the collar from the shaft.

Step 1: block the central spearhead in base steel

Start with black across x0–2 on row 0. Then widen the central point:

• Row 1: black x0 and x3; base steel x1–2.
• Row 2: black x0 and x4; steel x1–3.
• Row 3: black x1 and x5; steel x2–4.
• Row 4: black x2 and x6; steel x3–5.
• Row 5: black x3 and x8; steel x4–7.
• Row 6: black x4 and x7; steel x5.

Fill all 16 central metal cells with base steel #A5C9C9. The width grows from two cells to four, then collapses to one cell at the collar. That compression gives the point a strong shoulder.

Step 2: cut reflective facets into the spearhead

Place light steel #CEECEC at (1,1), (2,1), (1,2), (3,2), (2,3), (4,3), and (3,4).

Use deep steel #476367 at (2,2) and (3,3). Put charcoal steel #2F4049 at (4,4) and (5,5), then blue steel #608888 at (6,5) and (5,6).

Leave base steel at (5,4), (4,5), and (7,5). The pale edge wraps around the upper face, while the deep-to-charcoal-to-blue chain runs into the collar.

Step 3: add the upper and lower steel side lugs

Build the upper lug with black at x7–8 on row 3, base steel at (7,4), and black at (8,4). Its lower boundary shares the existing black at (8,5).

For the lower lug, place black at (3,7) and (6,7), with base steel at x4–5. Close it using black across x3–5 on row 8.

The upper lug contains one metal cell; the lower contains two. That asymmetry keeps the spearhead decorative without making it look like a symmetrical axe.

Step 4: lock the head with a three-cell gold collar

Place gold #FBBD5D at (6,6), (7,7), and (8,8). Add black at (8,7), then black at (7,8) and (9,8).

The three gold cells follow the main diagonal and bridge the broad head to the narrow shaft. The last two are enclosed by black rails; the first shares the spearhead’s existing boundary.

Step 5: finish the long gold-and-amber shaft

Continue with paired black rails and one coloured core:

• Row 9: black x8 and x10; gold x9.
• Row 10: black x9 and x11; gold x10.
• Row 11: black x10 and x12; amber #E0993C x11.
• Row 12: black x11 and x13; amber x12.
• Row 13: black x12 and x14; amber x13.
• Row 14: black x13 and x15; copper #C07F3A x14.
• Row 15: black x14–15.

Gold continues the collar for two cells before amber takes over. The copper foot gives the long diagonal a distinct endpoint.

Exact row blueprint

Watch the spearhead assemble around its point

The automatic player finishes the central point and its facets first. It then adds both side lugs, the gold collar, and the long shaft in separate passes.

Draw the spear yourself

Finish the central spearhead before adding either lug. Use Diff after each side piece, then check the three gold collar cells form one perfect diagonal before extending the shaft.

What this sprite teaches

• Build the central point before ornament. The spear must read clearly without its lugs.
• Use asymmetric side pieces. One-cell and two-cell wings add character without becoming an axe.
• Lead facets into the collar. Dark-to-blue values guide the eye toward the shaft.
• A short gold transition unifies head and pole. Three diagonal cells lock the parts together.
• Keep long shafts geometrically exact. Paired rails make any diagonal error obvious.

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