RPG character [WIP]

[sonic_reaper]

Lol, ok guys don't know what the big fuss is about me using the term sprite, lol I guess I just got into the habit because I use gamemaker and their graphics folder is called sprite so instead of saying graphics now all I can say is sprite, sorry if it was confusing you Anyway in other news I did start to work on drawing my sprite out by hand and it turned out terrible, so I just started like a blank document in the computer and started to kinda draw things out in there and I sorta liked it. I didn't touch it up or do much to it but its a start. I'm sorry about being so stubborn with drawing things its just I cannot draw to save my life and I'm pulling clumps of hair out of my scalp each time I mess up so yea I think I'm gonna stick with pixeling thank you very much Uh, heres the sprite I sorta whipped together. Tell me what you like/dislike.

That's actually a good start.  I wouldn't be too hard on yourself since you are technically just starting out.  One can't expect to be a master pixel artist (or artist in general) overnight.  Even the masters themselves had years and years and years and decades and so on of practice and training.  Sharprm's advice is sound too.

I would work off of this piece.  Just clean up the lines (especially the hair).  Try using some lines to create "clumps" in the hair, as per the examples that have been provided in this thread.

[inarma]

 Thanks Ben2theEdge, that kinda cleared things up a bit, sharprm, thanks for the tut in the end you started to go a little weird with the whole "you'll never create a decent rpg" and stuff but I guess its ok I'm used to that kinda critisism, uh thanks sonic_reaper for the encouragement, it was kinda a nice thing to hear after hearing lots of kinda harsh-ish crits.

(BTW: Sharprm, I'm not really in this for creating a great rpg or something I just sprite for fun its kinda a hobby for me, and use my sprites for games.)

(PS: Back to the drawing board....once again....*Huge Sigh*  )

[mattpk]

I also was introduced to spriting cuze of game maker, i needed to make my own images. Just to let you know that the graphics forum in GMC (game maker community) is the worst by far forum you can ask for sprite help from. They actually TELL YOU to use GRADIENTS. If you are getting help from them, ditch it all. There are a few professionals there, but don't take chances. I know from expereicence, even though i'm not very good.

[Corridor]

About the latest attempt... it's way, way better, but would look even more so with some hair coming out from behind his head. At the moment it sorta seems like the back of his head is shaved.

[inarma]

 Really lol, it looks like that? How can you even see the back of its head, its front view lols?And Mattpk, yea ur right gradients are pretty dumb to use unless its for a cheap background or something, its useful but not for sprites. Also I kinda already know the spriters in the GM is lame and not very good so I kinda chose not to take all their advice. If I do I get it from Luis or LAR...and all the good peoples this place is a lot higher class than GM and its hard getting used to it so I'm being troublesome cuz I don't wanna put lots of time into my spriting. Anyway I'll update the character soon....

QUICK UPDATE: So pretty much I just lowered the shoulder and filled in some colors for the character it doesn't look very good but hang tight I'm gonna start shading....

[JonathanOfDrain]

Please do not start shading. There was still so much work needed before putting in colors! You need to really clean up that line art. Maybe even redo it with all that VERY VERY valuable advice, even if you aren't making this for a game or whatever it's something worth the practice. Why have something boring and unrealistic when you can make something exciting and cool? Sure there's more work but you'll notice just about everything else you make will be of higher quality.

[sharprm]

Really lol, it looks like that? How can you even see the back of its head, its front view lols?

He said hair growing from the back of the head, which could be visible depending on the haircut.

I wanted to see if the front on perspective you have can work for an interesting portrait. I thought I'd post it, might help you. ( i changed it to a girl)



With yours, use a horizontal flip and you'll see it lacks symmetry. Also, draw some design sketches. Is the boy a happy boy? Or is he an unhappy character. Is he fast or is he strong? For instance, if he is happy character, can make him smile, give him bright clothes. If he is unhappy, make his hair messy and maybe mud on his face. You want to think about who the character is as you draw him.

With the girl, I thought she would have armour on the side where she holds her shield and so that side would be the one that would recieve blows (hence the scar on the left cheek). She is often fighting or practising with a sword, so when she isn't holding one, she doesn't know what to do with her hand, hence she plays with her hair.

For yours, right now I feel like he is a normal kid who had his mum dress him. You know, nice clean shirt and armour, and he feels uncomfortable because of this, rather than someone who would survive in a rpg environment (or whatever world your game has).

[inarma]

 Lol, jeez I keep going back to the start don't I lol keep messing up ok but I think I'm gonna try to stick with this guy because I really like how he turned out uh, I'm gonna try to fix what you guys said as best as I can.

Ok, so I edited it a bit, I put some hair to look like he has hair in the back of his head and so that I cleaned up his lines a little bit...and yea I hope thats what you guyz asked for and for some of the things that you guys want me to put in I don't really want for my character like I don't really want him to look rugged or that he would completely fit into some terrible rpg world. I want him to seem more like he is strong, smart, and sorta has been through a lot like he doesn't seem to talk that much and that he has a distant and concentrated look in his eyes, and he's a angry at the people who put him like that....Sorry if thats sorta off topic but thats kinda what I want him to look like if you can help me make him more like THAT, that would help more than trying to make him some crazy barbarian man

[sharprm]

Pale colors i think will work well for a distant character. If you want to make him look stronger, shift him up a few pixels. The hair is looking better. In your paint program, find a flip horizontal option. When its flipped then flaws become more obvious. Like i think the right side of the head is too wide. Should the armour cover more of the arm (i dont know much about the medieval combat, but i think it should cover area not protected by shield. How old is he?

edit: if its just supposed to be a kid, then try googleing child soldiers. You might find a better expression. For example:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/nol/shared/spl/hi/pop_ups/04/africa_sierra_leone0s_civil_war/img/1.jpg

You could make him frown and lighted from above. Remember to shade as a last step though.

[inarma]

 Ok, got it I'm gonna go do that...or try to.