Pixel art failure (Need some serious help)

York

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So... I've been trying for days on end with still fruitless results to make pixel art for a videogame I'm trying to make (also a class requirement that ironically enough I've chosen to HAVE to complete by the end of the schoolyear) >.< (artistic skills need a whole ton of work basically) I keep trying to draw something but 1) don't get the proportions right (it doesn't exactly come naturally for me as a beginner) 2) can't make consistent shapes/lines (using a mouse which is the only resource I have available to do pixel art doesn't help this) and 3) I honestly for the life of me cannot figure out a good strategy to work around said problems (and others which I'm not too sure how to explain)
 
Start by analysing existing sprites, the old sprites. Like really old. Pokémon gen 1 is a good one. You'll be surprised how hard it is to create all the assets. Recolour it, remake it, reanimate it. Start with simple things like redoing the walking animation, then move onto something more complicated like waving or jumping. From there keep moving up, google tutorials, etc. However, don't expect to exceed at spriting so easily. It's a very underestimated art. Some of the best sprite-art in games can be found in a game from 1995. I mean look at this
secret-of-mana-2.jpg


This is no minor amount of skill and not picked up within a day or so. A big reason it went out of style is because it was actually less cost-effective than using models.
 
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Start by analysing existing sprites, the old sprites. Like really old. Pokémon gen 1 is a good one. You'll be surprised how hard it is to create all the assets. Recolour it, remake it, reanimate it. Start with simple things like redoing the walking animation, then move onto something more complicated like waving or jumping. From there keep moving up, google tutorials, etc. However, don't expect to exceed at spriting so easily. It's a very underestimated art. Some of the best sprite-art in games can be found in a game from 1995. I mean look at this
secret-of-mana-2.jpg


This is no minor amount of skill and not picked up within a day or so. A big reason it went out of style is because it was actually less cost-effective than using models.
XD yeah, unfortunately that's true (the biggest problem yet would be even making one little sprite to start off the sprite sheet right now >.<)
 
Don't start from scratch, because just 1 pixel can make something look good or bad. Use the knowledge that already exists, consider recreating a sprite pixel by pixel a learning experience. Like anything, you need to know the basics before creating your own. You can't RP on Iwaku if you don't know English. Spriting is similar. The best teacher is exposure and repetition, so you can create a toolbox with which you'll eventually build your own things.
 
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Don't start from scratch, because just 1 pixel can make something look good or bad. Use the knowledge that already exists, consider recreating a sprite pixel by pixel a learning experience. Like anything, you need to know the basics before creating your own. You can't RP on Iwaku if you don't know English. Spriting is similar. The best teacher is exposure and repetition, so you can create a toolbox with which you'll eventually build your own things.
I think you hit my mistake right on the head >.< I was trying to build a sprite from scratch using my imagination as the only real guideline o-o I guess I could try recreating a sprite to start off and go from there (let's see how well this will work o.o) Thanks!
 
Following along with any art these are usually helpful;

-Start with Basic Shapes. Even the real world is made up of them. Squares, circles, triangles, etc.
-Use references, such as stock photos, to work those basic shapes into something more defined.
-Start with flat, basic colors and work your way into shading. Give yourself an obvious light source on one corner of your current work so you know where it' coming from.
-Go google (or even look on Deviantart or similar) places for tutorials on Pixeling, shading pixels
-If you've got the program for it shoot for a grey scale (value only) version of your sprite and then color it! (I would pixel in MS Paint in grayscale & color mine in Adobe Photoshop or Paint Tool SAI w/ a new layer).

And Don't be afraid to keep things simple! Two Words; Pac Man. :P
 
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