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[GENERAL] GETTING INTO SPRITING
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Thunder176
462
Thunder176
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CloseHey folks, I wanna get my hand into spriting/pixel art for a side scrolling action game, think Double Dragon, but I also just want to be able to make my own sprites for RPG maker games. Now while I am not a complete noob, I like to ask for a few pointers I need to take notice of or if there are any templates that I can use to learn the ropes. Just practically any advice or tips are welcome. Thanks in advance :)
- Using bases is good for learning.
- Derek Yu's pixel art tutorial has everything you need to know about definitions and the suggestion of a working order.
- There's nothing wrong about ditching the working order sometimes.
- Look up a few online books/tutorials of animation frame by frame since that's what you'll be using.
- Just because "less is more" is true doesn't mean you shouldn't use more colors if you need them, in fact i usually use a ton of colors and then i reduce them until an acceptable amount remains.
- There is nothing wrong with using tools to assist you, unless you are a die hard purist you don't need to limit yourself to the pencil and eraser.
- Derek Yu's pixel art tutorial has everything you need to know about definitions and the suggestion of a working order.
- There's nothing wrong about ditching the working order sometimes.
- Look up a few online books/tutorials of animation frame by frame since that's what you'll be using.
- Just because "less is more" is true doesn't mean you shouldn't use more colors if you need them, in fact i usually use a ton of colors and then i reduce them until an acceptable amount remains.
- There is nothing wrong with using tools to assist you, unless you are a die hard purist you don't need to limit yourself to the pencil and eraser.
Thunder176
462
author=Mirak
- Using bases is good for learning.
- Derek Yu's pixel art tutorial has everything you need to know about definitions and the suggestion of a working order.
- There's nothing wrong about ditching the working order sometimes.
- Look up a few online books/tutorials of animation frame by frame since that's what you'll be using.
- Just because "less is more" is true doesn't mean you shouldn't use more colors if you need them, in fact i usually use a ton of colors and then i reduce them until an acceptable amount remains.
- There is nothing wrong with using tools to assist you, unless you are a die hard purist you don't need to limit yourself to the pencil and eraser.
Thanks, that Derek Yu tut is really helpful!
So, what tools to assist me do you mean? like tools in PS or are you talking independent software or hardware? Is there even a program entirely or primarily built around pixel art?
Tools like filters and unconventional tools like photoshop's rotation with no antialias and the like for example.
There are many little tools for pixel art floating on the internet like image slicers, sprite rotators etc. I personally use adobe fireworks cs6 but i'll probably migrate to photoshop soon. I've heard of people using software like iDraw and Graphics Gale to make their sprites as well. But any drawing program works really. People even used (and some still do) mspaint sometimes.
There are many little tools for pixel art floating on the internet like image slicers, sprite rotators etc. I personally use adobe fireworks cs6 but i'll probably migrate to photoshop soon. I've heard of people using software like iDraw and Graphics Gale to make their sprites as well. But any drawing program works really. People even used (and some still do) mspaint sometimes.
Gredge109
4151
Mirak's recommendations are great, especially Derek Yu's tutorial. I am most certainly not the best at pixel art, but as a new artist that's slowly improving, I can offer a couple tools I use:
*Another good tutorial: http://pixeljoint.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=11299
Good information on light, colors and whatnot. It's got so many good things that I still can't yet use it for all it's worth.
*A good, large list of tutorials: http://www.pixelprospector.com/the-big-list-of-pixel-art-tutorials/
Be careful with some of these, however, as they're not all for beginners. Final Boss Blues is a great tutorial, but if you try to dive right in with its large and detailed character sprites, you'll quickly find yourself biting off more than you can chew.
*Color ramp: Helps you pick colors that synchronize well. Can customize it to produce a small palette of 16, 8 or 4 colors.
http://www.pixelfor.me/crc/F0000032
*I use paint.net for my work, simply because I don't have the money to set aside for Paintshop Pro.
http://www.getpaint.net/index.html
*A good tip for VX Ace: Templates are great for working with the Ace sprite sheets. If you don't have grids (such as with paint.net), you can always make a layer you keep at the bottom of your work. Make a 32x32 white square, as well as a 32x32 dark purple (or whatever) square, then copy and paste them around the layer on your main sprite sheet to emulate a grid. Be sure, when you work over them, that you work on a separate layer on top.
*Another recommendation: Make your own templates. It's easy to see a tutorial and to copy their character sprite templates, for example, but I recommend creating your own. Frees you up to your imagination. For example, I was tempted a lot to copy other templates for characters, but I found myself working best with a template that came natural to me:
https://rpgmaker.net/media/content/games/8987/screenshots/SpaceStationExample.png
In this example, I decided to make characters have no faces. This cuts down on the detail and has more proportionate looking characters than having a big head. As a result, while it lacks detail, it helps when it comes to making other types of characters such as Mechs.
*Another good tutorial: http://pixeljoint.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=11299
Good information on light, colors and whatnot. It's got so many good things that I still can't yet use it for all it's worth.
*A good, large list of tutorials: http://www.pixelprospector.com/the-big-list-of-pixel-art-tutorials/
Be careful with some of these, however, as they're not all for beginners. Final Boss Blues is a great tutorial, but if you try to dive right in with its large and detailed character sprites, you'll quickly find yourself biting off more than you can chew.
*Color ramp: Helps you pick colors that synchronize well. Can customize it to produce a small palette of 16, 8 or 4 colors.
http://www.pixelfor.me/crc/F0000032
*I use paint.net for my work, simply because I don't have the money to set aside for Paintshop Pro.
http://www.getpaint.net/index.html
*A good tip for VX Ace: Templates are great for working with the Ace sprite sheets. If you don't have grids (such as with paint.net), you can always make a layer you keep at the bottom of your work. Make a 32x32 white square, as well as a 32x32 dark purple (or whatever) square, then copy and paste them around the layer on your main sprite sheet to emulate a grid. Be sure, when you work over them, that you work on a separate layer on top.
*Another recommendation: Make your own templates. It's easy to see a tutorial and to copy their character sprite templates, for example, but I recommend creating your own. Frees you up to your imagination. For example, I was tempted a lot to copy other templates for characters, but I found myself working best with a template that came natural to me:
https://rpgmaker.net/media/content/games/8987/screenshots/SpaceStationExample.png
In this example, I decided to make characters have no faces. This cuts down on the detail and has more proportionate looking characters than having a big head. As a result, while it lacks detail, it helps when it comes to making other types of characters such as Mechs.
Thunder176
462
Thanks for the tips, I learned a lot from all those tutorials, and with it, made this as a test/practice project:
What do you guys think? Any feedback?
What do you guys think? Any feedback?
Looking good! I'm actually envious since i have difficulty doing large sprites!
If you're interested in receiving feedback you can make a thread dedicated to your atwork at the creative forum, and participate with others there.
If you're interested in receiving feedback you can make a thread dedicated to your atwork at the creative forum, and participate with others there.
Thunder176
462
Thanks man! Oh, but this was a beast to make and I'm not really thinking about making big sprites my main artstyle, though i'm still struggling with the minimalistic type of artstyle smaller sprites use since I tend to over-detail all my drawings, but I learn as I go :)
Much thx for all the advice and tips though, I'll be moving this to the creative forum in a bit.
Much thx for all the advice and tips though, I'll be moving this to the creative forum in a bit.
Superstroke
4779
I personally love Aseprite ( http://www.aseprite.org/ ), it may be a little overkill but it's very nice and oriented towards pixel art.
It's on Steam for $15 but it's open source so if you have the courage you can always download the source code and build it yourself for free, it's the same version, the only downside is that you won't get automatic updates.
I really like the sprite my only suggestion would be to add more shadows to create more depth as it looks a little flat right now maybe also because of the angle of the right foot. Good job though it's a pretty big sprite with a lot of details.
It's on Steam for $15 but it's open source so if you have the courage you can always download the source code and build it yourself for free, it's the same version, the only downside is that you won't get automatic updates.
I really like the sprite my only suggestion would be to add more shadows to create more depth as it looks a little flat right now maybe also because of the angle of the right foot. Good job though it's a pretty big sprite with a lot of details.
I also use Aseprite. Definitely worth the $15
I've only really been making my own sprites for a couple of years. But if you are looking to use pixel art, my best advice is to study sprites from the ground up: Look at NES-style sprites, SNES-style sprites and evaluate how pixel artists of decades past made the best possible graphics with the limitations that they had. Inheritly, pixel art originated from those limitations, and the difference between then and now is that we have virtually no limitations to constrict us. The idea is to make more out of less, and unless you set boundaries for yourself it is very easy to make pixel art that doesn't leave enough to the imagination.
I've only really been making my own sprites for a couple of years. But if you are looking to use pixel art, my best advice is to study sprites from the ground up: Look at NES-style sprites, SNES-style sprites and evaluate how pixel artists of decades past made the best possible graphics with the limitations that they had. Inheritly, pixel art originated from those limitations, and the difference between then and now is that we have virtually no limitations to constrict us. The idea is to make more out of less, and unless you set boundaries for yourself it is very easy to make pixel art that doesn't leave enough to the imagination.
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