Making Sprites

[Rainbow Dash]

Alright, while it's understandable that someone who's never made a sprite before would think that there's some "Spriting Program" or somat, there's not, and I'm sick of people asking how to sprite. It's simple, really. Open up Microsoft Paint, or whatever image program you use. Click paintbrush, set size to "1," (the smallest size, anyway) zoom in 8x, (in paint, but 800% is pretty good in other programs too) and make the individual pixels. For more information, go to this excellent spriting guide (http://www.themechanicalmaniacs.com/guides/spriteguide.php) by Gauntlet10101010 (forgive me if I don't have enough "10's," Gauntlet).

Now I'll be pissed off if someone asks again.

Edit: There is no correct awnser to this question, and yet, there's lots of correct awnsers.

There are many ways to make sprites. You can draw a sprite sheet, scan it in, and trace over it. Or, you could make things pixel by pixel. Or, you could just take a drawing you made and colored, scan it, and reduce the color count. Really, there's lots of ways.

The number of processes you can have are pretty much endless. Some people make sillouttes of a pose, then define the parts. Some people make outlines of each part... some people do each part individually and snap them together.

But, I really like Gauntlet's tut. In fact, when I first started spriting, that was the first one I looked at and read. Really, it's got a lot of good advise for beginners.

Also Edit: This post (nor, I believe, Gauntlet's guide, but I'll have to confirm this with him) was never intended to be a full tutorial, because I don't think one can be made. It's just to understand the concept of it. You'll develope techniques, but it comes with time (lots) and practice.

[Gauntlet101010]

Actually, you added an extra "10". Hah. But just Gauntlet'll do in the future.

[Daemonseele]

Click paintbrush, set size to "1," (the smallest size, anyway) zoom in 8x, (in paint, but 800% is pretty good in other programs too) and make the individual pixels.
Or you can use the pencil tool; it's a lot simpler.

[RyuReiatsu]

I'm bad with the pencil tool lol.

[garethfurbank]

If you zoom in a lot it gets easier.

Also, don't "lol" on these forums - it's chatspeak and not acccepted.

[Rakia]

And it sounds gay lol. If you're not good with the pencil tool-use the paint brush tool-and if you're not good with those, practice and learn how to use them. It's not like drawing (well in a way it is). You don't just hold down the mouse. You do it pixel by pixel by pixel.
lol I said pxl 3 tmes.

[Wasted]

The only way to truely get good at spriting is practice start with something simple and move your way up or just stay where you have fun with it. Took me a long time and I still have a ways to go.

[Nightmaresplody]

How do you make custom sprites? XD

j/k

[Guardman.EXE]

I think that for an outline of a full custom sprite pencil works the best, but for editing and making custom sprites from a base paintbrush is the most wise choice.

[Shinobi Otter]

I personally only use pencil, fill, and eraser tools for my editing. The sprites come out good until I get bored and give them a tutu or something.

[Blackbeltdude]

There is no correct awnser to this question, and yet, there's lots of correct awnsers.

There are many ways to make sprites. You can draw a sprite sheet, scan it in, and trace over it. Or, you could make things pixel by pixel. Or, you could just take a drawing you made and colored, scan it, and reduce the color count. Really, there's lots of ways.

The number of processes you can have are pretty much endless. Some people make sillouttes of a pose, then define the parts. Some people make outlines of each part... some people do each part individually and snap them together.

But, I really like Gauntlet's tut. In fact, when I first started spriting, that was the first one I looked at and read. Really, it's got a lot of good advise for beginners.

[Shinobi Otter]

Though the tut fails to show one more good way to edit...

I will go make my own tut of this!

[Macks]

Other programs can be used other than paint, though I would venture to say amongst new pixel artists it is the most common. Most more advanced artists use Adobe Photoshop or one of it's equivalents, and many Mac users use Graphics Gale as Microsoft Paint is unavailable to them.

As for actual technique used when spriting, it's really a matter of personal preference. I typically draw rough outlines with the pencil tool, and then come back and clean them up to give myself a decent initial line art. Many people use the color block method, creating as BBD said, silhouettes of various parts which can then be shaded. Spriting is an art, and like any art there is no one right way. Experimentation will get you farther than anything else except for listening to your critics.

If I can recommend anything to a new spriter it is to listen to the critics. If they have seen something wrong with your sprite, chances are there is something wrong. Fix it, and when you go to make another sprite, you won't make that same mistake again.

[Rainbow Dash]

I normally don't request this, but could a mod or admin sticky this? I'd rather it didn't die and become useless.

Edit: Nevermind. Didn't know Quick had a tutorial already in the art forums.

[Gauntlet101010]

Edit:

Also Edit: This post (nor, I believe, Gauntlet's guide, but I'll have to confirm this with him) was never intended to be a full tutorial, because I don't think one can be made. It's just to understand the concept of it. You'll develope techniques, but it comes with time (lots) and practice.

It's supposed to be "full" in that it covers all of the basics so people can stop asking the hows of spriting and can just get down to it. That's about as "full" as it's supposed to get (I think anything more is going overboard).

Although I can probably add a bit more to it now .... maybe incorperate Quick's tutorial on animation into it too (with her permission) or go into using parts to make a sheet or something. It's been a while since I made that. The Bitman sprite was actually my best work at the time and ... thank God almighty I got better than that monstrosoty.