About When I was in bed several nights ago I was thinking of how Your Sprite Art could get one big kick up the bum to get it going again. This would have to include everyone who frequents the board, people who want to learn, people who need motivation and indeed people to be key parts in this big idea machine.
So then I thought and thought hard until I came up with an idea for a big topic for Tutorials made by the site - and for the site. However, this had been done before and I was upset to see it very inactive. Obviously to grab somebodies attention the kind of idea would need plenty of motivation and eye grabbers and whatever can bring the people in well. That's why I asked Blake if I could perhaps take the idea further and make a bigger topic with more links and more order.
Thanks to all of the support from you guys we've managed to get the topic stickied! =]
This is only temporary though, as bigger things are to come for the spriting community! Watch this space and keep on contributing!
F A Q Q: What is this topic for?
A: I plan for this topic to become a big collection of sprite tutorials from many different members on this site in different categories, including common spriting techniques and even ones that nobody has ever heard of.
Q: Why not just consult that site that everyone links to?
A: This board needs to be brought together by you guys working together. Yes, there are the metagame spriters (who are doing a fantastic job), but this is completely different. There are so many different sprites for you to do here for eachother and for the site. If more people learn how to sprite the board will rocket up in activity so more people can request in your shops, more people can make shops for you to request in, more people can make contests and there are many more ideas.
Q: Doesn't this defeat the purpose of people making spriting schools?
A: Definitely not! Sprite school teachers can refer to this as well as making their own guides. Also, some people may want to be taught one to one by another member and the teachers can give tasks. Once you get into the details, there are so many differences.
Q: How do I get my tutorial onto this page?
A: Easy. Just upload it to a hosting site and the link will be posted on this front page under an appropriate category. If there are too many characters they will be uploaded into a main album that will split into different categories.
Q: How do I give you my link?
A: Post it here or PM me it!
Q: What is the 'Other' Category for?
A: There are categories for the spriting types I see the most often (if there are many of one type of tutorial in 'Other' they will get their own category and vice versa.). The 'Other' category is for the sprites that aren't seen as often as the others but still deserve to have a spot.
Q: I posted my link, why isn't it up?
A: Sometimes, the tutorials will not go up. This is because they are either not working or aren't up to scratch. If they aren't up to scratch, I will PM you and you can choose to improve, make another or just leave it.
Q: There is already a recolour guide, should I post mine?
A: Of course you should! The more the merrier!
Q: If I have any ideas how to improve this topic what should I do?
A: PM me or post it here!
Quick Tips*Always save a sprite as PNG: when you go to save your sprite, save it as a PNG file. This is because it gives your sprite the best quality; if you were to choose JPEG for example, your sprite would become fuzzy and wouldn't look nice no matter how good the sprite!
*Outline shading: Unless you are trying to gain a particular effect, it is good to use darker shades from the body to shade the outlines for the lighter shades. This provides a good range of colours and a bit more depth.
*Get shading to flow with the body: Make the shading of the sprite follow the light source. If the shades don't follow the shape of the body the sprite will not live up to its full potential.
*Find a good contrast of colours: Contrast can sometimes make or break a sprite. Contrast is the difference between two different shading colours. If the contrast is too strong or weak then it can make a sprite unable to live up to its full potential. Finding a good contrast of colours on a sprite can sometimes be hard, but if you follow the next tip you may find it easier.
*Don't be afraid to experiment with your colours: Having the option to create your own colours is something you should take note of! Having the ability to create your own colour means that you can create more shades for your sprites and even your own palettes! If a sprite's contrast of colours isn't working out then you can simply try and find a way out of the mess by editing your colours for a more attractive appearence.
*Save as often as possible: You never know what can happen. Power cuts/etc will have a bad affect on your 4hour pixel masterpiece!
IF YOU HAVE MORE POST OR PM!
Credit to:BLAKELiamJSMInfernaTom_AylaShayminKonaMoon ChaserHahexDragonpikaPurplerushMizzWebbzPost away guys! =]