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[LoMastul]

had some spare time so i decided to make a spriting tut, hopefully it will be usefull for the rpgmakervx community

first of all, select the template you want to use, whether it's RTP style, Kaduki, or any other custom style.

im going to demonstrate how i made this sprite:
starting from my own template:
by 5 not too long, yet simple steps.

Step 1:
get a pre-made template, or make one yourself[if you have enough knowledge in spriting] and fill the backgrounf color into a passive color.
filling the background to a bright or dark color might distract your eyes, and as a result of that you will miss alot of mistakes that you normally wouldnt with a more passive color.
note: do not use a color that exists in the sprite's color scheme.

Step 2:

now after you got the template that you wanted start by making a "cap" for the sprite using the darkest color that you will be using for the hair, that cap will determine your sprite's hair line.
then, select the colors you want to use and make a sketch of the clothing of your sprite.pi personally use the darkest color from the color scheme for that certain object, it doesnt nessecerey means you have to start that way as well]

Step 3:

after your done sketching your sprite's accesories it is time to begin shading, and adding the actual hair to your sprite, this step doesnt have to look 100% perfect, you can still edit it later on.
note: dont forget to add the shade on the head that the hair casts on it, so it will look alright.

Step 4:

add more colors to your sprite, make the basic hair structure and define the different bangs, also keep working on the clothing and it's details.

Step 5:

add more colors to the hair and to the clothing, define stuff like folds, dark places, hair bangs etc...

Step 6:

the last step of making a sprite, at this step you add the highlights to stuff like hair, metalic and other shiny objects.
at this step you also fix everything that looks off to you, review the sprite and make sure it is the way you want it to be.
note: make sure you dont use too much of one color so different clothing wont clash with eachother. also, check your sprite and fix AntiAlias errors and banding that you spot on your sprite[i will also be explaining on what is AA[AntiAliasing] how it is used properly, what is banding, why you should try to avoid it, and how to avoid it]


FAQ
Q. what is AA?

Spoiler:

A. AA stands for AntiAliasing which is basically a way make a smooth transition between 2 pixel clusters made of different colors,
example of AA: here is a simple pixel circle made of simple jagged lines:
and here is the same circle after adding AA to it:

as you can see there is a big difference between the two.
you can also input the AA in simple sprites[rmvx style sprites use AA alot]

Q. how do i make AA?

Spoiler:

A. you make AA by bascally inputing a few pixels between the 2 big pixel clusters to make a smooth transition between them, here is a quick example:
and a colored example:

here is have 2 simple pixeled lines.

watch how adding AA correctly makes it look like a rather smooth tube, while the wrong example creates too much Banding.

Q. what is banding?

Spoiler:

A. banding is a defenition of when your pixels collide each other in a wrong way and thus making a part of your pixel art fugly.

Q. which programs can be used for spriting?

Spoiler:

A. basically any program that can edit pixels.
the recommanded programs for pixel art are:
Photoshop - you have to change certain preferences to be able to make pixel art with it.
GraphicsGale.
MS Paint.
ProMotion. etc....
personally i use photoshop to create pixel art, but it's up to you to decide which program you prefer to work on.

Q. is there a secret to creating amazing sprites?

Spoiler:

A. practicing is the only secret there is.
oh, and also cookies. cookies make you sprite better.

Helpful resources:

Spoiler:

my own rmvx palette:
and skin palette:
famitsu's RTP Templates:

any questions that you have, or suggestions let me know and ill add it to the tutorial.
p.s you could also post here your mad sprites so i can check them, and fix the parts that are wrong[if there are any] and explain to you what was wrong and how it is fixed.

This post has been edited by LoMastul: Apr 9 2011, 06:56 PM

[Pentagonbuddy]

8D THIS IS A VERY HELPFUL TUTORIAL.

[Shiro]

very nice tutorial, and i absolutely love your template o_o, and awesome pallet!

[Celianna]

Lovely tutorial, the steps are easy to follow.

It's a shame you haven't entered the pixel madness contest.

[Retired-Pine]

I don't really follow these steps myself... but it's an overall good guy. Though the outline is kind of very consistent. Specially on the hair

[A.M]

This is a really well-done tutorial. Great job! =)

I think it'll be very helpful. You put in plenty of pictures and it's really nicely organized.

[U-Oreo]

Spriting tutorials are always nice! This is very simple and easy to follow, thank you.

[Emmych]

Wow, this is excellent! Nice tutorial~!

[MagitekElite]

Oh my gosh... THIS IS AMAZING!

I especially loved how you give out a palette to your images and even at the end! I wanted to learn how to sprite VX characters as I'm terribly at it but couldn't find a good tutorial on it. I always wanted to know what AntiAliasing and how do it. So that was helpful, especially on the "wrong" and "right" ways it should look!

Very easy tutorial to follow, especially for the novice novices xD

Thank you, thank you, thank you and thank you!


*You have been added to my sig. Would you mind if I put a link to this thread in my sig on other forums? It will help a lot of people :33*

This post has been edited by MagitekElite: Apr 13 2011, 06:03 AM

[Kazzador]

This is a great starter kit for those wanting or even needing to sprite. Its simple and easy to follow. good job.

Your methods are similar to how I build my sprites, though I don't always sprite in stages . I try to limit the AA myself, using only necessary AA. It Can take a-lot of time and practice to get it right or fully understand it, but appreciate how it can make a big difference in shaping.

[LoMastul]

@Shiro: thank you :3

@Celianna: i did return to sprite before the pixel madness contest began so i did consider about joining it, but eventually i didnt join due to terrible lack of time :x.

@Pine: well, everyone has their own way of spriting, i never said this is the absolute way of spriting, and i dont always do it this way aswell, but i think it is the easiest way to teach someone about spriting ._.
and you're right about the outline, though it is the style i was going for with my custom template ._. but i should anyway remake this with an RTP sprite.

@A.M: thank you, though it is not as organized as i want it to be, ill probly make a pdf file for it later when i have more spare time :x

@MagitekElite: im glad you decided to add it to your sig, i hope this tut will help alot of people to learn the basics of spriting :3 i will also expand more about AntiAliasing and Banding on the "part 2" of this tut.

[MagitekElite]

You're welcome, LoMastul! It is always nice to see novice friendly tutorials that actually help and teach the, as others call them, "newbies" of spriting. Thank you once more.

And I cannot wait for part 2 of the tut! :3

*expect to see my attempt at VX sprites (usually only do XP) soon!*

[godslittledude]

This is a nice tutorial.

Ugh... if only I had the attention span to sprite. I usually finish the first two rows, look with disgust at my creation, call myself a failure, and quit.

[Climhazzard]

This tutorial has really helped me, thanks a lot for it. Couldn't sprite to save my life, but this has helped me develop semi-decent skills, thank you!

[Xavioo]

Very Very nice Tutorial!

[acem1994]

Nice tut, i'm working on one now, following the steps... It sure is time-consuming to do it for the whole sheet... o.o Once it's done i'll put it in this post and you can tell me all the mistakes i made >.> lol, Thanks for the tut, 'tis very nice.

EDIT:

Spoiler:

Eh, I'm happy with it. Something looks funny about it though, probably the hair. First sprite though - thanks to you - so i'm happy with it. I anxiously await more tuts to gain your spriting wisdom from. =D

This post has been edited by acem1994: Apr 30 2011, 08:36 PM

[CrayDragon]

This is...AWESOME.

[Sephigruen]

Thank you! This ist the best spriting tut I've ver seen. And the palette's great, exactly what I needed. ^^
Now I want to sprite something. ^^

~Hachi.

This post has been edited by Sephigruen: May 20 2011, 03:43 PM

[Darkstar102]

This is just epic Thanks.

I've already started on sprites for my game. I think I'm getting the hang of it. Although, I was a bit confused about the clothing. I ended taking a look at some other chars to figure out what it was supposed to look like.

[Fated]

This is an excellent spriting tutorial. Thanks for your time in making it.