I figured while I'm animating, I'd do some WIPs, if less experienced pixel artists want a peek at the process, and more experienced animators can better critique my technique. (Mods if this is an inappropriate place for this I'll move it)
The program I use is Graphics Gale, and a Wacom tablet, almost exclusively. I like Graphics Gale because it has both layers and onion skinning, which are essential.
Step One: Key Frames: I approach pixel art animation pretty much the same way I would approach traditional animation. First step is making key frames - the extremities of each movement. It's rough, but it helps hammer out the movements and get the rhythm of the animation down.
Step Two: In-Betweens: After I'm happy with the key frames I go in and add frames inbetween the keyframes until the animation is smooth enough for my liking. This is where onion skinning is pretty much a godsend.
Step Three: Colors: Once I'm happy with the rough animation I create a new layer and start creating the actual graphics. The face is copied and pasted because it won't be changing much (except the hair). The rest I start with the shapes, and I'l add outlines and shading later.
Step Four: Outlines: After I've got the colored shapes in, I don't need the sketch anymore so I hide that layer. Next is outlines and details. I do the outlines first, and then will add the shading. The sword is also in there, now. This could've been sketched earlier in the process but I was stupid.
