Learning to make Sprites (Ace Attorney style) - GxI's Log.

[GermanyXItaly1000 16]

Kind of based off of Drago's art journal. Except it's for me, and it's for my learning experience with making sprites, Ace Attorney style. I will be using whatever I make in a fangame way in the future, which is why I wanted to make them in the first place. This log will be a pretty good way to keep myself on track.
 
The last topic I submitted with sprites was an edit of some Ace Attorney courtroom sprites. But I thought "To hell with that!" and decided to make some Ace Attorney style sprites from scratch. Those kinds of sprites are really nice and detailed, so here's hoping that I'll walk away from this with some artistic experience gained as well.
 
I'll be updating this topic as often as possible showing my progress with the sprites. Not in consecutive days, because time is getting scarce around this time of year, but whenever I can work on them.
 
(I warn you that this beginner's work will burn your eyes if looked at for too long.)
 
First day of working on the sprite: I made a sketch on paper and scanned the thing into my laptop. The initial sketch looked something like this. (Note: he's based off America from Hetalia. Well--he is America from Hetalia, but I won't go into that. I didn't use any references for my anatomy, so it's pretty bad.

Since my sketches are god-awful and full of extra lines everywhere, I decided to take it into Paint Tool SAI and clean it up.

The second day: Since that was all good and well, I took it out and brought it into MS Paint, where I created the most horrible sprited creature to exist. Part of this being due to the fact that I don't actually know how to use MS Paint. 
I discovered soon after that I am very bad at it.

Very frightening stuff. Obviously I wasn't happy with that at all. So I decided to revert back to a program I'm actually familiar with and get some actual good work done. Back to Paint Tool SAI it is. I redid the sketch for the sake of having some actually passable anatomy and discovered a nifty little pixel tool. I got right down to work with it. 

There was a lot of pulling up references, for anatomy, the pose, the spriting style and colour palette... I swear after this I will never look at another Ace Attorney sprite again.
 
The end of that day's work, over two hours of fixing anatomy and all, was this: 

I ended up over 20 layers, half of which are failed lineart and sketches. There are tons of WIPs I could show that I made from the original MS Paint attempt to this, but I think I'd rather not.
 
I have no idea how to shade, so forgive me.
 
The third day: I came back from finals exhausted, so I made only some small edits, cleaned up some of my lines, and added glasses + half-finished hands. But I think it makes it look a lot better than yesterday's.

At this point, I think it's starting to look decent! Next, I'll start working on the shading some more, then try to add an eye. For some reason, I have an aversion to drawing right eyes.

I'll be updating this soon!

[uPDATE... 29.12.2014]
 
The fourth day: 
I call this the fourth day, but in actuality I've been on and off this thing for a couple minutes at a time. I think it adds up to less than an hour over the span of five, six days.
 
So I came back to this thing after a while and did some shading. Then I left for a few days, came back, and had a "WTF" moment. I realised how off his left arm looked, so now I'm trying to rectify it. Time to pull out some references.
 

 

I tried to go the easy way and use the "Transform" tool... turns out there's no easy way when it comes to trying to fix anatomy. Then transforming the jacket outline messed up the clean lineart I did. Ugh. Going to have to spend some more time on this.

 

I DID give him a left eye, though. I'm pretty glad with how it turned out.

 

Any tips on anatomy? Could totally use some right now.

 

[uPDATE... 29.12.2014, a few hours after the previous update. haha]

 

Fifth day... because I get to decide what day is what: 

Decided I'd go on an art spree... turns out I just sketched more of the characters I'll be using for my new Phoenix Wright/Hetalia fangame if it ever actually gets made.

 

I sketched on paper, than scanned to computer and did some stuff on Paint Tool SAI. I think he's looking good.

 

 

 

 

He's supposed to be a defendant in one of the cases... gets accused of murder, because all of Phoenix Wright cases are murder. He's kind of buff because he's a tennis player, but I think I just ended up making his anatomy look weird now. Plus I don't like hands. So I'm not going to do his hand until the end.

 

Started the pixel outlines, I'll be working simultaneously on him and Jones now.

 

[uPDATE... 01.2.2015]

 

The sixth day.

 

I did some work with Jones and tried to fix his arm, although he continues to be uncooperative. He looks slightly improved now, I think.

 

 

 

 

I faded out the hands. Planning to rework them, although I'll probably never be able to fix them completely. Anatomy is not something that I can handle.

 

I also did some lineart and colouring on the defendant I last sketched, but I haven't done anything with him that strikes me as decent enough to post.

Edited January 3, 2015 by GermanyXItaly1000

[rgangsta 43]

:O This is some nice stuff you have. On Day 3, the girl in the right bottom corner, I love her expression. It shows she's really frustrated. I think you did that well.

[GermanyXItaly1000 16]

:O This is some nice stuff you have. On Day 3, the girl in the right bottom corner, I love her expression. It shows she's really frustrated. I think you did that well.

 

Oh no, that's a reference. Sorry for the confusion D: The only thing I've been working on is that guy in the brown suit. Everything else is from Ace Attorney.

 

I should start mentioning what's mine and what's not haha

[rgangsta 43]

Ah, gotcha. Your sprite looks great nonetheless. Have you worked on it yet since day three?

[GermanyXItaly1000 16]

Yesterday was day three. Today I did about 10min worth of cleaning a little extra lines, trying to give Jones his second eye. Editing my post now might not be a good idea, since internet where I am is pretty bad. So I'll continue some more and then update what I did tomorrow in my original post.

[rgangsta 43]

Cool. It's looking pretty good. I like the hair the most. I like its shiny-ness lol

[GermanyXItaly1000 16]

Update, since I haven't edited my first post since 18 December, even though I said I would quickly.

 

Just came down from Christmas highs, spent some time in Las Vegas before the holidays. I ended up staying longer than I thought I would, and I got back only in time to join the festivities. As a result, I got nothing done.

 

Will be updating this at some point before the weekend is over. I'll be rechecking my anatomy, since it never looks good enough to pass for decent. D:

[GermanyXItaly1000 16]

Updated the first post with some anatomy fixes. Although I can really call them "fixes", since they didn't help anything. 

 

Just goes to prove that anatomy books can't help everything.

[rgangsta 43]

It's looking good, but, it might be just me, the arms look a bit big or too thick under the armpit.

Other than that, it's lookin good. I feel like I've said this but I really like his hair.

[GermanyXItaly1000 16]

It's looking good, but, it might be just me, the arms look a bit big or too thick under the armpit.

Other than that, it's lookin good. I feel like I've said this but I really like his hair.

 

I've been trying to get it to look like it's a jacket that's too big for him, but I think I'm just making it look like the anatomy is skewed. D: Thanks for the input, though, I can see where it's looking wrong.

 

Maybe I should work on a sprite with him only wearing his shirt first, then add the jacket... seems like it would give me a better place to start.

[rgangsta 43]

I've been trying to get it to look like it's a jacket that's too big for him, but I think I'm just making it look like the anatomy is skewed. D: Thanks for the input, though, I can see where it's looking wrong.

 

Maybe I should work on a sprite with him only wearing his shirt first, then add the jacket... seems like it would give me a better place to start.

Ahh. That makes sense. Something's still off to me even though I know it's supposed to be big. Dunno what it is. Yes, starting with a shirt would be a great way to start.

[Tomo2000 60]

OBJECTION!

This is fantastic work. Can't wait to see more.

[GermanyXItaly1000 16]

OBJECTION!

This is fantastic work. Can't wait to see more.

 

HOLD IT!

Did you see that MS Paint monster in the beginning? ;-; What an unholy monster.

 

Thanks. I still need to find time to work on it again, preferably right after I wrap up all my currently rl responsibilities in a couple weeks.

[Kitsuki 17]

HOLD IT!

Did you see that MS Paint monster in the beginning? ;-; What an unholy monster.

 

Thanks. I still need to find time to work on it again, preferably right after I wrap up all my currently rl responsibilities in a couple weeks.

 

OBJECTION!

I happen to have no eye for art and think that the unholy monster is very beautiful  :shifty:

 

Pfft. But in all seriousness, it looks good. I like it when his shoulders were wider, though. Looks more like the Ace Attorney wide-shouldered anatomy we know and love. (hint hint Edgeworth's shoulders)

 

I can try and do something, too... Idk if this is ever going to be a game we do, though, I just barely started writing the idea for it.

[rgangsta 43]

It's looking good as time goes on. I didn't know the broad shoulders were an Ace Attorney reference. :O I've never played the series so I wouldn't know.

[Kitsuki 17]

It's looking good as time goes on. I didn't know the broad shoulders were an Ace Attorney reference. :O I've never played the series so I wouldn't know.

 

 

 

 

Just look at them broad shoulders.

 

Hmm, makes me think of trying to make some of my own sprites. Even though it can be said that Germany and I both equally suck at things like this. (He's infinitesimally better, though, haha. ;D Just a little.)

 

Anywho good job Germany, keep doing what you're doing!

[dolarmak 23]

Looking good Germany. 

 

And suits always make a man's shoulders broad looking.