GIMP Version: 2.10.20
Operating System: Linux
OS Version: 20.04
GIMP Experience: Intermediate Level

List any relevant plug-ins or scripts:
NA

List any ERROR messages you received:
NA

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I wanted to ask whether there is any reliable method to pixelate images using GIMP ? I ask this for an avatar. I could do it fine using some online tools. But would like to try some pics locally.

Filters>Blur>Pixelize...

Thanks. I tried that. Not as good as the online tool which has finer control. The image looks blurred than shape. Nevertheless, the filter works.

Is the object to make the avatar look more like pixel-art than just pixelate?

Not a lot of leeway with very small graphics such as avatars, however you can try

Scale the image down Image -> Scale Image by 50% with interpolation set to None
Scale the image up by 200% (back to original size) with interpolation set to None

Get a bit of a 'blocky' effect

Thanks @rich2005

I am attaching the base file and the pixelated one by an online generator. GIMP was not able to produce one as realistic as the online generator. I even tried a G'MIC option, which was even worse

@rich2005

Your advice worked. Instead of a small-sized image, I tried a 512 px size. The output is much better now. Thanks

Edit :

Yes, I would like if it is closer to Pixel art than random pixelation.

Probably some script that divides the image up into tiles, colour-averages each tile and then re-assembles the tiles + a bit of scaling. This is the correct forum, somebody bound to know of a script that does something like that

Not impossible to get 'almost' there with just Gimp basic tools.

If you look at the 'pixelated' avatar, although 75 pix wide, it could be reduced to 11 pixels width. https://i.imgur.com/1l8XIdm.jpg

To limit colours, into indexed mode, Image -> Mode -> Indexed, with a reduced set of colours. The RGB image has a lot of colours due to antialiasing. https://i.imgur.com/LMC0XGG.jpg

Scale down, Image -> Scale, to 11 pix wide using Linear interpolation. https://i.imgur.com/S4MHEve.jpg

Back into RGB mode, and scale up to required size, using interpolation None. https://i.imgur.com/23fpRTY.jpg

Thanks for the steps. I will keep in mind.