Learning To Draw Sprites

[rock_chick]

I am hopeless at this kind of thing, can anyone let me know of any good programs to use and/or articles, tutorials, etc. on this subject.
Any help would be much appreciated!
Kat

[Mr Jake]

you are joking.........

there are two thread in big bold writing at the top of this forum...

one called 'tutorials' and one called 'List of Paint Programs'

[rock_chick]

No I wasn't but really it's typical someone would be such a smartarse when it comes to pointing things out!
Kat :

[mousemat]

 join the club

The best for sprite makin is mspaint .
it maybe basic but its the best.
all my sprites came from there plus every computer (apart from apple) have mspaint.
Ã, 

[Remco]

hmm, learning how to draw is hard. First try to work with paint and follow some tutorials. Then try photoshop or something like that. I am using Artgem. If you really want to learn, then just draw something, and draw it over and over and over again, untill you think it is perfect. That is the best way to learn. Also you can try to follow a tutorial for a background, and when you have done that you can try to make the same bg without a tutorial. Good luck.

[ravenfusion]

I'm not one to follow tutorials, it never feels like my own work if I do. I learn from experience. Just keep drawing, look at sources and practice techniques. Doing edits can help alot too, along with getting crits on your own work. I keep all my sprite work, even doodles so I can see where the techniques are coming from.

Programs... I use MSPaint for most of it. I rarely use Photoshop for spriting, but I do use it sometimes because colouring is alot easier and the colours are easier to work with. That, and the obvious uses such as compressing/transparency.

Preferred technique(s) of spriting: I prefer my sprites to not have outlines, but sometimes they look good with them. Sprites with outlines are sometimes harder to shade and look alot more cartoony in my opinion, while non-outlined sprites look more realistic.

[SpacePirateCaine]

I'd have to say I both agree and disagree a bit abou the whole tutorial issue. there are some good fundamental lessons to be learned in just about any field - without having learned about Vanishing point and what-have-you while doing backgrounds, provided that they're somewhat realistic, it's a real pain to get perspective right, the same goes with sprite design.

Following every tutorial you find to the letter without doing the slighest bit of experimentation won't get you very far, but it's best to even just check them out a few to get ideas; build up your artistic background as it were. No matter how good you are at something, there's always more to learn.

On the other hand, I agree with you, Ravey, about working on drawing and redrawing a character until it seems absolutely perfect in your mind; that way you develop your own style, and also through doing so can gain a bit more experience artistically.

As far as programs go, there are no shortage of them available, though depending on the level of detail you're going for, there are a wide variety of programs one could use. Low-res sprites are best done in something that is designed with pixel-for-pixel editing in mind, like Paint, whereas overly detailed, High-res sprites (For the ambitious trying to create the next CMI) can sometimes use the extra kick of Photoshop. Or, if you don't feel like paying an arm and a leg for big-time commercial software like that, there are a good number of free programs listed here.

http://www.agsforums.com/yabb/index.php?topic=5644.0

Good luck!

[LGM]

Just keep in mind.. The program doesn't make the artist. You could have Photoshop, and produce crap.. Whereas, if you're a really talented artist.. You can make marvelous things in MSPaint.

I reccomend Grafx2 or GIMP. Google for them

[ravenfusion]

Yeah, I admit that I do alot of tutorials. But I try not to influence what I come up with in the end. It depends what kind of tutorials too, like for example perspective, is extremely vital and it doesn't really influence your style.

I'm so bored right now... I'm making a small sprite tutorial on how to do a REALLY basic sprite. I tried to take it pretty slow too. But it covers shading, shadows, lighting and the style is something similar to an old EGA game (Just with a bit more colour). I'm just gonna draw, no plans or anything going into it.

Update: http://members.lycos.co.uk/rabblebabble/spritetutorial.avi
File Size: 6.01mbÃ,  Length: 12:06Ã,  Format: .AVIÃ,  Frame Rate: 15fps
Quality: FullÃ,  Colour: FullÃ,  Image size: Fullscreen (1024x768)
To download: Right click -> Save target as...

Haha, had to think up a weird name on the spot. Chibi Nobaki...

[Peefy]

Ravey: It wouldn't work for me..
And yes, I have two codec packs installed, and I can see mostly all movies..
So..
:_:

[Remco]

same with me, tried to open it in 4 different programs, didnt worked.

[ravenfusion]

Have you tried Windows Media Player 10 beta? Because that's what I have on my PC.

[Al_Ninio]

I used Media Player 9, worked fine for me.
It's a nice sprite, Ravey, but I'm not sure how helpful it is as a tutorial.

[ravenfusion]

Yeah, I was just drawing out of boredom. It's gotta be useful for atleast ideas.

[viktor]

I used Media Player 9, worked fine for me.
It's a nice sprite, Ravey, but I'm not sure how helpful it is as a tutorial.

I hawe WMP 9 but it still dosn't work for me. I hawe the newest codec. That couses some problems sometimes becouse the new codecs arent compatible with old codecs.
But seing you hawe a new media player I can't figure out why it dosn't work. When I open it in Winamp it sayis that the file is corupt...