How do you draw your own unique style of sprites?

[SiL3Nt J]

Just wondering. I have some original characters that I want to draw, but it's hard to draw them without making them look like Capcom sprites. I want them to look about the same quality as the SF3 sprites though. Just wondering how I can make them look a little more unique so I can actually use them and maybe make money off of them later.

[inktrebuchet]

Simple guy! Draw the characters yourself, no copy and paste, no editing sprites. That will naturally make something done in a different style as long as you are not referencing or trying to duplicate a existing style. You could even change the direction that the light hits the character.

Really you could develop your own style of shading/coloring if you wanted but I think you will find that most things fall in the some category that already exists.

Also Capcom's style seems to mostly be in the exaggerated proportions they design the characters with. SNK sprites seem to have more realistic proportions.

To make money on your sprites you don't have to make a new style... Just new work.

[SiL3Nt J]

Oh cool. Btw, nice Strider.

[FeLo_Llop]

Well, I arrived to my styles developing CvS style. First is like combining classic KoF sizes with Capcom shading, but in a bigger scale, as this:


Then, if I want to make a bigger project, I changed the scale to:


As you can see, it keeps the sizes of its bigger brother style, but in a smaller scale. And colour separation.


But then, I knew about Judas' ESP.er Style, which is AMAZING. But as I'm not that skilled, had to make it smaller. And sure, it fits with Street Fighter characters too well, as Ink said, it has exaggerated proportions, hard inked silouette and such(it's similar to SF4, though):



So, my suggestion: If you want to develope a new style, your own, don't be affraid of somehow copying others, since the most you add yourself, the most it comes your own style.


PS: Just had to say: you can always say: my style is inspired by "x spriter". That's always nice !

[walt]

Just wondering. I have some original characters that I want to draw, but it's hard to draw them without making them look like Capcom sprites

Hard to believe, since not even Capcom could emulate their own damn style, having to change it at around CVS. Also, not even people who strive to make things look like Capcom style (albeit a bit loosely) like SeanAltly have definitely pulled it off.

* Judas original style with black shadows in all areas aimed to be that (I think) to simplify the shading and keeping a Comic Book style shading feel.
* Prodigy's style doesn't concern with antialiasing the lines or the shadows, which I think is pretty efficient because it saves spriting time, yet it looks great because of his consistent and realistic lineart, and his use of pastel colors for shadows, like SF3.
* SeanAltly's style is a simplified CVS, without adding too much details to faces. You sacrifice detail in exchange with productivity. Also, use a lot of bases to streamline the process.

If you want to develop a new unique style of your own, you have to figure out what you want your style to show. Caricaturesque VS Realistic. Buff guys VS anime skinny guys. Cel shading look VS Gradient more detailed look. How many shades per color ... Choose, fool. And only then will you be going in the right direction.

[SiL3Nt J]

Do most people just hand draw sprites on paper and then scan them in? Thinking about doing this. Also, if I can find a programmer, I would like to make my game one day.

[Aki-Sora]

I think they made a skeleton move first then redraw that character they want in.

[Niitris]

I think they made a skeleton move first then redraw that character they want in.

That's how I plan to do it, but it seems Capcom (and others) drew each sprite by hand.

http://www.petesqbsite.com/sections/tutorials/tuts/tsugumo/chapter11.htm

[Helios.]

There are a ton of ways to go about getting your own unique style.

Listed so far are 2D methods, but you could just as easily create 2D-esque sprites via 3D rendering methods.  Said methods are proved to be rather effective in a large portion of SNK's titles as described at http://kofaniv.snkplaymore.co.jp/english/info/15th_anniv/2d_dot/creation/index.php.

Of course, asking other people how to be unique in any form of endeavour could be considered defeating the purpose.

[SiL3Nt J]

I was wondering about something else: What's the best way to draw sprites on a computer? I've been drawing them using just the mouse and the paint program.... and it takes for-ever. I drew some on a sketch pad tonight and scanned it in, but it just seems like it would take eternity to get it onto a white background because of the texture of the paper.

So I was wondering, what do most people use? Is there some sort of drawing pad I should get for the computer? I know, I'm new to this.

[Artchell]

I use a tablet and photoshop.

I would invest in a cheap but good tablet and try and get adjusted to it and I would recommend photoshop (or any other graphics editing software besides paint).

please don't bother with paint.

[AlexSin]

I use MSPaint XP version, Gimp and a mouse
In fact I suck

If you get used to a spriting way, then no one will stop you.
Are you asking for a tutorial?

[FeLo_Llop]

I use MSPaint and Mouse.

Using pads and Photoshop doesn't guarantee you an awesome work, it's more what you want it to be.

[RamzaNeko]

I use MSPaint and Mouse.

Using pads and Photoshop doesn't guarantee you an awesome work, it's more what you want it to be.

^ this! x2

[Graphicus]

I moved from MSPaint to GraphicsGale... mostly because I wanted onion-skinning without adding a huge load of unnecessary crap on top of it... It's exactly what I wanted.

[RamzaNeko]

w

I moved from MSPaint to GraphicsGale... mostly because I wanted onion-skinning without adding a huge load of unnecessary crap on top of it... It's exactly what I wanted.

well if hes talkin more about single sprites... but for animation GGale looks really better

[walt]

Actually, Gale works wonders if you're working with bases, to be able to trace on top of them with layers without messing up the originals.

Also, the damn color picker being the secondary mouse button saves a load of time! I'M A GGALE BELIEVER!

[[Judas]]

http://www.aseprite.org/

I swear by this program. It's essentially freeware GGale, and it rules. Back and forth between Photoshop and ASEPRITE, 90% tablet 10% mouse. I work at 400%, resize down once the foundation is good, then refine at 100% size. Unique, personal style comes with experience in other established styles. ESP.er style, for instance, takes cues from CvS shading, Guilty Gear proportions, Darkstalkers outlines, and some experimentation.

[walt]

That looks fairly simple ... I will give it a try

[SiL3Nt J]

Hmm... ok, I might have to invest in one of those pads. I know nothing about photoshop though.

Also, I had a couple more questions. Say I was to draw a sprite sheet, how hard would it be to program the character? Reason I ask is because I have this plot I've been working on for YEARS. But I've only recently started drawing the sprites.... Just wondering. The other question I had was does anyone know where a good site is to create gifs? I uploaded a few to myspacegens.com but they only stayed up for like 3 days. Anyone know a more permanent place?

Btw, the Judas animation is awesome. I like the old school look to it. I wish Capcom would make a game with that style of animation.