Personally, if the animation is a bit complex (like rotation and stuff) I'll just draw it really crappily without detail and stuff and then see if it animates properly... if it does, then I'll take the time to go over each frame and redraw it properly. Last but not least, ensure that everything's smooth, like adding final touch-ups to lighting and detail to make sure it looks smooth from one frame to the next. Hopefully that's a clear explanation, but if it isn't I can try to whip up an example (See the link in my signature for a final piece).

You can sprite in a program called paint.net
Try photoshop for effects but you can make them in paint.net too

To make him breath try expanding and contracting the chest. I'm seen that in a cyclops animation.

I like like idea of ultimate fighting life form.

I use photoshop, first I set the image interpolation to nearest neighbor

I use a solid colors first (imagine silhouette) to make the mass of the character (1flesh tone for exposed skin, 1hair tone, 1clothing tone) without any further details, then make it in layers, to check the flow of the movement. I use warp tool to slightly deform, or make the pose more fluent if needed

animation is fluent enough, but angle wise I don't really feel it is useful in game ( I mean if you want to make it into attack of your character) because the range is very short, and it is like the character is standing on 45degree facing the camera, should face the opponent more

for a fighting stance, maybe it should be much slower, and maybe not too much on the leg, I mean the upper body and arm might do that kung fu move, but the lower body should be a little calmer without shifting body weight so much. imo

There are actually a couple of ways to go about this. I would suggest either less movement in the front arm, or straighten his back, and give him more bounce in his step. The main problem is that his front arm is too animated for the stance.  You would have to either get more movements in the rest of his limbs, to show an energetic character, or make the front arm more subtle for a more relaxed stance.

Best thing to start learning how to animate is to download some sprite packs of characters that have been already made. Look through them and see what they did. Some are really detailed like SF3 and some are cut down like GG. See the angle of the character and from there either try to make your own or do the same animation but using your character. Once you get the feel of it you should be fine. Now FX is a whole other muscle of the brain lol I cant tap into that as of yet.

Adobe After Effects +  Solids, motion blur, alpha channels, transfer modes, tweening, particles, etc. It's not that difficult if you know the basics of AE.

this one + keep it simple. I know what it means to begin with great ambition and ending with no contracts, no money, no nothing.

can't u capture the screen or record it as movie in a static angle where you can learn the movement

They're great!

The animation is great although the body becomes a bit bigger during the animation, though... it's a skecth, so I guess it doesn't matter, but I just wanted to let you know in case you decided to follow it TOO closely.

Since the design is a bit complex (in a really good way. Seriously, I love it), you might want to start drawing it without detail (such as leaving out the cloth folds and face, and any buttons or gizmos or lights attached to the armor), animate everything smoothly, and then add them at the end. That's my suggestion, though. If you need more clarification, let me know.

I used to take a first sprite, edit it a little and get a smooth animation, moving a bit the shading.
I still use this method now, and I always get a good animation. But I'd rather sprite fast chars, who always need only 3 or 4 sprites per single hit. Another method is to use animations from a fighting game, for example Naruto Ultimate Ninja Storm 2. To sprite Killer Bee's attacks I only had to redraw his poses while attacking. And that always happens to be a cool looking attack.

shifting an already finished sprite is great for fillers but not for the key animation I think, otherwise you'll get lazy and the movement looks so obviously made of recycled sprites.

darkzero779 said, April 07, 2011, 05:01:27 am

heres another wip made with flash xD
USE A SIMPLE METHOD ON FRAME BY FRAMING BASED ON SOME ANIMATIONS BY THIS GUY
http://www.phitus.deviantart.com/

It was a bit lazy...I expected something else.

I don't really have any advice, but I wish you good luck. This character looks really cool, and the sketchy animations aren't too bad IMO.

I think that punch animation would look fine if you drew over it - as long as each frame was mostly redrawn.