animation software: http://www.wayofthepixel.net/index.php?topic=3467.0
thanks for this link, i found it very helpful
That doesn't seem to help you animating it, imho.
Ya, i didn't think it would either but i just did it that way so again i am forced not to borrow to much from other people's work.
Laying off the animation for the awhile, kinda getting frustrated
So tried again at this jack sprite. I <3 ppd jack sprite, but began asking people i know what they thought of it and i got some mixed responses. Some knew it was a bucket, others thought it was a pour spout (do pour spouts have handles
) anyways what i learned from this is that it need to be more square, or some people thought it should be.( i really don't think it needed to be more squre) But it gave me a reason to give this a shot
-edit-
Although i still have a long way before i can do this. I am starting to work on a series of skits for my game. I don't know if ill go the route of meatboy and add them as cutscenes or start a youtube channel to help gain a fan base...
One i am thinking of doing is when jack gets to the beanstalk he starts climbing and there will be some farmer doing something in his field. He will then stop, pounds his pitchfork in the ground twice and chants "Deh-Shay Deh-Shay Bah-Sah-Rah" jack then stops looks at him. Then another farm couple come and join in the chant. Then a shepard and his sheep come and join in the chant. (The sheep pounding each hoof before chanting) Jack then looks at them with freaked out eyes and quickly climbs beankstalk off screen.Reference:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_RvKD3V1V4I i'll try and keep things relevent to pixel art, for next time. /edit
edit/update:
here i fiddled around with im a little more
Started with jill on this type of character design:
Hopefully these are better to see..
still working on jill, don't really know what to do the clothing, definitely needs a bit more color.
I don't really know if i am doing a good job with their anatomy,
i don't know if i should outine arms too? i tried it and it looked awful..don't know what to do about this..
I keep trying to incoroporate shading ( i don't know if i am using the right term here) with the jack character, don't know if this makes it look nicer or just messy
Less total colors.
More color re use.
Broader surfaces.
Thicker plane changes.
trying to go back and re-read advice, i think i am using less colors, and re-using colors (except for the handle of the bucket, tried doing the skin color but didn't really look right to me)
I think i have a idea of what broader surfaces are, but not 100% sure
thicker plane changes, again not 100% sure
Like does it mean that their is more color change, or make it look more 3d? hmm
references for these characters are just some sketches i got and ppd sprite, and my recreation of jill using ppd sprite skeleton. ( i really think i have kinda done it my own way here, but if i am still kinda going down the wrong path.. Please don't give up on me, let me know and i'll do my best to change )
-edit/update 4:21pm 22/12/2012-:
back at this animation stuff again..sigh
Really don't know what to do about the hands tried to outline them but all attempts seem to fail.
definitely need to fix since they seem to dissappear once by his side.
eyes could use more detail also, just starting to get into run cycle, just started with basic motion and adding in frame or two.
...argh re-reading i guess i still make sprites that look like their skating...sigh
back to gamemaker..
Update:
I just finished this, don't have time to talk about it or add more sprites. will later on
edit/update:
him facing away:
My current dilema..
here are my attempts to make a recognizable bucket:
edit/update:
All attempts to make a bucket have failed..
so, i am now on to making my sprite jump
Not yet done still needs a few frames to make the motion smooth, hopefully on on the right track
edit/update dec 29, 2012:
for some reason photobucket not working for me, so i can't upload images.
But, after talking to quite a few people i learned alot about what i am doing wrong. One was i made the bucket with the handle to the side, which makes it look more like a cup then a bucket. Another was that i can go at this bucket one or two ways. First make the bucket with two side handles or make it with one handle. The dis-adv: of the side handles is that they take up quite a bit of room on his face, the one handle bucket is hard to recongnize it is a handle. another thing i am having trouble with is the wooden bucket itself. I think if i can get the handles right people will automatically think is a bucket and will no longer think it to be some sort of hat. But another thing i was missing was the metal band that goes around the bucket with. Though i am also having difficulties recreating this, i am making progress which is not the case with the handles.
edit/update january 3 2013:
here what i learned about the bucket:
I realized that my sprite was a little to advanced for me, and i was putting to much time into making this sprite then the rest of the game. So tried taking what i learned so far and went back to 16x16 and used 4 colors. Hopefully it looks somewhat of a bucket on his head..
-edit- first one i should be just back pixels like the last two, instead of showing skin
Started on my first tiles:
edit/update jan 4, 2013:
finished jill sprite:
jill is wearing a bonnet, with a dress, she has no shoes.
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![](http://<a href="http://s1323.photobucket.com/user/JillandJackForever/media/image_zps3be089a21_zps8ab80031.png.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1323.photobucket.com/albums/u587/JillandJackForever/image_zps3be089a21_zps8ab80031.png" border="0" alt=" photo image_zps3be089a21_zps8ab80031.png"/></a>)
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how is everyone so good at this you did that in a hurry... mabe i should start doing things in a hurry 
, and behold my creation 
K.
ya, pixelpiledriver you really outdid yourself this time. I don't think ill be the only one referencing this 
