Show HN: Pixel Art Generator Using Genetic Algorithm

#1

Post by ponta17 » Sun, Jul 06, 2025, 2:49 PM UTC

This project is a simple but fun demonstration of a genetic algorithm applied to image generation. It starts with a population of random images and evolves them over generations to resemble a target image. The output is an animated GIF that shows the entire evolution process.

Show HN: Pixel Art Generator Using Genetic Algorithm
github.com

Re: Show HN: Pixel Art Generator Using Genetic Algorithm

#2

Post by FerkiHN » Sun, Jul 06, 2025, 2:53 PM UTC

Cool!

Re: Show HN: Pixel Art Generator Using Genetic Algorithm

#3

Post by FerkiHN » Sun, Jul 06, 2025, 2:55 PM UTC

[dead]

Re: Show HN: Pixel Art Generator Using Genetic Algorithm

#4

Post by binarymax » Sun, Jul 06, 2025, 6:16 PM UTC

FerkiHN wrote: post #3

[dead]

Your link is 404

Re: Show HN: Pixel Art Generator Using Genetic Algorithm

#5

Post by Evidlo » Sun, Jul 06, 2025, 6:49 PM UTC

How do you think your example would compare against a simple lowpass + downsampling?

I think for most complicated pixel art, "reimagining" the image is necessary to keep it visually appealing and discernible at low-res, like in the examples here:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pixel_art

Re: Show HN: Pixel Art Generator Using Genetic Algorithm

#6

Post by __loam » Sun, Jul 06, 2025, 7:12 PM UTC

Pixel art isn't just bucketing a higher resolution image into a lower resolution. If you're going to use that term, you should probably have at least a basic understanding of the medium.

Re: Show HN: Pixel Art Generator Using Genetic Algorithm

#7

Post by FerkiHN » Sun, Jul 06, 2025, 7:28 PM UTC

binarymax wrote: post #4

FerkiHN wrote: post #3

[dead]

Your link is 404

Ops, I'll try again now: https://github.com/Ferki-git-creator/phono-in-terminal-image...

Re: Show HN: Pixel Art Generator Using Genetic Algorithm

#8

Post by RugnirViking » Sun, Jul 06, 2025, 9:37 PM UTC

__loam wrote: post #6

Pixel art isn't just bucketing a higher resolution image into a lower resolution. If you're going to use that term, you should probably have at least a basic understanding of the medium.

This. I wasn't expecting much, having tried similar claiming algorithms and been disappointing. But even among those, the example image used here looks barely better than downscale and posterize

Re: Show HN: Pixel Art Generator Using Genetic Algorithm

#9

Post by u5wbxrc3 » Sun, Jul 06, 2025, 9:40 PM UTC

Interesting approach! The title is misleading though. I do not understand how this relates to pixel art. Pixel art is placing pixel on a constrained canvas and choosing colors on a limited palette which this does not seem to be. Maybe this could be considered blurring effect or image reconstruction/approximation?

Re: Show HN: Pixel Art Generator Using Genetic Algorithm

#10

Post by ponta17 » Sun, Jul 06, 2025, 11:15 PM UTC

u5wbxrc3 wrote: post #9

Interesting approach! The title is misleading though. I do not understand how this relates to pixel art. Pixel art is placing pixel on a constrained canvas and choosing colors on a limited palette which this does not seem to be. Maybe this could be considered blurring effect or image reconstruction/approximation?

Thank you for your feedback! You're absolutely right. This should be image reconstruction using the GA algorithm.