AuthorTopic: FAQ  (Read 87430 times)

FAQ

  • Guest

#10 Will I ever be as good as the "pixel gods"?

Reply #10 on: June 13, 2007, 03:58:37 pm

Will I ever be as good as the "pixel gods"?

That is all up to you. If you have the determination and will to do it, you can. The only way you can improve is to sit down and work at it. No one is born with magical drawing talent, they just put themselves in a position to draw more often than other people. If you work at it, there's no reason why you can't do graphics like SquareEnix or Capcom... the only difference between their art and yours is that they've had more experience, and the only way to get experience is to practice.

FAQ

  • Guest

#11 What is the best program to create Pixel Art with?

Reply #11 on: June 13, 2007, 03:59:15 pm

What is the best program to create Pixel Art with? What about animation? How can I do that?

This, of course, is a matter of preference and depends on your platform. Newer mainstream graphics software is not typically focused on the task of doing pixel-level work, so older software, or software built especially for the task is generally recommended. For a list of software please refer to the Resource Thread.

FAQ

  • Guest

#12 What is C+C?

Reply #12 on: June 13, 2007, 04:00:23 pm

What is C+C?

It stands for "Comment and Critique". If you want critique so you can get general advice or make revisions, let people know by asking for it. If you're not looking for suggestions, as with finished work for projects or with work you're not planning on updating, then let people know, else you are likely to get a few critiques by default.

FAQ

  • Guest

#13 Why should I critique someone's art?

Reply #13 on: June 13, 2007, 04:01:39 pm

Why should I critique someone's art?

Something that few people understand is that when you give a critique, you're not just helping the person you are critiquing, but you are sharpening your own skills as well. If you learn from others' success/mistakes rather than just your own, you will improve much faster than someone who is just sitting in a corner working all alone. When you see an impressive sprite, analyze it. Ask yourself "Why does this look good?" Is it the colors? Is it a stylistic choice? Conversely, when you see an ugly sprite, ask yourself "Why is this so terrible? Am I creating similar mistakes in my own work? How could this be fixed?" By doing this, you'll be able to create Pixel Art with much more success and in less time.

You are not required to give critiques, but it is HIGHLY encouraged. It is ESPECIALLY encouraged in Challenges and Activities since everybody is working from the same limitations and themes. When people work together and share critique, it can spawn an absurd amount of improvement for everybody involved. A good rule of thumb is to critique something once per week.

FAQ

  • Guest

#14 That mistake was intentional!

Reply #14 on: June 13, 2007, 04:02:50 pm

Someone gave me really harsh critique and pointed out lots of stuff... I meant to make that leg extra long, it's not a mistake!

The only thing harder than giving critique is receiving it. Many people ask for critique but don't REALLY want it. They're only interested in praise, or what is generally termed as 'ass-patting'. Everyone, at one time or another has been irritated that someone was harsh on their work pointed out every single mistake, but you should try to appreciate their point of view and avoid taking anything in critique personally, unless they're attacking you, in which case you should report that behavior.

The first natural reaction people have is to make excuses like "That's just my style, I meant to do that. This is just a practice sprite anyway, so it doesn't matter. I was just messing around, it's not supposed to be perfect." If you find yourself doing this, just back away from the computer for a bit until you can calm down and then take a serious look at your sprite and see if there are some valid points in the critique you've received. It IS entirely possible that  you really DID intend some things, or that you really WERE just focusing on coloring and not the anatomy, or what-have-you, and you should express that when you first post the sprite, not just after someone calls you on it.

And be honest with yourself... if you didn't consciously decide to do it when you created the sprite, it's probably a mistake. And that's absolutely fine, because now someone has pointed it out to you so you can fix it.

FAQ

  • Guest

#15 What's a strike?

Reply #15 on: June 13, 2007, 04:04:25 pm

What's a strike?

Strikes are penalties added to a member's record for violating the rules. Members who get out of line usually first get a warning, but with each other violation, one strike will be added to their record: Three strikes invokes a ban. However, strikes are not permanent: as time passes without incident they wear off.

Taking illegitimate credit for works you've ripped is usually cause for an immediate ban.

FAQ

  • Guest

#16 What is an Avatar?

Reply #16 on: June 13, 2007, 04:05:52 pm
What is an Avatar?

Avatars are personal images that you can set up in your profile. You're far more likely to be remembered if you use one, and members here often create their own. Use the profile button near the top of the page, then click on 'forum profile information'. Remember to keep your avatar under 128x128 pixels or it may not show up.
« Last Edit: October 17, 2007, 09:21:41 pm by FAQ »

FAQ

  • Guest

What is a 'one-liner', and why do people keep telling me to stop posting them?

When you post a short reply like "that rocks!." or "it's crap!", or something that serves no real purpose, that is a one-liner. If you want to compliment someone on their work, take a little time to explain exactly why you think it looks good, or add to what someone else has already stated. Just try to avoid pointless posting.

FAQ

  • Guest

#18 How do I post an image?

Reply #18 on: June 13, 2007, 04:08:42 pm

How do I post an image?

First, you have to upload it to the internet. You can't post an image located on your own computer, unless you have a permanent connection and a fixed IP address. If you don't understand that, then chances are very high that you don't. So what you will need is an image hosting service or website that does not restrict external image linking. Unfortunately, many free services restrict this sort of off-site linking. Check the Image Host Guide for more information on how to get your art on the internet.

Once you do have an image online, click on the bulletin board code (BBC) button for creating IMG tags, and then paste the URL to your image file.

FAQ

  • Guest

#19 Why GIF or PNG?

Reply #19 on: June 13, 2007, 04:10:12 pm

Someone told me I should save my image file as a GIF or PNG instead of a BMP/PSP/PS/etc... what gives?

It is not recommended that you use BMP, and formats besides JPG, PNG, SVG, or GIF are very proprietary in nature and not suited to posting on the web.