#'s Workshop

[47948201]

So today I was making this sprite, but then I was like, "I have no idea what I'm doing!" So I threw some AA'ing and a little bit of depth on this guys cape and, after spending a long time fixing my FE6/7/8/custom sheet from my lack of knowledge as to how one saves without the transparent layer turning white, I brought this here:

He's totally not giving off the feel I wanted him to, but I figure it's good practice. I've never done cloth, hair, eyes, or noses before, but I'm sure you can tell, despite how little has been done so far.

I may turn this post into a traditional gallery-type thing later, but all my sprites worth showing at the moment are classified.

Having said that, "compliments" are not part of C+C, so don't go all, "It's looking good so far!", please? :3

[deleted35362]

Numbers~

To make the background transparent, you can download Paint.net or Gimp,

or you can use a program that lets you pick the background color and make

all of it transparent.

Edited December 30, 2010 by April

[47948201]

I don't care about the background for posting, I care about the background for splicing. Or is that what you mean? Because Graphics Gale has a button that does make all of a certain color transparent, which I use. Thing is, when you save after making that color transparent, that color turns pure white.

Now a self-note about the sprite--it looks like his hair is too high. I think I ought to make it shorter. 'Course, I haven't gotten to hair yet.

[47948201]

I'm totally not in a spriting mood, but this guy needs work done-

[Phoenix]

I don't care about the background for posting, I care about the background for splicing. Or is that what you mean? Because Graphics Gale has a button that does make all of a certain color transparent, which I use. Thing is, when you save after making that color transparent, that color turns pure white.

The basic paint program(MS Paint) that came with my old computer has an option I use to this day for splicing. The Select tool has a secondary setting that makes whatever the background color is transparent when dragged over other colors. That's perfect for splicing basic things that I plan to touch up in better programs. I think that's what you're referring to here but I'm not totally sure.

The thing is with that option is that White =/= Transparency. It's just an option to keep the chosen background color from erasing pixels it's being dragged over or onto. If you want to make something transparent you need to get rid of the color information altogether. Best to use a program that does that, one that can use layers.

[Astelaine]

I don't want to say too much because you're still working on this, but here are some things that jump out at me:

- The point of the nose is too high/too far away from the bottom of the nose. Pull it down a few rows of pixels and it will look much better. Check some existing mugs for reference.

- The whole nose looks like it could be moved a pixel to the right, to put it on the "symmetry line" of the face, and make it more appropriate to the angle he's facing.

- You've shaded the whole left side of his face (OPV), but most Fire Emblem mugs have a patch of the lightest skin tone below the left eye (OPV) in order to show light hitting the character's cheek. Yours should have that too, unless there's a hat or something that would cause a shadow to fall there.

- The mouth is slightly small for a man. It's 6 pixels long, whereas Eliwood and Oujay, who are of similar age and build to your character, have mouths that are 8 pixels long.

- The shadow on the right side of his face (OPV) slants in too drastically, given the shape of his jaw.

- Some of the lines you've drawn, both outlines and shading lines, are jagged or don't curve well. This tutorial should be able to help with that.

- The lower chin/neck/upper chest area looks pillow shaded.

- Try to get your lines as clean as possible. Eliminate all unnecessary "corner" pixels and blocks of outline color in the hair.

Sorry if you were already planning to address some of these and I jumped the gun on you. I just want to help you get this looking as nice as possible. :) You have a good start, and I look forward to seeing your progress.

[47948201]

@Phoenix: I know THAT; how the heck else would splicing be plausible? XD

Maybe I'll post some pictures showing what I mean later.

@Astelaine:

Nose design was somewhat based on Colm, but I didn't check much for positioning.

Are symmetry lines like the + s that you're supposed to use? I wonder if I might try drawing one of those over him first. Might help with the eyes, too...

Oh, right, cheek thingy. Haven't quite gotten to that yet because I'm still working on the eyes.

I guess I ought to flatten out the chin, too, then?

Mmm... Oh, I think I see what you mean. Can do.

Oh, yeah, basic form was pretty much freehanded, but I'll go ahead and fix those, too.

I guess I haven't totally decided on the clothes yet, but I think I'll try to fix that around the time I show neck muscles or whatever.

Yeah, I had an odd method for making the outline for the hair. Shading... Well, this is the first time I've customed hair, so =/ . . . But are the dark lines I have there looking okay so far? Or does it entirely have to do with what I do to them?

Nah, it's fine, this is the kind of critique I want, so thanks and stuff. I might post an update in a bit (possibly just edit this post if I get this other stuff done soon)

[47948201]

Second thought, I'll do a double-post. This is an update, after all:

I swear I just like doubled his age XD

Something seems off about his head shape, but being the failtastic anatomist (That's actually a word? XD) that I am, I have no clue what to do about it. I'm not a big fan of the eyes, either, but I can more easily tell what direction I'm going with these, and they're more FE-like anyway.

As for the cloak, FE8 capes are useless, so I turned to Legault, who is... Useless.

As for the hair, well, I tried basing it a little more off of Carlyle, though I'm not totally sure about where this style (hairstyle, not spriting style, of course) will lead...

EDIT: Oh, and eyes were based off of Uther. Still sorta.. Blech. And now that I look at it while typing, totally not what I'm going for. But it's better, at least... I think...

Edited January 21, 2011 by 47948201

[Lux Aeterna]

I'm going under the assumption that you will shade the skin under the hair eventually yes?

[47948201]

Duh XD

I just need to decide on a hairstyle or whatever.

[Astelaine]

Numbers, that's looking better. I see what you mean about the head shape - it looks like it was squashed, because the hair is flatter on top but poofs out on the sides of the head. You might try lessening the poof.

As for the eyes, you need to move the right eye (opv) in towards the other eye by one pixel. They also need more definition - don't be afraid to use a little outline color on the upper lid. The pupils will probably look better as you add more shades of color.

For the hair, you only have two shades right now, so pick out another one. That third hair shade (the darkest one that isn't the outline color) will be what you use to outline the hair where it meets the forehead/skin.

The lines defining his bangs are kind of weird. They should be coming from where the hair is parted (the upper right side of the head, in this case.) Eliwood, Raven, and Will might help as references for that.

Also, if you haven't seen this already, this may be useful: Asvel's Full Custom Tutorial. It's helped me sooo much.

That's all I can think of for now - good luck with the rest!

Edited January 21, 2011 by Astelaine

[47948201]

Lessening the poof... Horizontally?

Actually, maybe two. And maybe that left eye can... Well, you'll see in the image at the end of the post. Not sure if it's much better or even at all than just by 1. I used a bit of black for the upper lid, but not a whole lot. Added a bit more here, but it was hard to keep it from looking like fake eyelashes XD

Hair has 3 shades already, as shown in the sprite itself and the little brown thing to the side. It's Carlyle's color.

Mmkay, I'll try that...

And yeah, I saw that tutorial. IMO armor trim isn't that hard unless you're splicing it, but yeah, eyes...

Haven't done everything said, but here's a bit of progress. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go stare in awe and with laughter at Pi's floating-head-ice-dragon.

[47948201]

Stuff needs doing. Like, besides math homework.

WELL, since I didn't get a whole lot of critique on the art style itself (more on anatomical and physics-related errors) before, I'll throw this down here-

CnC besides the obviously monotone hair?

Might be a good idea to say that originally my goal was to make stuff with only MSPaint's default colors. I later decided to throw in a bit more, but not a whole lot.

But anyway.

[47948201]

No replies? </3

Anyway, I originally intended to do some very minor edits, but...

Then I just made minor edits. Turns out another example was posted on my TSR thread, and I'm happier with this particular sprite than I was with any of the ones I did to fix the anatomy. Quite frankly, I don't much care that her legs don't seem to have joints or that she lacks hands.

Yeah, back of her hair needs to be fixed and it does seem that her head's too big now XD

[deleted35362]

I think you're the most well rounded and creative spriter I know that isn't

super-experienced. That's awesome.

It doesn't look like the people who actually critiqued it had any idea that

the art style isn't realistic; I'll give it my best shot. The gray you used to

shade the white should be darker, and the sprite could use some more

anti-aliasing, a technique that is important in almost all spriting.

Edited February 17, 2011 by April

[47948201]

MORE AAing? XD

I'm not even sure how that's possible. Usually I focus too much on AAing and don't shade at all

(Heck, even for school projects I just can't resist AAing stuff-)

Yeah, for this one I actually kept just the default colors.

And pshaw I'm not creative at all.

So, as for the grey, are you talking about the second or third color? The third sure looks dark enough to me.

EDIT: Oh lol I just realized I forgot to change her shoes much despite adding lines to show where her knees are. Will fix.

EDIT NUMERO DOS:

I should totally get rid of all that extra purple.

Edited February 18, 2011 by 326

[47948201]

I need to post here more.

So I've been working on, with tons of help from Pi (lol of course XD ) making my own FE-ish, not FE-style.

Look't that palette XD

[Amelia]

A half body chibi!

Man, that looks so awesome. owo

[BlackShadow]

I agree with Amelia that would be awesome. And I see how much you've improved. Do you have a mug for the chibi? And how did you get his help? I need it...

[47948201]

Full-sized mug...?

That IS the full-sized mug. I can add expressive, dynamic poses in the same size space if I do it this way~!

As for how I dragged Pi into helping me on request, it started when I posted this for critique on FEEF:

Everyone was like, "Wow that's so cool" and I was like, "Seriously, no, it sucks!" Eventually he came by and was like, "You should do this, this, and this. PM me if you need more help"

I eventually got his MSN contact info and made this:

[Astelaine]

Wow, Numbers! That is a serious level-up right there. Both the chibi half-body and the second version of that mug are wonderful. :)

[47948201]

Well, err, the only FE-ish-styled sprite I had before was so early in WIPness it's kinda unfair to compare them XD

Oh, the Aluxes. Yeah, I know, right? I made a progress animation, too, though it doesn't include the little things I've been messing around with from time to time-

EDIT: For the sake of comparison, added before and after stills.

Edited April 25, 2011 by 326

[Loki Laufeyson]

That gif made me bug out a bit. lol!

Nice little half body there!

[47948201]

Working on an oversized battle sprite to go along with it. How's the outline look?

Besides the face.

EDIT: C/P from SoS yay

Also, suggestions for hair? I don't know what to do for something like that when generic units will also be using this sprite. FE had it easy with its tiny sprites and such, but...

Or should I just stick a helmet on him and merge the Fighter/Soldier classes?

Holy green, was not expecting that. Fortunate for you guys I can see it right here in the edit window ^-^

EDIT2: Second thought, I did some measurements, and FE-size sprites'll be fine. Especially when I get into doing monsters. Ugh.

Still, though, should I make it so that the only types of classes are Soldier, Armor, Mage, riders, and special units like Thieves and Dragons? Or should I include a basic, unarmored infantryman?

Edited April 29, 2011 by 326

[47948201]

Quick double post. Well, hey, it's an update.

Behold, the create-a-soldier! Does your evil empire need to pump out thousands of untrained, poorly-equipped faceless men? Then this is the tool for you! Bosses are also possible, but require a small amount of work on your part.