Is This How You Sprite?, [Updated: Running Sprite C&C Time]

Yes, actually. Though bear in mind it does change the style quite a bit.

You're doing a fantastic job for someone new to it.

The change was sort of intentional. I tried it out for a brief moment and ended up kind of liking it, so I went with it.

Also, clothes:





This post has been edited by Mrs. Aforcer on Nov 4 2009, 01:48 AM

Ah, the shading on the clothes is much better than it was before, that's great. Changing the face/skin color does make him stand out compared to how his face was very identical to the sprites of yourself first time. I like the progress on it!

i think i prefer the eyes as rectangles rather than circles

they looks a little empty and lifeless like that.

maybe

idk maybe you can think of some better way to make them unscary looking or maybe you just want them to be scary looking


i also think the back of the hair looks a little unnatural. i don't know why honestly but it just looks off :c sorry i can't really help

I'm going for the "lifeless" kind of look, though; like, I, personally, really like it. It's something between cute and a little scary.

Also, no, your recommendation looks far too... animu for my tastes, sorry.

Yeah, I admit the back of the hair does look a little awkward -- probably because it comes off as looking really stiff and "chunky," if you will. Again, though, it was a stylistic choice that I don't think I'm going to change.

But the input is appreciated nonetheless.

IT'S HORRIBLE


HORRIBLY BETTER THAN anything I sprite, that is!


But um, seriously. You doin' good from what I can see!

I liked the eyes in the first version better

^

I can't really pinpoint why, but I like the head/hair on the first version a lot more than the second version.

The only thing I don't like about any of the sprites you've posted in this topic is on the Medaf sprite, the shading under his hair is cold, and that makes his skin look cold and slightly metallic.

I hope you don't mind, but I took the time to do an edit of your sprite.

First let me say that you are doing a great job at what you're doing for such little experience. Most people start with recolors, and here you are, making game sprites!

Alright, first of all, my edit:






I changed some big things: The colors. The hair colors were great, no need to change a thing there, but the rest of the colors were desaturated and boring. Liven things up a bit! :]

I added AA in places that need it- I also tried AAing the outsides for fun, but remember, this would only work on darker bgs.

I also recommend working on a grey or neutral background, because that way you can choose colors that aren't too bright or dark by comparing them with the neutral.

I changed the shading on the pants and the shirt; tried to give them a better texture while staying simple. I also altered the stance a tad, to give it more balance. I changed his eyes back to how they were previously, I believe, with some added definition. I also changed the shading in various places and tried to use the white on the hair to give a slight hair texture without being overly complicated.

I hope this helps! You're doing a good job, and I want to see this become even better. ;D

Dex, as much as I appreciate your input and the edit you've made, I feel you've completely changed the style of my sprite. While the colours are things I'll consider changing (later) to improve the contrast/value, I preferred the flat, doll-like style of the original.

I do understand the concept of texturing and (somewhat understand) the concept of AAing -- not doing them, though, was a choice, and a choice that I intend to stick to. I feel your critique, while valuable in its own way, delves a little too much into completely changing the style as opposed to fixing things to fit the style.

Also I'm really not too keen on what you've done with the hair. I trust that you've seen my art before, and if you know how I render hair, you'd know that I like to keep the hair in solid "chunks;" I feel what you've done here is render it more stringy and containing individual strands. I can to that, I just choose not too. I think the "chunky" hair looks stylistically cuter.

And I like cute things.

Don't get me wrong -- what you did is great and has wonderful textures, but... it's not what I'm going for, really. I don't mean to make this sound like a cop-out, but I want C&C that respects and helps the style I've already conceived, not changes it completely. I'm sorry, I hope you understand.

I honestly don't see how it changed the style that much, I just made it smoother and gave it a bit more depth, something sprites normally aim for

It's fine if you want to go on with what you have, but I personally find that 'flat, dull' style overused and typical in sprite styles these days.

Adding AA doesn't CHANGE something's style, it just takes away the jaggies- which make the sprite look kind of blocky, something I'm normally against


But don't get me wrong, I understand why you wouldn't want to do everything I suggested, but honestly, I don't really see a style yet... maybe if you'd done about 3 or 4 sprites in this style or done animations, maybe, but at this point, a little overhaul and smoothening wouldn't hurt, if you're going for eye pleasing graphics.


!~

I already changed the colour of the skin, and I may AA it a bit later.

Admittedly I'm not incredibly well-versed on how to AA though -- is there some tutorial or something out there on how to do it that you can hook me up with?

http://gas13.ru/v3/tutorials/handmade_antialiasing.php

gneeeeeeeef

also, if you don't change hardly anything, at least consider giving the knees a highlight so they stand out, it's kind of cute :3

EDIT: oh oh, and I hope you weren't intending the 'banding' to be part of your style, because it gives sprites an awful appearance on backgrounds

This post has been edited by Dex on Nov 4 2009, 11:37 PM

Anti-aliasing I think could help this a lot, I can't see a reason why you wouldn't want to use it unless you were going for something really, really stylized, which probably you shouldn't be right now.

It'll really only improve how this looks.

Danke.

I will see to that, after I make some other small tweaks I've been meaning to make.

By the by, I'm curious on your thoughts about doing a ~2px thick black outline on all the sprites; I personally thought it'd compliment the style rather nicely, you?

"Banding?"

Shading directly along the outline. Generally looks pretty ugly.

http://www.wayofthepixel.net/pixelation/in...g66232#msg66232

banding essentially. if you look it up on pixelation further you'll find more info.

and hm, it would probably work. you could aa the edges easier, and make the sprite smoother in general. honestly, you're a good artist, i don't see why you don't want to make this as pretty as can be! then you can say your first sprite was a success ;D

Holy --



I'm retarded! How the heck do you sprite running!?

try something like this, maybe?