PigofDeath
Member
Well, if you're here, I assume you're looking to know more about editing sprites. If not, well, you can read it anyway.
Now I'm not talking about simply frankenspriting and recoloring. These are good editing methods, but if you don't add a bit extra, your sprites will be easily recognized (which, by the way, is not something you want).
So, let's get right down to business. As it turns out, I'm trying to make a good looking animated battler, but I don't want to use any templates I've seen so far. So I looked around at particular websites, and found that RPG Dot has some very nice looking sprites. It is, however, in japanese (which I can't read ':|) and I'm not particularly aware of how the creator(s) wants me to use said sprites. On top of that, I don't want to use the very same sprite. I want to edit it so that it feels like my own.
Well, I search through the sprites and find one that I like. This one right here.
http://i11.tinypic.com/4dx2tmg.jpg[/IMG]
Now, you may have noticed several things about this sprite I picked out. Reminds you a lot of Hunter03, doesn't it? Green-haired Elven Archer. Well, that's a cliche if I ever saw one. I'm gonna have to edit this a lot. Second, you may have noticed the somewhat cartoony look to this sprite. There are many things we could call this style, but I'm going to go with Fire Emblem (or FE, for short) because it reminds me alot of the Fire Emblem Battlers on the GBA (The Berserker on my signature is a character (Hawkeye) I edited from Fire Emblem).
Let's start simple. First off, I need her facing the other way. And I don't want that little shadow underneath her.
http://i18.tinypic.com/30vneix.png[/IMG]
Well, that was easy. On to the next step.
Next, we add blue hair. (Gotta have blue hair.)
http://i18.tinypic.com/4cmdr85.png[/IMG]
I'm assuming you know how to recolor. If not, check another tutorial for recoloring.
Before we go any further, let's take a look at this 'FE Style' again.
http://i14.tinypic.com/30tjdiv.png[/IMG]
Notice how every object has either 2 or 3 shadings? I like that part of this style because that makes it much easier to edit (and editing is key when making good battlers)
Well, lets take away her bow and her quiver.
http://i12.tinypic.com/44vpo2r.png[/IMG]
What? You didn't think she was going to be an archer, did you? Anyway, removing objects from a character is pretty easy. Simply delete any and every color of the object (or use the paint can and the background color). You may see some holes in your sprite, but don't try to fix them until the entire object is gone. It's much easier to do one thing entirely then do two things at the same time.
Tip: Ctrl + Z can be your best friend. Write that down, kids.
Alright, so we've taken away the bow an quiver. Now what? Well, we can't
just send our elven hero out adventuring with a disconnected hand and no weapon.
http://i17.tinypic.com/2la37o6.png[/IMG]
That's more like it! In order to do THIS step, however, you'll need to actually start editing. The wrist was simple enough to fix: a few bright pixels near the top, a dark pixel near the bottom, fix the outline and done. The sword is simple as well.
http://i12.tinypic.com/2ntenvr.jpg[/IMG]
First, start with an outline. The hilt could be fancy if you want, but as this will be an animated battler, I want things simple. Next, color it in.
http://i13.tinypic.com/33f3l38.jpg[/IMG]
In this style, the hilt only needs to be 2 colors. Different colors could be used, as well. The blade, however, needs 3 colors. Metal (as well as anything else shiny) needs a wide spectrum of shades. This is difficult to achieve with a 3-pixel wide sword, however. So stick with one color for each column. Remember, the side facing the source of light will be brighter than the other side, but you have to remember what shape the sword is. The standard double-edged sword has a grooved line running through the center, so it will be darker than the rest of the blade.
Well, that's enough about the sword. On to her pose. While it was fine for an archer, this pose would not work well in fighting enemies. (Although it would work well for spell casting, item using, and victory dances). The main body is alright, but the right arm is too straight.
Rotating a body part (or anything else) can be a bit tricky if it is more than a simple line. The arm is actually the easiest part. Select most of the arm, except for a pixel next to the shoulder, and drag it all down a pixel. Select the arm again, except for 2 or 3 pixels next to the joint, and drag it down another pixel. Continue in this way until you reach the glove/hand.
Here comes the tricky part. The method I just mentioned does not work well with most other objects. We'll just have to draw another sword entirely. Don't worry, it won't be too hard. The sword is made of 4 main straight lines. We need those lines rotated 45 degrees counter-clockwise. In other words, make it diagonal (Going this way \ ). Well, That looks something like this.
http://i13.tinypic.com/34t49kk.jpg[/IMG]
Okay, so that's a bit more than 4 lines. But do you get the point?
So, after you color it and paste it back onto the body (after reworking the glove in the same way as the arm) and bam!
http://i10.tinypic.com/43hu4vl.png[/IMG]
If you're asking yourself "Wait, where did that sheath come from?!" good job! You're paying attention. For those that haven't noticed, I added a sheath hanging from her waist, which I recolored to look like a strap. When making sheaths, just remember that it fits the sword, so it looks almost like the sword... only without the hilt, and colored in only 2 colors.
We're done right? Nope. It may look finished, but just remember: whenever making anything, make sure it's realistic (unless your not tyring to be realistic). While our elven warrior looks good in her outfit, it's not going to protect her much from all those goblins and ghouls she'll no doubt be fighting. The solution?
http://i11.tinypic.com/2dhd05t.png[/IMG]
Frankensprited shield. Adding other equipment can be just as easy. This shield, for example, was taken directly from this guy (Also made by RPG Dot)
http://i14.tinypic.com/3y2ii3a.jpg[/IMG]
Whenever frankenspriting, just remember to check if the style matches (otherwise it might actually look like a frankenstein.)
Now are we done? Not quite. Remember, we want our sprite to be as unique as possible. How different can it be without looking bad? I'm afraid I can't help you there. You'll just have to experiment and see for yourself. But as for me, maybe some more recoloring and changing the hairstyle will do the trick...
http://i17.tinypic.com/2i8vioj.png[/IMG]
There we go! Well, would you look at that! It looks almost like another sprite, doesn't it? Why don't we do some comparisons...
http://i11.tinypic.com/484hgz6.png[/IMG] http://i16.tinypic.com/2hrh9bd.png[/IMG]
And there you have it. Not so hard was it? Of course, different sized sprites and different styles mean using different methods and more, or sometimes less, effort.
Of course, this is just the first frame. I'd better get crackin' if I'm gonna have a solid battler down. I hope you found this helpful. I know I did! ^_^
Now I'm not talking about simply frankenspriting and recoloring. These are good editing methods, but if you don't add a bit extra, your sprites will be easily recognized (which, by the way, is not something you want).
So, let's get right down to business. As it turns out, I'm trying to make a good looking animated battler, but I don't want to use any templates I've seen so far. So I looked around at particular websites, and found that RPG Dot has some very nice looking sprites. It is, however, in japanese (which I can't read ':|) and I'm not particularly aware of how the creator(s) wants me to use said sprites. On top of that, I don't want to use the very same sprite. I want to edit it so that it feels like my own.
Well, I search through the sprites and find one that I like. This one right here.
http://i11.tinypic.com/4dx2tmg.jpg[/IMG]
Now, you may have noticed several things about this sprite I picked out. Reminds you a lot of Hunter03, doesn't it? Green-haired Elven Archer. Well, that's a cliche if I ever saw one. I'm gonna have to edit this a lot. Second, you may have noticed the somewhat cartoony look to this sprite. There are many things we could call this style, but I'm going to go with Fire Emblem (or FE, for short) because it reminds me alot of the Fire Emblem Battlers on the GBA (The Berserker on my signature is a character (Hawkeye) I edited from Fire Emblem).
Let's start simple. First off, I need her facing the other way. And I don't want that little shadow underneath her.
http://i18.tinypic.com/30vneix.png[/IMG]
Well, that was easy. On to the next step.
Next, we add blue hair. (Gotta have blue hair.)
http://i18.tinypic.com/4cmdr85.png[/IMG]
I'm assuming you know how to recolor. If not, check another tutorial for recoloring.
Before we go any further, let's take a look at this 'FE Style' again.
http://i14.tinypic.com/30tjdiv.png[/IMG]
Notice how every object has either 2 or 3 shadings? I like that part of this style because that makes it much easier to edit (and editing is key when making good battlers)
Well, lets take away her bow and her quiver.
http://i12.tinypic.com/44vpo2r.png[/IMG]
What? You didn't think she was going to be an archer, did you? Anyway, removing objects from a character is pretty easy. Simply delete any and every color of the object (or use the paint can and the background color). You may see some holes in your sprite, but don't try to fix them until the entire object is gone. It's much easier to do one thing entirely then do two things at the same time.
Tip: Ctrl + Z can be your best friend. Write that down, kids.
Alright, so we've taken away the bow an quiver. Now what? Well, we can't
just send our elven hero out adventuring with a disconnected hand and no weapon.
http://i17.tinypic.com/2la37o6.png[/IMG]
That's more like it! In order to do THIS step, however, you'll need to actually start editing. The wrist was simple enough to fix: a few bright pixels near the top, a dark pixel near the bottom, fix the outline and done. The sword is simple as well.
http://i12.tinypic.com/2ntenvr.jpg[/IMG]
First, start with an outline. The hilt could be fancy if you want, but as this will be an animated battler, I want things simple. Next, color it in.
http://i13.tinypic.com/33f3l38.jpg[/IMG]
In this style, the hilt only needs to be 2 colors. Different colors could be used, as well. The blade, however, needs 3 colors. Metal (as well as anything else shiny) needs a wide spectrum of shades. This is difficult to achieve with a 3-pixel wide sword, however. So stick with one color for each column. Remember, the side facing the source of light will be brighter than the other side, but you have to remember what shape the sword is. The standard double-edged sword has a grooved line running through the center, so it will be darker than the rest of the blade.
Well, that's enough about the sword. On to her pose. While it was fine for an archer, this pose would not work well in fighting enemies. (Although it would work well for spell casting, item using, and victory dances). The main body is alright, but the right arm is too straight.
Rotating a body part (or anything else) can be a bit tricky if it is more than a simple line. The arm is actually the easiest part. Select most of the arm, except for a pixel next to the shoulder, and drag it all down a pixel. Select the arm again, except for 2 or 3 pixels next to the joint, and drag it down another pixel. Continue in this way until you reach the glove/hand.
Here comes the tricky part. The method I just mentioned does not work well with most other objects. We'll just have to draw another sword entirely. Don't worry, it won't be too hard. The sword is made of 4 main straight lines. We need those lines rotated 45 degrees counter-clockwise. In other words, make it diagonal (Going this way \ ). Well, That looks something like this.
http://i13.tinypic.com/34t49kk.jpg[/IMG]
Okay, so that's a bit more than 4 lines. But do you get the point?
So, after you color it and paste it back onto the body (after reworking the glove in the same way as the arm) and bam!
http://i10.tinypic.com/43hu4vl.png[/IMG]
If you're asking yourself "Wait, where did that sheath come from?!" good job! You're paying attention. For those that haven't noticed, I added a sheath hanging from her waist, which I recolored to look like a strap. When making sheaths, just remember that it fits the sword, so it looks almost like the sword... only without the hilt, and colored in only 2 colors.
We're done right? Nope. It may look finished, but just remember: whenever making anything, make sure it's realistic (unless your not tyring to be realistic). While our elven warrior looks good in her outfit, it's not going to protect her much from all those goblins and ghouls she'll no doubt be fighting. The solution?
http://i11.tinypic.com/2dhd05t.png[/IMG]
Frankensprited shield. Adding other equipment can be just as easy. This shield, for example, was taken directly from this guy (Also made by RPG Dot)
http://i14.tinypic.com/3y2ii3a.jpg[/IMG]
Whenever frankenspriting, just remember to check if the style matches (otherwise it might actually look like a frankenstein.)
Now are we done? Not quite. Remember, we want our sprite to be as unique as possible. How different can it be without looking bad? I'm afraid I can't help you there. You'll just have to experiment and see for yourself. But as for me, maybe some more recoloring and changing the hairstyle will do the trick...
http://i17.tinypic.com/2i8vioj.png[/IMG]
There we go! Well, would you look at that! It looks almost like another sprite, doesn't it? Why don't we do some comparisons...
http://i11.tinypic.com/484hgz6.png[/IMG] http://i16.tinypic.com/2hrh9bd.png[/IMG]
And there you have it. Not so hard was it? Of course, different sized sprites and different styles mean using different methods and more, or sometimes less, effort.
Of course, this is just the first frame. I'd better get crackin' if I'm gonna have a solid battler down. I hope you found this helpful. I know I did! ^_^