ASCII Magic
Open tool

/STYLE · VOXEL

Voxel Art from a Photo, Free 3D Pixel Art Generator

Turn any photo into voxel art, isometric 3D pixel-art cubes with per-face shading built from your image's own colours, the Minecraft and Crossy Road look without 3D modeling. Adjust cube size, outline and blend, export at up to 4×. The fastest free way to make voxel art or 3D pixel art from a photo, no upload, no signup, runs entirely in your browser.

Open the editor →

/SEE IT

From photo to voxel art in one click

Drop any photo into the editor and pick the Voxel (Cube) style. The engine samples your image on a hex grid and stacks a shaded isometric cube at each point, turning a flat photo into 3D pixel art, from your image's own colours.

Original colour photograph used as the input source, before the voxel effect is applied
Original
The same photograph rebuilt as voxel art, isometric 3D cubes shaded from the image
Voxel output

/MORE EXAMPLES

Fine grain to chunky blocks, your call

A handful of photos, six voxel setups, cube size, outline weight and blend mode. Every image below is a real ASCII Magic export, no AI, no upscaling, just real voxel cubes.

Rolling green hills rebuilt as voxel art with fine isometric cubes
Fine 14px cubes
A wave rebuilt as voxel art with chunky isometric cubes and strong outlines
Chunky 28px cubes
An eclipse rebuilt as voxel cubes with an overlay blend mode
Overlay blend
A crystal rebuilt as large isometric voxel cubes
Large 32px cubes
A sunlit portrait rebuilt as bright voxel cubes with a screen blend
Screen blend · bright
A neon city street rebuilt as tightly packed voxel cubes
Tight-packed cubes

Cube size, outline weight, per-face shading and blend mode, every control previews in real time, on stills or video.

/HOW IT WORKS

Make voxel art in four steps

  1. Drop your image

    Drag any JPG, PNG, WebP, GIF or MP4 into the editor. No upload, your file stays in the browser.

  2. Pick the Voxel (Cube) style

    Switch the render mode to Voxel (Cube), your photo becomes a field of isometric 3D cubes.

  3. Tune the cubes

    Adjust cube size, spacing, outline and per-face shading, and pick a blend mode.

  4. Export

    Save as PNG, JPG, animated GIF or MP4, at up to 4× source resolution. No watermark.

/WHY ASCII MAGIC

Built for voxel art specifically

Isometric 3D cubes

Every cell becomes a shaded isometric cube on a hex grid, instant 3D pixel art from a flat photo, no modelling.

Any cube size

From fine grain to chunky Minecraft-style blocks, set cube size and spacing with a slider.

Per-face shading + outline

Independent top, light and dark face shades, an adjustable outline and a light-flip give the cubes real depth.

Video + 4× exports

Voxelise every frame of a clip and export a looping MP4 or GIF; stills export up to 4× source resolution. No watermark.

/3D PIXEL ART

Voxel art and 3D pixel art, the same thing under two names

A voxel is the 3D version of a pixel, a small cube with volume. Voxel art (the term game devs use) and 3D pixel art (what searchers call it) refer to the same look: cubes stacked in 3D space and rendered from a fixed isometric angle, usually 30 degrees. Each cube shows three visible faces, a bright top, a slightly darker left, a slightly darker right; the per-face shading is what makes the look read as "3D" even though no perspective projection happens. The aesthetic became huge with MagicaVoxel, Crossy Road, Monument Valley, Riot's Worlds anthem video, and an entire generation of indie games. ASCII Magic turns any flat photo into 3D pixel art automatically by computing the cube shading from the source pixel brightness.

Best uses for 3D pixel art / voxel

Voxel-size reference: which cube count for which use case

Voxel count is the single biggest lever, exactly like pixel size in flat pixel art. Start at 32 cubes across, adjust from there.

Cubes across Reads as Best for
8×8Ultra-chunky isometric iconFavicons, extreme 3D pixel art
16×16Crossy Road / early Minecraft mobChunky avatars, block-style logos
32×32Classic Minecraft build, MagicaVoxel spriteCharacter portraits, indie game key art
64×64Modern voxel-art indie gameDetailed portraits, landscapes with structure
128×128Voxel wallpaper resolutionPrint, high-res backdrops, editorial
256×256+Subtle voxel stylizationPhoto-like with structure, poster prints

Rule of thumb: start at 32×32. If the subject reads but you want more punch, drop to 16. If detail is missing, jump to 64.

Voxel art, 3D pixel art, isometric art, what is the difference

All three describe the same thing from slightly different angles. Voxel art is the technical name: the pixel of a 3D grid, a "volume element". 3D pixel art is the common-language name for the same thing, the answer when someone asks "what if pixel art was 3D". Isometric art describes the camera angle you view voxel art through, a projection where the three axes are 30 degrees apart, no perspective foreshortening. Every voxel render is isometric. ASCII Magic generates all three from a flat photo, no MagicaVoxel install, no 3D modelling.

/FAQS

Common questions about voxel art

What is voxel art?
Voxel art is 3D pixel art, images built from little cubes (voxels) instead of flat pixels, rendered in isometric perspective. It's the look of games like Minecraft and Crossy Road. ASCII Magic's Voxel (Cube) style turns any photo into voxel art automatically.
How do I turn a photo into voxel or 3D pixel art?
Open ASCII Magic in your browser, drop your photo in, and pick the Voxel (Cube) style. The image is sampled and rebuilt as shaded isometric cubes. Adjust cube size, outline and blend, then export as PNG, JPG, GIF or MP4. No signup, nothing leaves your browser.
What's the difference between voxel art and pixel art?
Pixel art uses flat 2D colour blocks; voxel art uses 3D cubes drawn in isometric perspective, so the result has depth and shading like a tiny 3D model. ASCII Magic offers both as separate styles, flat Pixel Art and 3D Voxel (Cube).
Can I change cube size and shading?
Yes. Set cube size and spacing, adjust the top, light and dark face shades independently, change the outline weight, flip the light direction, and layer blend modes like screen or overlay.
Can I make voxel art from a video?
Yes. Drop an MP4, MOV or WebM into ASCII Magic, pick the Voxel (Cube) style, and every frame is rebuilt as cubes with the same settings. Export as an MP4 (H.264) or animated GIF.
Does ASCII Magic upload my photos to a server?
No. Every conversion runs locally in your browser using HTML5 Canvas. Your image or video never leaves your device, no upload, no cloud processing. Safe for sensitive or unreleased work.
Can I use the voxel output commercially?
Yes. Output is yours, use it in client work, social posts, prints, game assets, music videos, commercial websites, anything. The only rights you need are whatever applies to the source image you uploaded.
What is the difference between voxel art and 3D pixel art?
They are the same thing under two names. Voxel art is the technical / game-dev term; 3D pixel art is what searchers call the same look. ASCII Magic uses Voxel internally but both terms refer to the same render.
Why does voxel render take longer than other styles?
Voxel computes per-face shading for thousands of cubes per frame, three faces per cube. It is the heaviest render ASCII Magic supports. For video, keep clips short (5-10 seconds) for fast export.
Can I use this as a build plan for actual voxel game art?
Yes, that is one of the most popular uses. Drop a concept sketch in, pick the Voxel style, and the output becomes a layout guide you can rebuild in MagicaVoxel or your engine of choice. Saves hours of guesswork.
How do I turn a photo into isometric art?
Every voxel render is isometric by definition, the camera is fixed at a 30-degree projection with no perspective foreshortening. Drop a photo in, pick the Voxel style, and the output is isometric art. Adjust cube size for chunkier vs finer isometric detail.
Can I use it as a voxel art generator from any photo?
Yes. ASCII Magic works as a free voxel art generator that starts from a photo you provide. Drop the image, pick the Voxel style, tweak cube size and palette, and export a shaded isometric render as PNG or MP4. No signup, browser-only.
Is there a difference between voxel art and 3D pixel art?
No, they are the same thing under two names. Voxel art is the technical term (a voxel is a volume element, the 3D pixel), 3D pixel art is the common-language phrase. Both describe an image built from little cubes rendered in isometric perspective. ASCII Magic generates both from any input photo.

/CREATE ART IN SECONDS

Photos into voxel & 3D pixel art, in your browser.

Isometric cubes, per-face shading and blend modes, every change previews instantly, export at up to 4× resolution. Free forever.

Try it out now

/RELATED STYLES

Or try a different art style

ASCII Art → Pixel Art → Dither → Mosaic →

Each opens the editor with that style ready. Explore the full styles index.