Need some help improving my RPG's sprites

[Firgof]

So here's the concept art for the battle sprite of this character.  I have a photoshop document where every single piece of his armor and clothing, and the blood on all parts of the body, armor, and clothes are layered and able to be turned on and off (first off, is this a good idea); including his hair which is not featured in the pic.  I'm really newbish and ham-fisted when it comes to art in general so the precision required in spriting is particularly uncomfortable for me.  But I want to improve my art in all categories anyway so I'm toughing it out and doing my best.

However!  His sprite sheet looks really amateurish (fitting, as I am an amateur and this is my first real sprite sheet of a character).  Looking for improvement in all areas (shading, color, stance, movement) because he sure could use it.  As you can tell from the above image, the sprite sheet below is also too 'cartoony' (proportionally and in color palette) but I don't have any idea how to make the sprite sheet more representative of the 'ideal' (the above, which also needs a lot of work to look as good as it should).

The Sprite Sheet:


In addition, I also need help converting drawn images to pixels.  For instance, this concept art for a Kraviklaw needs badly to be sprited but I've no idea where to begin.


What are your critiques, suggestions, and 'by the way, watch out for's?

(Battler sprite conceptual art used as a reference to build the spritesheet built off of Bestone's Sideview Battler Template, created for use in the RMXPU Online Sideview Battle Generator.  Thread that I grabbed the original resource from may be located in the following hyperlink.  Sideview Battler Generator Template Vote -- RM Discussion -- RMXP.org  The original thread that the thread that I grabbed the resource off of is was available at rmxpuniverse.com, but is no longer available due to RMXPUniverse having shut down. (thus why the thread was moved to RMXP.org))

[CharlesGabriel]

Well, This character can have potential, but only if you fix several things... for example:
(I'm not an expert at making sprites, but I'll point out what I noticed)

"This criticism is for the first character, the one used for battle."

1. The lines, it shouldn't be more than one pixel wide, I noted that in some parts the lines are too fat than 1 pixel...

2. The blood, some parts are misplaced, like the ones in the helmet... but most of this problem are there because of the problem with the lines... since some parts of the blood are just lines.

3. The color contrast, could use softened colors, try lowering the saturation.

4. The sword... the design looks like a machete and it is bended as if it was a whip.

5. The right boot, doesn't look too right judging by the position of the character.

6. Shading in overall, this looks like it was made on paint, I can tell cause those look similar like the default colors that the program comes with.

I'm going to edit this character, if you don't mind, to give you a better idea... and if this was made on paint, I suggest you use something else more suitable to make sprites... I personally use charamaker1999 (cause I deal with rpgmaker) but there is graphicsgale as well, which is more advanced... I'll post again or edit this post when I'm finish with it.

[Azgardes]

I'm going to edit this character, if you don't mind, to give you a better idea... and if this was made on paint, I suggest you use something else more suitable to make sprites... I personally use charamaker1999 (cause I deal with rpgmaker) but there is graphicsgale as well, which is more advanced... I'll post again or edit this post when I'm finish with it.

Ignore that, paint is suitable to make sprites, in fact, it's one of the best programs because all it gives you is what you need, no more, no less, so there's no complicated features to get confused about.

Also, you can have lines more than 1 pixel wide, it's all about your own style.

I haven't sprited in ages so all I can say is I like the pose for the action pose or whatever it is, though I think all the blood splatter is unnecessary. The right (our right) foot is also off a little bit, and the colours you used aren't very appealing. But it's a good start.

[CharlesGabriel]

I'm going to edit this character, if you don't mind, to give you a better idea... and if this was made on paint, I suggest you use something else more suitable to make sprites... I personally use charamaker1999 (cause I deal with rpgmaker) but there is graphicsgale as well, which is more advanced... I'll post again or edit this post when I'm finish with it.

Ignore that, paint is suitable to make sprites, in fact, it's one of the best programs because all it gives you is what you need, no more, no less, so there's no complicated features to get confused about.

Yes paint is suitable, but you cannot compare it with charamaker1999 nor graphicsgale, which you can do work faster and easier... in paint you have only 16 boxes to put colors in, in charamaker1999 you have an entire section of 256 empty boxes, easy section for animations, a lot of other functions, etc... and it is ridiculously easy to use, just same as paint. So I say don't ignore it, you need to experiment and see what program you like best, or what's best for what you are trying to create. Don't forget that you are creating RPG sprites, this program was specifically build up to make sprites FOR RPGs. But once again, it's your call.

EDIT: Here is a quote from a PRO:
http://www.natomic.com/hosted/marks/mpat/tools.html

"Tools you do not need :

1) Overpowered, expensive programs like Photoshop are not required, nor would I recommend using them if you had them. Use of features like blurring, filters, paintbrush tools and various other special effects will most often only damage your work and distort your style and I would strongly advise you not to spoil your art with them.

2) Microsoft Paint. It's rubbish - it has to be or MS would probably be facing lawsuits from various art-package companies for anti-competitive behaviour. Graphics Gale does everything Paint does and much, much more."

I agree with his opinion.

[Shrike]

Sorry.  *cough*.  Bullshit.
Paint may not be powerful, but an experienced pixel artist can pull just as much out of it as one can with GG.  Larwick is an amazing artist, and as far as I know he always uses MSPaint for his art.

He makes things like this:


MSPaint is not my first choice, but if utilized it can be just as useful as any other program.  For a beginner, maybe you would want to try everything and see what makes it easiest for you, which may or may not be MSPaint or GG or PMotion.  Who knows?  but don't disregard Paint as juvenile.

[Ben2theEdge]

It's possible to make art in mspaint, yes, even good art. That doesn't make it a good tool, though. And artists who use insist on using mspaint will never know how much faster and productive they could be with a well designed art program.

[Jad]

"Microsoft Paint. It's rubbish - it has to be or MS would probably be facing lawsuits from various art-package companies for anti-competitive behaviour. Graphics Gale does everything Paint does and much, much more."

I just want to highlight this quote and say, no, Shrike, this is not bullshit. It's what it is. Paint is completely useless as a program for making digital art, thus rubbish, but has the benefit of being a usable basic pixel program. It does, though, lack critical features such as animation and instant colour-switching capabilities, which makes it inferior to graphics gale (won't even mention promotion, heh).

This doesn't mean that MSPaint is unusable - it is just that - inferior! There should be no argument about this, I think. Of course you can use it for pixel art but there's nothing wrong with recommending a more useful alternative, is there? Anyways, there are other threads for this discussion so if someone continues this discussion in this thread I guess I'll have to move those posts to a relevant thread! O: If not, then by all means please continue giving critique to the piece at hand!

As for just that: It's extremely messy right now, since it's unshaded but filled with noise (the blood), so it kinda acts as a camouflage pattern, distracting the eye. Construction is solid enough, though, since it's easily recognizable despite the noise. O: I guess I could whip up an edit to explain some points in a more clear unwordy manner. We'll see!

EDIT: Yus, I agree with ben but yes. Discussion over please? C:

[Panda]

Some explanation for this would be good:

[CharlesGabriel]

Sorry.  *cough*.  Bullshit.
Paint may not be powerful, but an experienced pixel artist can pull just as much out of it as one can with GG.  Larwick is an amazing artist, and as far as I know he always uses MSPaint for his art.

He makes things like this:


MSPaint is not my first choice, but if utilized it can be just as useful as any other program.  For a beginner, maybe you would want to try everything and see what makes it easiest for you, which may or may not be MSPaint or GG or PMotion.  Who knows?  but don't disregard Paint as juvenile.

Don't be ignorant, paint is juvenile compared to the programs I mentioned. And duh, the quality of the work depends on your talent and performance... however the point here is what is more functional and is easier to create the type of stuff he's aiming for. I'm not trying to argue or defend it just to be right, I'm just a realistic person, and what I say it's the truth.

It's possible to make art in mspaint, yes, even good art. That doesn't make it a good tool, though. And artists who use insist on using mspaint will never know how much faster and productive they could be with a well designed art program.

See? I'm not the only one who agrees.

EDIT: Apologies, I missed reading part of Jad's post about this discussion.

[Terley]

Some explanation for this would be good:

I think it may just be treated like a buddy, you no like a pixel art character with outfits, weapons and accessories customisable for kicks and giggles.

like the runescape ones 
http://img264.imageshack.us/img264/9466/umlitedrunescapebodykit3ev6fn.png

he did say;

I have a photoshop document where every single piece of his armor and clothing, and the blood on all parts of the body, armor, and clothes are layered and able to be turned on and off (first off, is this a good idea); including his hair which is not featured in the pic.

That's what im gathering from it.

But yes, Firgof. You need to read the rules. Using other peoples work to enhance your own, or even downright editting someones work is a touchy issue and not looked upon kindly here. 

[Jad]

But yes, Firgof. You need to read the rules. Using other peoples work to enhance your own, or even downright editting someones work is a touchy issue and not looked upon kindly here. 

Just to clarify, that's just not what this forum is about! This forum is about helping people with creating original art, not helping people with editing other pieces of art into their own. It's a direction that the creators of the forum have chosen and thus that's what we're gonna enforce!

Actually I'll hand out a strike just for concistency, this is a little too blatant overpainting for it to be okay. It's okay, Firgof, if we see you've learned your lesson we'll remove it sooner or later!

[Firgof]

I used a nude battler template to build the concept art for the battler sprite I will eventually be making above available off of RMXP.org as a public resource as I cannot pose well at all; I didn't bother making wholecloth a new piece as it was only ever going to be used as a reference to build the spritesheet and not be ever used ingame.  I posted it mainly so that I could show more in-detail what the spritesheet is supposed to represent. I mentioned how the PSD I had was layered to serve as a resource if someone had a question on how the character's costume is built.  The Kraviklaw is entirely mine.

I neglected to mention this fact in my original post and I apologize.  If a spritesheet built by referencing a conceptual edit that was drawn over a template needs to go elsewhere than this thread should be moved there.

[Jad]

Yeah, well, if it's a public domain template you'll just have to edit your first post and link to it and I'll remove the strike, no more than that.

I'd like to know where the template you used came from. Can you link me to the source, please?

[Firgof]

Thread containing the resource

BS Template by Bestone: http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii89/Valcrist_Exl/girltemplate.png

[CharlesGabriel]

Thread containing the resource

BS Template by Bestone: http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii89/Valcrist_Exl/girltemplate.png

Correct me if I'm wrong, that template looks to be a re-builded sprite from Namco vs Capcom characters. In other words, that very empty template is an edit.

[Firgof]

Yes, it certainly seems to be.  Nobody mentioned that they were using Regina's character sheet; it was outright stated that Bestone made the template in the thread's first post.

As Panda pointed out, it's definitely Regina.  I just overlayed her sheet onto the battler template Bestone made in Photoshop and the resemblance is too dead-on to be anything but an outright edit.

:argh:  Well, I'm certainly caught off guard by this.  The person who submitted the battler template in that thread does a lot of spritework so I had no reason to doubt it was original.

[Jad]

Wow, that was unfortunate! Sorry for the unnecessary strike then, we'll have that matter sorted out as soon as possible!

It's good that you finally linked to the template, though, please always do so in the future! Well, if you're only using this sprite as a dress-up doll of sorts, by all means continue, since it's kinda clear now where it's from if you read the thread - but I'd recommend that you don't use it as a battle sprite in your game! Well, that's that! I apologize for my mistake!