AuthorTopic: Platformer Sprite needs improvement  (Read 14370 times)

Offline Twirly

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Platformer Sprite needs improvement

on: March 14, 2009, 08:12:36 pm
Hi everybody  :)
I am new to this place and not active at all untill now,because I ended up needing
some help with my sprites :x I am very new to pixel art (I made only a few RPG Sprites)
and ended up needing help with this small platformer sprite: (Really small :O)

So, in my opinion the perspective seems a bit akward and the guy's stance is too rigid,
but I really don't know how to change that :(
Also, you may need to know that this is still a WIP, so shading and changing outlines will follow ;)
PS:
Sorry for any typos or grammatical errors, English isn't my first language.

Offline NaCl

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Re: Platformer Sprite needs improvement

Reply #1 on: March 14, 2009, 09:30:29 pm
Hey Twirly, good start! This character is quite cute. I think you even analyzed the problems with him pretty good too.

Here is how I would improve this sprite, and your sprites in general:

Don't rely on black lines to give shape to everything. Black lines on the inside of the sprite tend to clutter everything up, especially in small sprites like this. I had the same problem initially, but you just have to realize that you are not drawing with a pencil, you are painting with pixels. So you essentially need to define shapes with the colors you are using, not lines. If you look down at my edit, you see that I placed shapes of pixels of different colors next to each other to differentiate different parts of the body. Like I put a blob of dark blue coming out of the mid tone blue of his jacket to show his back arm a little, and it is distinguishable without any lines.

Try and use some shading. Not all styles use shading, but it can't hurt to know how to do it. Just think of each piece of the sprite as a simple shape (cylinder, sphere, etc...) and shade them accordingly, with the same light source. This will scrape you by on small and simple stuff. Just don't pillow shade (look it up on these forums).

The perspective doesn't seem too off to me, I think it's mainly just his arms are messed up. He does seem rigid, and this is for three reasons: his shoulders are undefined, and look like they are too far foreward over his hips. His head is too far forward, over his shoulders. Finally, his arms are not hanging naturally, they are hanging straight down and even back a little. Plus his left arm should not be so far out from his body, maybe only the bottom of the arm should be hanging forward, while the upper arm is back with the shoulders.

Well here is the edit (it is a bit crappy, I didn't make the arms look totally natural, and I spent only a little time on the face) hope some of this helps:

« Last Edit: March 19, 2009, 03:40:45 am by NaCl »

Offline Pawige

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Re: Platformer Sprite needs improvement

Reply #2 on: March 14, 2009, 10:19:05 pm
Aw man, NaCl beat me to the punch. I did a quick edit here for you also to give you some ideas.



Pulled both his shoulders back to give him a more natural pose (as NaCl mentioned).
Added a few colors plus some shading.
Nixed most of the interior black outlines--This helps a lot in giving you more room for little details, the black lines running everywhere really break it up and take up a lot of sprite real estate without actually contributing much to the details of the sprite.
Rearranged the feet a bit to give him a more solid stance--it would need to be fiddled with a bit to give him a run or walk cycle.
Gave him some yellow rubber boots, just because he looked like he needed some.

For some reason, it makes me think of South Park. Not sure why. Maybe it's just the whole little kid dressed up for winter thing...

Offline Twirly

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Re: Platformer Sprite needs improvement

Reply #3 on: March 15, 2009, 12:54:49 pm
First of all, I'd like to thank both of you guys a lot.
So, I did stuff as good as I could, I replaced the black outlines and
used for the blue clothes a darker blue outline and for the scarf a darker
red outline and so on...
Shading really is a nightmare to me, so I didn't do it yet, but don't worry, I'll do it ;)
So here is the edit:

EDIT:
« Last Edit: March 15, 2009, 12:58:27 pm by Twirly »

Offline hotnikkelz

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Re: Platformer Sprite needs improvement

Reply #4 on: March 15, 2009, 01:14:03 pm
umm your edit looks pretty much the same as the start, the changes you made are too subtle.

Offline Twirly

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Re: Platformer Sprite needs improvement

Reply #5 on: March 15, 2009, 01:15:36 pm
Hmmmm???
Does this really look the same?
BEFORE:

AFTER

Alternate Version:
« Last Edit: March 15, 2009, 05:29:59 pm by Twirly »

Offline Gil

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Re: Platformer Sprite needs improvement

Reply #6 on: March 15, 2009, 05:52:50 pm
I personally like your simple style more than the edits. I might do an edit myself trying to keep the style :)

Offline Twirly

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Re: Platformer Sprite needs improvement

Reply #7 on: March 15, 2009, 06:34:11 pm
I personally like your simple style more than the edits. I might do an edit myself trying to keep the style :)
Yeah, I like it that way too, because in my game I am aiming for a cartoony stile  ;)
But their edits were incredibly helpful :)

Offline Gil

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Re: Platformer Sprite needs improvement

Reply #8 on: March 15, 2009, 06:49:43 pm
Have you tried studying Boktai? I think you'll like the style and it's a good reference for the style you're going for. Earthbound is another obvious choice.

Offline Twirly

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Re: Platformer Sprite needs improvement

Reply #9 on: March 15, 2009, 07:04:07 pm
Have you tried studying Boktai? I think you'll like the style and it's a good reference for the style you're going for. Earthbound is another obvious choice.
Yeah, I know both games :D And I love Boktai's style. I am going to look at the stuff now :)