diff --git a/gdk-pixbuf/gdk-pixbuf-drawable.h b/gdk-pixbuf/gdk-pixbuf-drawable.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..08f9222860
--- /dev/null
+++ b/gdk-pixbuf/gdk-pixbuf-drawable.h
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+#ifndef _GDK_PIXBUF_DRAWABLE_H_
+#define _GDK_PIXBUF_DRAWABLE_H_
+#include <gdk/gdk.h>
+#include <gdk-pixbuf.h>
+
+ArtPixBuf *art_pixbuf_rgb_from_drawable  (GdkWindow *window,
+					  gint x, gint y,
+					  gint width, gint height);
+ArtPixBuf *art_pixbuf_rgba_from_drawable (GdkWindow *window,
+					   gint x, gint y,
+					   gint width, gint height)
+#endif
diff --git a/gdk/gdkpixbuf-drawable.c b/gdk/gdkpixbuf-drawable.c
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..472424a5b2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/gdk/gdkpixbuf-drawable.c
@@ -0,0 +1,135 @@
+/*
+ * creates an ArtPixBuf from a Drawable
+ *
+ * Author:
+ *   Cody Russell <bratsche@dfw.net>
+ */
+#include <config.h>
+#include <stdio.h>
+#include <string.h>
+#include <glib.h>
+#include <gmodule.h>
+#include "gdk-pixbuf.h"
+
+/* private function */
+
+static ArtPixBuf *
+art_pixbuf_from_drawable_core (GdkWindow *window,
+			       gint x, gint y,
+			       gint width, gint height,
+			       gint with_alpha)
+{
+	GdkImage *image;
+	ArtPixBuf *pixbuf;
+	GdkColormap *colormap;
+	art_u8 *buff;
+	art_u8 *pixels;
+	gulong pixel;
+	gint rowstride;
+	art_u8 r, g, b;
+	gint xx, yy;
+	gint fatness;
+
+	g_return_val_if_fail (window != NULL, NULL);
+
+	image = gdk_image_get (window, x, y, width, height);
+	colormap = gdk_rgb_get_cmap ();
+
+	fatness = with_alpha ? 4 : 3;
+	rowstride = width * fatness;
+
+	buff = art_alloc (rowstride * height);
+	pixels = buff;
+
+	switch (image->depth)
+	{
+	case 0:
+	case 1:
+	case 2:
+	case 3:
+	case 4:
+	case 5:
+	case 6:
+	case 7:
+	case 8:
+		for (yy = 0; yy < height; yy++)
+		{
+			for (xx = 0; xx < width; xx++)
+			{
+				pixel = gdk_image_get_pixel (image, xx, yy);
+				pixels[0] = colormap->colors[pixel].red;
+				pixels[1] = colormap->colors[pixel].green;
+				pixels[2] = colormap->colors[pixel].blue;
+				if (with_alpha)
+					pixels[3] = 0;
+				pixels += fatness;
+           
+			}
+		}
+		break;
+
+	case 16:
+	case 15:
+		for (yy = 0; yy < height; yy++)
+		{
+			for (xx = 0; xx < width; xx++)
+			{
+				pixel = gdk_image_get_pixel (image, xx, yy);
+				r =  (pixel >> 8) & 0xf8;
+				g =  (pixel >> 3) & 0xfc;
+				b =  (pixel << 3) & 0xf8;
+				pixels[0] = r;
+				pixels[1] = g;
+				pixels[2] = b;
+				if (with_alpha)
+					pixels[3] = 0; /* GdkImages don't have alpha =) */
+				pixels += fatness;
+			}
+		}
+		break;
+
+	case 24:
+	case 32:
+		for (yy = 0; yy < height; yy++)
+		{
+			for (xx = 0; xx < width; xx++)
+			{
+				pixel = gdk_image_get_pixel (image, xx, yy);
+				r =  (pixel >> 16) & 0xff;
+				g =  (pixel >> 8)  & 0xff;
+				b = pixel & 0xff;
+				pixels[0] = r;
+				pixels[1] = g;
+				pixels[2] = b;
+				if (with_alpha)
+					pixels[3] = 0;  /* GdkImages don't have alpha.. */
+				pixels += fatness;
+			}
+		}
+		break;
+
+	default:
+		g_error ("art_pixbuf_from_drawable_core (): Unknown depth.");
+	}
+
+	return with_alpha ? art_pixbuf_new_rgba (buff, width, height, rowstride) :
+		art_pixbuf_new_rgb (buff, width, height, rowstride);
+}
+
+/* Public functions */
+
+ArtPixBuf *
+art_pixbuf_rgb_from_drawable  (GdkWindow *window,
+			      gint x, gint y,
+			      gint width, gint height)
+{
+	return art_pixbuf_from_drawable_core  (window, x, y, width, height, 0);
+}
+          
+ArtPixBuf *
+art_pixbuf_rgba_from_drawable  (GdkWindow *window,
+			       gint x, gint y,
+			       gint width, gint height)
+{
+	return art_pixbuf_from_drawable_core  (window, x, y, width, height, 1);
+}