diff --git a/client/makefile b/client/makefile
index ad32d17..3fcc40e 100644
--- a/client/makefile
+++ b/client/makefile
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 #config
-COMMONDIR+=../common ../common/map ../common/network ../common/ui
+COMMONDIR+=../common ../common/graphics ../common/map ../common/network ../common/ui
 COMMON+=../libcommon.a
 LIB+=$(COMMON) -lSDL_net -lwsock32 -liphlpapi -lmingw32 -lSDLmain -lSDL
 CXXFLAGS+=-std=c++11 -DDEBUG $(addprefix -I,$(COMMONDIR))
diff --git a/common/image.cpp b/common/graphics/image.cpp
similarity index 100%
rename from common/image.cpp
rename to common/graphics/image.cpp
diff --git a/common/image.hpp b/common/graphics/image.hpp
similarity index 100%
rename from common/image.hpp
rename to common/graphics/image.hpp
diff --git a/common/graphics/makefile b/common/graphics/makefile
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..85c3910
--- /dev/null
+++ b/common/graphics/makefile
@@ -0,0 +1,44 @@
+#config
+COMMONDIR+=..
+COMMON+=../../libcommon.a
+LIB+=
+CXXFLAGS+=-std=c++11 -DDEBUG $(addprefix -I,$(COMMONDIR))
+CFLAGS+=-DDEBUG $(addprefix -I,$(COMMONDIR))
+
+#source
+CXXSRC=$(wildcard *.cpp)
+CSRC=$(wildcard *.c)
+
+#objects
+OBJDIR=obj
+OBJ+=$(addprefix $(OBJDIR)/,$(CXXSRC:.cpp=.o))
+OBJ+=$(addprefix $(OBJDIR)/,$(CSRC:.c=.o))
+
+#output
+OUTDIR=../..
+OUT=$(addprefix $(OUTDIR)/,libcommon.a)
+
+#targets
+all: $(OBJ) $(OUT)
+	ar -crs $(OUT) $(OBJ)
+
+$(OBJ): | $(OBJDIR)
+
+$(OUT): | $(OUTDIR)
+
+$(OBJDIR):
+	mkdir $(OBJDIR)
+
+$(OUTDIR):
+	mkdir $(OUTDIR)
+
+$(OBJDIR)/%.o: %.cpp
+	$(CXX) $(CXXFLAGS) -c -o $@ $<
+
+$(OBJDIR)/%.o: %.c
+	$(CC) $(CFLAGS) -c -o $@ $<
+
+clean:
+	$(RM) *.o *.a *.exe
+
+rebuild: clean all
diff --git a/common/graphics/sprite_sheet.cpp b/common/graphics/sprite_sheet.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..39a669c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/common/graphics/sprite_sheet.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,102 @@
+/* Copyright: (c) Kayne Ruse 2013
+ * 
+ * This software is provided 'as-is', without any express or implied
+ * warranty. In no event will the authors be held liable for any damages
+ * arising from the use of this software.
+ * 
+ * Permission is granted to anyone to use this software for any purpose,
+ * including commercial applications, and to alter it and redistribute it
+ * freely, subject to the following restrictions:
+ * 
+ * 1. The origin of this software must not be misrepresented; you must not
+ * claim that you wrote the original software. If you use this software
+ * in a product, an acknowledgment in the product documentation would be
+ * appreciated but is not required.
+ * 
+ * 2. Altered source versions must be plainly marked as such, and must not be
+ * misrepresented as being the original software.
+ * 
+ * 3. This notice may not be removed or altered from any source
+ * distribution.
+*/
+#include "sprite_sheet.hpp"
+
+#include <stdexcept>
+#include <sstream>
+
+void SpriteSheet::Update(double delta) {
+	if (delay && (tick += delta) >= delay) {
+		if (++xIndex >= xCount) {
+			xIndex = 0;
+		}
+		tick = 0;
+	}
+	image.SetClipX(xIndex * image.GetClipW());
+	image.SetClipY(yIndex * image.GetClipH());
+}
+
+SDL_Surface* SpriteSheet::LoadSurface(std::string fname, Uint16 xCellCount, Uint16 yCellCount) {
+	image.LoadSurface(fname);
+
+	xCount = xCellCount;
+	yCount = yCellCount;
+
+	image.SetClipW(image.GetSurface()->w / xCount);
+	image.SetClipH(image.GetSurface()->h / yCount);
+
+	xIndex = yIndex = 0;
+	delay = tick = 0.0;
+}
+
+SDL_Surface* SpriteSheet::SetSurface(SDL_Surface* surface, Uint16 xCellCount, Uint16 yCellCount) {
+	image.SetSurface(surface);
+
+	xCount = xCellCount;
+	yCount = yCellCount;
+
+	image.SetClipW(image.GetSurface()->w / xCount);
+	image.SetClipH(image.GetSurface()->h / yCount);
+
+	xIndex = yIndex = 0;
+	delay = tick = 0.0;
+}
+
+void SpriteSheet::FreeSurface() {
+	image.FreeSurface();
+	xCount = yCount = 0;
+	xIndex = yIndex = 0;
+	delay = tick = 0.0;
+}
+
+Uint16 SpriteSheet::SetXCount(Uint16 i) {
+	xIndex = 0;
+	return xCount = i;
+}
+
+Uint16 SpriteSheet::SetYCount(Uint16 i) {
+	yIndex = 0;
+	return yCount = i;
+}
+
+Uint16 SpriteSheet::SetXIndex(Uint16 i) {
+	if (i > xCount) {
+		std::ostringstream os;
+		os << "Cannot set x index to " << i;
+		throw(std::invalid_argument(os.str()));
+	}
+	return xIndex = i;
+}
+
+Uint16 SpriteSheet::SetYIndex(Uint16 i) {
+	if (i > yCount) {
+		std::ostringstream os;
+		os << "Cannot set y index to " << i;
+		throw(std::invalid_argument(os.str()));
+	}
+	return yIndex = i;
+}
+
+double SpriteSheet::SetDelay(double d) {
+	tick = 0;
+	return delay = d;
+}
diff --git a/common/graphics/sprite_sheet.hpp b/common/graphics/sprite_sheet.hpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a82148b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/common/graphics/sprite_sheet.hpp
@@ -0,0 +1,66 @@
+/* Copyright: (c) Kayne Ruse 2013
+ * 
+ * This software is provided 'as-is', without any express or implied
+ * warranty. In no event will the authors be held liable for any damages
+ * arising from the use of this software.
+ * 
+ * Permission is granted to anyone to use this software for any purpose,
+ * including commercial applications, and to alter it and redistribute it
+ * freely, subject to the following restrictions:
+ * 
+ * 1. The origin of this software must not be misrepresented; you must not
+ * claim that you wrote the original software. If you use this software
+ * in a product, an acknowledgment in the product documentation would be
+ * appreciated but is not required.
+ * 
+ * 2. Altered source versions must be plainly marked as such, and must not be
+ * misrepresented as being the original software.
+ * 
+ * 3. This notice may not be removed or altered from any source
+ * distribution.
+*/
+#ifndef SPRITESHEET_HPP_
+#define SPRITESHEET_HPP_
+
+#include "image.hpp"
+
+class SpriteSheet {
+public:
+	SpriteSheet() = default;
+	SpriteSheet(std::string fname, Uint16 xCellCount, Uint16 yCellCount) { LoadSurface(fname, xCellCount, yCellCount); }
+	SpriteSheet(SDL_Surface* surface, Uint16 xCellCount, Uint16 yCellCount) { SetSurface(surface, xCellCount, yCellCount); }
+	~SpriteSheet() { FreeSurface(); };
+
+	void Update(double delta);
+
+	SDL_Surface* LoadSurface(std::string fname, Uint16 xCellCount, Uint16 yCellCount);
+	SDL_Surface* SetSurface(SDL_Surface* surface, Uint16 xCellCount, Uint16 yCellCount);
+	SDL_Surface* GetSurface() { return image.GetSurface(); }
+	void FreeSurface();
+
+	void DrawTo(SDL_Surface* const dest, Sint16 x, Sint16 y) { image.DrawTo(dest, x, y); }
+
+	//accessors and mutators
+	Image* GetImage() { return &image; } //OO breaker
+
+	Uint16 SetXCount(Uint16);
+	Uint16 SetYCount(Uint16);
+	Uint16 SetXIndex(Uint16);
+	Uint16 SetYIndex(Uint16);
+
+	Uint16 GetXCount() const { return xCount; }
+	Uint16 GetYCount() const { return yCount; }
+	Uint16 GetXIndex() const { return xIndex; }
+	Uint16 GetYIndex() const { return yIndex; }
+
+	double SetDelay(double d);
+	double GetDelay() const { return delay; }
+
+private:
+	Image image;
+	Uint16 xCount = 0, yCount = 0; //number of cells
+	Uint16 xIndex = 0, yIndex = 0; //current cell being drawn
+	double delay = 0.0, tick = 0.0;
+};
+
+#endif
diff --git a/common/makefile b/common/makefile
index da39ca9..3cc5ece 100644
--- a/common/makefile
+++ b/common/makefile
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ OUT=$(addprefix $(OUTDIR)/,libcommon.a)
 #targets
 all: $(OBJ) $(OUT)
 	ar -crs $(OUT) $(OBJ)
+	$(MAKE) -C graphics
 	$(MAKE) -C map
 	$(MAKE) -C network
 	$(MAKE) -C ui
diff --git a/common/map/makefile b/common/map/makefile
index 85c3910..1dd5910 100644
--- a/common/map/makefile
+++ b/common/map/makefile
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 #config
-COMMONDIR+=..
+COMMONDIR+=.. ../graphics
 COMMON+=../../libcommon.a
 LIB+=
 CXXFLAGS+=-std=c++11 -DDEBUG $(addprefix -I,$(COMMONDIR))
diff --git a/common/ui/makefile b/common/ui/makefile
index 85c3910..1dd5910 100644
--- a/common/ui/makefile
+++ b/common/ui/makefile
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 #config
-COMMONDIR+=..
+COMMONDIR+=.. ../graphics
 COMMON+=../../libcommon.a
 LIB+=
 CXXFLAGS+=-std=c++11 -DDEBUG $(addprefix -I,$(COMMONDIR))
diff --git a/editor/makefile b/editor/makefile
index b787db3..e10bbe5 100644
--- a/editor/makefile
+++ b/editor/makefile
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 #config
-COMMONDIR+=../common ../common/map ../common/network ../common/ui
+COMMONDIR+=../common ../common/graphics ../common/map ../common/network ../common/ui
 COMMON+=../libcommon.a
 LIB+=$(COMMON) -lmingw32 -lSDLmain -lSDL -llua -lsqlite3
 CXXFLAGS+=-std=c++11 -DDEBUG $(addprefix -I,$(COMMONDIR))
diff --git a/server/makefile b/server/makefile
index 387cf39..809547d 100644
--- a/server/makefile
+++ b/server/makefile
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 #config
-COMMONDIR+=../common ../common/map ../common/network ../common/ui
+COMMONDIR+=../common ../common/map ../common/network
 COMMON+=../libcommon.a
 LIB+=$(COMMON) -lSDL_net -lwsock32 -liphlpapi -lmingw32 -lSDLmain -lSDL -llua -lsqlite3
 CXXFLAGS+=-std=c++11 -DDEBUG $(addprefix -I,$(COMMONDIR))