do you have a tutorial on how you make your sprites? im working on a game rn and I want to do custom sprites and your style is perfect, so I was wondering if you had a tutorial.... thank!
I don’t know if I would be able to offer a visual tutorial, since there’s really no straightforward method or “step-by-step” to the way I make sprites. The style I’m using for this project is much different than my normal style, and even if I took screenshots of my process, it would probably look like a lot of random pixel-plopping!
However, I will offer some general advice in regards to pixel art and spriting! (I’m not sure if your skill level/exactly what you’re interested in learning, so I’m sorry if any of this advice comes off as preachy or obvious!)
1) Study other sprite sheets if you’re unsure of how to approach walk cycles or how the proportions should be! There are so many different ways to draw sprites, depending on your own tastes. Some prefer realistic sprites vs chibis/cartoony styles. Some people prefer to use a 3/4th view instead for side view for L/R sprites. There’s no shame in taking inspirations from others. Find what works for you!
2) Make sure your sprites match the rest of your tileset/maps. You don’t want a cartoony sprite to stick out against a realistic background or vice versa. Adjust the sprite to be more/less detailed if necessary. Whether you’re making your own maps or using other resources, style matching is important!
3) Colors can be a good way to set the tone of a game, so you might want to consider that with your sprites and maps! For this game, we have gone with a desaturated violet/wine palette for the two protagonists to match our overall purple/orange color themes. Again, you can look at other games’ palettes or even color swatches online for inspiration. Finding a palette that works for you takes a lot of trial and error, but I think it’s better to put the effort in than settle for something you’re unsatisfied with.
4) Speaking of being dissatisfied... if you complete your first sprite and dislike something about the way it looks, redraw it! Many of my sprites go through two or three remakes before I settle on them - and even then, later down the line I might go back and change a pixel or two. Don’t feel as though your work is lost or that you’re wasting time! It’s a learning experience. As mentioned before, it’s better to feel proud of your work than to feel it’s lacking - especially since you’re going to be staring at this sprite quite a lot when testing and devving, lol.
Again, I’m sorry if this advice seems obvious or condescending in any way! TL;DR, practice makes perfect, and everyone starts somewhere.
I hope this helps! - Agent Lambourgeois
