/pixel-art

name: pixel-art
description: Generate pixel art SVG illustrations for READMEs, docs, or slides. Use when user says "画像素图", "pixel art", "make an SVG illustration", "README hero image", or wants a cute visual.
argument-hint: "[description of what to draw]"
allowed-tools: Write, Edit, Read, Bash(open *)

Pixel Art SVG Generator

Create a pixel art SVG illustration: $ARGUMENTS

Design Principles

Pixel Grid

• Each "pixel" is a `<rect>` with width/height of 7px
• Grid spacing: 7px (no gaps between pixels)
• Characters are typically 8-10 pixels wide, 8-12 pixels tall
• Use `<g transform="translate(x,y)">` to position and reuse character groups

Color Palette

Keep it simple — 3-5 colors per character:

• **Skin**: `#FFDAB9` (light), `#E8967A` / `#D4956A` (blush/shadow)
• **Eyes**: `#333`
• **Hair**: `#8B5E3C` (brown), `#2C2C2C` (black), `#FFD700` (blonde), `#C0392B` (red)
• **Clothes**: use project's brand color (e.g. `#4A9EDA` for blue, `#74AA63` for green)
• **Shoes/pants**: `#444`
• **Accessories**: `#555` (glasses frames), `#FFD700` (crown)

Character Template (7px grid)

Row 0 (hair top):     4 pixels centered
Row 1 (hair):         6 pixels wide
Row 2 (face top):     6 pixels — all skin
Row 3 (eyes):         6 pixels — skin, eye, skin, skin, eye, skin
Row 4 (mouth):        6 pixels — skin, skin, mouth, mouth, skin, skin
Row 5 (body top):     8 pixels — hand, 6 shirt, hand
Row 6 (body):         6 pixels — all shirt
Row 7 (legs):         2+2 pixels — with gap in middle

Scene Composition

Chat Dialogue Layout (like our hero image)

• Two characters on left/right sides, vertically centered
• Chat bubbles between them, alternating left/right
• Bubble tails point toward the speaking character
• Arrows between bubbles show direction of communication
• Use `orient="auto"` markers for arrow heads
• Bottom: tagline or decoration

Single Character with Label

• Character centered
• Label text below
• Optional: speech bubble above

Group Scene

• Characters spaced evenly
• Optional: ground line, background elements
• Keep viewBox tight — no wasted space

SVG Structure

<svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 W H" font-family="monospace">
  <defs>
    <!-- Arrow markers if needed -->
  </defs>

  <rect width="W" height="H" fill="#fafbfc" rx="12"/>  <!-- Background -->

  <!-- Characters via <g transform="translate(...)"> -->
  <!-- Dialogue bubbles: <rect> + <polygon> tail + <text> -->
  <!-- Arrows: <line> with marker-end -->
  <!-- Labels: <text> with text-anchor="middle" -->
</svg>

Chat Bubble Recipe

<!-- Blue bubble (left character speaks) -->
<rect x="110" y="29" width="280" height="26" fill="#e8f4fd" stroke="#4a9eda" stroke-width="1.5" rx="8"/>
<!-- Tail pointing left toward character -->
<polygon points="108,41 99,47 108,46" fill="#e8f4fd" stroke="#4a9eda" stroke-width="1.5"/>
<rect x="107" y="40" width="3" height="7" fill="#e8f4fd"/>  <!-- covers stroke at junction -->
<text x="123" y="46" font-size="13px">📄 Message here</text>

<!-- Orange bubble (right character responds) -->
<rect x="490" y="71" width="280" height="26" fill="#fdf2e8" stroke="#da8a4a" stroke-width="1.5" rx="8"/>
<!-- Tail pointing right toward character -->
<polygon points="772,83 781,89 772,88" fill="#fdf2e8" stroke="#da8a4a" stroke-width="1.5"/>
<rect x="770" y="82" width="3" height="7" fill="#fdf2e8"/>
<text x="503" y="88" font-size="13px">🤔 Response here</text>

Arrow Recipe

<defs>
  <marker id="ar" markerWidth="8" markerHeight="6" refX="8" refY="3" orient="auto">
    <polygon points="0 0, 8 3, 0 6" fill="#4a9eda"/>
  </marker>
</defs>
<!-- Right arrow (→): x1 < x2 -->
<line x1="392" y1="42" x2="465" y2="42" stroke="#4a9eda" stroke-width="2" marker-end="url(#ar)"/>
<!-- Left arrow (←): x1 > x2 -->
<line x1="488" y1="84" x2="420" y2="84" stroke="#da8a4a" stroke-width="2" marker-end="url(#ar-o)"/>

Workflow

Step 1: Understand the Request

• What characters/objects to draw?
• What's the scene? (dialogue, portrait, group, diagram)
• What colors/brand to match?
• What size? (compact for badge, wide for README hero)

Step 2: Generate SVG

• Write to a temp file or project directory
• Open with `open <file.svg>` for preview
• Keep viewBox tight — measure actual content bounds

Step 3: Iterate with User

• User provides feedback on screenshot
• Common fixes: overlap, arrow direction, spacing, sizing
• Use `Edit` for small tweaks, `Write` for major redesigns
• Typical: 2-4 iterations to get it right

Step 4: Finalize

• Ensure no personal info in the SVG
• Clean up: remove unused defs, tighten viewBox
• Suggest adding to README: ``

Common Pitfalls

• **Arrow direction**: `orient="auto"` follows line direction. Line going right→left = arrowhead points left
• **Bubble overlap**: keep 38-44px vertical spacing between rows
• **Text overflow**: monospace 13px ≈ 7.8px/char, emoji ≈ 14px. Measure before setting bubble width
• **Character overlap with bubbles**: keep character x-zone and bubble x-zone separated by ≥10px
• **viewBox too large**: match viewBox to actual content, add ~10px padding
• **Tail stroke artifact**: always add a small `<rect>` at the bubble-tail junction to cover the stroke line