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jollyvaporeon
how do you pixel art
i'm trying to pixel art a jack frost hat onto a vaporeon sprite (because i can't photoshop at all so this is honestly a better alternative for me) and basically
i have no idea what i'm doing
i hope this turns out okay??? would anyone be interested in updates on progress or
jollyvaporeon
Click to load png image (size - 3 kb)
here's what i've got so far, obviously nowhere near done, also YHVH help me this is harder than it looks
BigPoppaFrost
YOU MAKE THIS KING VERY HAPPY MY JOLLY FRIEND
THE HEE HO ARMY WILL RISE
jollyvaporeon
I'M GLAD YOU'RE HAPPY YOUR HIGHNESS ❤❤❤
Kitagawa
I am skilled at all forms of art- including pixels. If you are in need of advice I can give some.
jollyvaporeon
also update: making those weird side flaps just a tad longer, puzzling over how i'm gonna do the right... antenna thing. also... should there be a hole for the head fin...? or should the head fin just... not be there and we can all assume it's squashed under the hat... uh.......
jollyvaporeon
KITAGAWA-KUN I WOULD GREATLY APPRECIATE ANY ADVICE YOU'VE GOT FOR ME
Kitagawa
What program are you using to create this? I can give you some tips.
jollyvaporeon
...
MS paint... ;;;;
jollyvaporeon
jeez maybe i should at least use a program actually made for pixel art... ;;
imtherealklib
@jollyvaporeon are you on the main discord? I can get you in touch with a friend of mine who does pixel art stuff if you need some tips and tricks.
Kitagawa
Art can thrive regardless of the canvas chosen. Do not be discouraged for using MS Paint, I have seen some incredible masterpieces crafted using it.

Though I advise working on the hat separately from the vaporeon. It will allow you to more easily alter the hat sprite while not damaging the vaporeon sprite. It can be fairly difficult considering you do not have access to layers, but you can simply slide the hat over the vaporeon every once and a while to ensure it fits.
Kitagawa
I actually do a lot of pixel work as well. I can give tips on actual technique as well if asked.

Though I will require specifics, there is a lot to cover after all and I would like to keep it only to the information that is needed.
jollyvaporeon
https://imgur.com/JVIHNKp
progress update!
Kitagawa
Would you like me to give tips based on your progress, or simply leave you to your work?
jollyvaporeon
the colors need work, and i'm really not sure if the absence of the fin... looks right... but ey, it's a work in progress~
@klib nope, not part of the main discord chat, but i appreciate the offer! i'm not sure if i wanna try more pixel art in the future or not, so i'd like to wait before taking you up on the offer.
@Kitagawa, thanks for the advice! if you see anything wrong with the sprite as of right now, i'd appreciate any feedback! i might ask you a question or two soon
Kitagawa
The hat does not appear to wrap around its head properly. It looks fairly awkward in its current state.

The top is too flat as well.
Kitagawa
I may be going to bed soon though, so keep that in mind.
jollyvaporeon
the right antenna thing was about a line too high... i made it a bit lower.
hm... with my limited skill, i must admit our critique is slightly daunting to fix ;; but thank you, i'll see if i can fix those things and make it look better!
Hifumi Togo
I used to make Pokemon splices/pixel art.

Click to load jpeg image (size - 7 kb)
Hifumi Togo
I enjoyed it a lot. It was mostly scratching. I can get the list of Pokemon used as well, if one is curious.
Kitagawa
Click to load png image (size - 1 kb)

Try to keep the lines smooth. Like go from one, to two, to three, etc. If that makes sense. With a few exceptions, it can look a bit awkward if the pixel difference is too much for curves.
jollyvaporeon
Click to load png image (size - 3 kb)
some more minute changes... thanks kitagawa, i'll see if applying that makes it look more natural in some spots..
Kitagawa
I actually specialize mostly in smaller pixel work or large portraits. Very rarely have I made my own average-sized sprites, but I am sure I could do it if I ever attempted to.

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jollyvaporeon
moved the gold spot 1 pixel to the left
Kitagawa
I shall be going to bed now though. I require my sleep.
jollyvaporeon
ooh, cute! i wouldn't mind seeing more of your stuff if you feel like sharing.
Same goes to you Hifumi!
jollyvaporeon
Thanks again, g'night!
jollyvaporeon
hello and welcome to EVEN MORE Minute Changes~
Click to load png image (size - 3 kb)
jollyvaporeon
alright! after just a few little changes, i think i'm about done?
if anyone's around, mind telling me if it looks okay?
if it does, then the final step is to adjust the colors and... shade...
oh boy i have a general idea of how shading works, i think the light source is coming from the... top left, right...? fromt here, it's just putting the lighter and darker shades in the right place and... hoo boy...
jollyvaporeon
Click to load png image (size - 3 kb)
I'm pretty sure the lighter and darker shades should be teh same saturation as the base shade of blue i'm using, right..? and ideally, the light and dark shadesshould be as light/dark as the rest of the shading on the vaporeon...
imtherealklib
@jollyvaporeon Sounds good!

@HifumiTogo That used to be a pastime of mine back in elementary school! My friends and I used to have a blast with it!
jollyvaporeon
http://imgur.com/a/1JMvk
first attempt at shading.
is that shade too bright, or am i simply not using it correctly...? hm...
imtherealklib
That's stupid adorable and I love it!
imtherealklib
It looks pretty good from what I see.
jollyvaporeon
@klib aaaaaa thank you i'm glad you like it!
does the fin being missing not look weird? i also tried to make the top part of the hat a bit larger, to look less flat as Kitagawa suggested, but it just didn't work out like i wanted... maybe i should try to tweak it more...
also i'm still not sure about that shading, how's that part look?
jollyvaporeon
https://www198.lunapic.com/editor/working/149543762435463?9011562630
test for transparency
jollyvaporeon
... ;;;
imtherealklib
I was trying to think of a way to say it without hurting your feeling, but yeah it does look kinda off. If you made it look like there was a crease in the top it should work better.
jollyvaporeon
aww, don't worry, i don't mind. i want it as perfect as i can get it.
hm... a crease... if you don't mind, could you explain a bit further? would the crease be horizontal through the top/middle part of the hat?
imtherealklib
Sorry. If you put a hat on a someone who, for some reason, has a fin on their head, the hat would be standing up in the center. Something like that, crease was certainly not the right word to stop at.
jollyvaporeon
ohhhh, makes sense
...i think i'm a bit over my head here honestly ;; i'm thinking about how to do that, and i'm just.. getting a headache, haha ;;
i've been up way too late, i think i need to get some sleep too, and resume this tomorrow.
before i go, my bf suggested i add another bit of bright shade to the middle of the hat. does it look better, or was my bf horribly wrong
Click to load png image (size - 3 kb)
imtherealklib
It all depends where you have the light coming in. It looks good with that extra bit though.
jollyvaporeon
Click to load png image (size - 2 kb)
and here's a smaller version
imtherealklib
And good night!
jollyvaporeon
good night!
(side note: this has been really fun! and... i was super focused on it? i have trouble staying focused on anything, even video games, so i'm surprised i was so focused on this for so long. i should def continue tomorrow...)
imtherealklib
Agreed!
--Morgana--
Looking good, Vaporeon!

You should totally make the next one with a sleeping cap.
jollyvaporeon
i'm not gonna work on it any more til later today/tonight, but let's bump this! I wanna see what people think of this~
thank you morgana! one with a sleeping cap sounds totally cute!
Aki-Joker
http://fumikomiyasaki.deviantart.com/gallery/43031738/Pixel

I use paint tool sai and binary brush for it.

Also wish you luck with waht you do, Vaporeon.=D
Azel
I really like pixel art! I used to make pokemon sprites recolors, fusions and stuff, and I really enjoyed it. I'd like to learn more and get some advices, so I'll keep an eye on this topic ^^
reanwalk
i like the pixel art
jollyvaporeon
hey i didn't do anything last night woops ;; i was tired from work
i should really continue it today but... ehhhh i'm not feeling it
if anyone is watchin/cares about my progress tho, don't worry? i have plans to finish what i started SOMETIME this week, will bump again when i start working on it again~
Azel
Don't worry, take your time. I'm looking forward to see your progress ^^
jollyvaporeon
GUESS WHO'S BACK
ye i'm working on this today, time to take a break from laziness
now... i wanna make the top of the hat a bit larger... however, after putting some thought into it, i'm admittedly not sure at all on how to pixel in a crease on the hat... i'm hoping making the hat a tad larger at the top solves the issue and makes it look more natural, so we'll just start with that and see what needs improvement from there?
imtherealklib
I literally have no clue how to help, but woot! Moral support! You can do it!
jollyvaporeon
Click to load png image (size - 4 kb)
i feel like i've forgotten everything i learned the other day while pixel arting ;;
alright, i made the hat larger, but... i'm not totally sure if it looks better or not... any feedback would be appreciated.
also i feel like the lighter shade i'm using for shading is... off... any uh... comfirmation that it looks weird, or is it just me...?
also, i made the small version my avatar so that everyone can easily see how it looks in that size. yes i know it's not transparent, i'll fix that once it's done!
jollyvaporeon
well, the hat definitely looks like it lacks shading... i think i should make the darker parts a tad bigger.. or maybe a tad DARKER..?
and the midle def looks weird, i feel like adding a lighter color to that bit, like is done with the vaporeon itself, would help. but i'm not sure if the lighter color i'm trying to use is right...
imtherealklib
Agreed, the hat does look like it might need some more shading. And I'd start with making them slightly larger before you make it darker.
jollyvaporeon
oh! i just realized, most of the vaporeon sprite has a black outline (except for the parts of the sprite where the light source is shining directly on it, i think...?) while the entirety of the hat's outline is not black. i think that could use fixing..
thank you for your support klib! <3
jollyvaporeon
yeah, larger is what i was thinking, rather than darker
imtherealklib
I'd try making the border of that hat black then, save for where light hits it, and see where it goes from there.
jollyvaporeon
http://i.imgur.com/eq65Ja2.png
done and done~ hm... it IS looking better... i think i just need to figure out what color to use for the lighter shade, and where to use it...
imtherealklib
At this point I have no clue. But it does look a lot better with the black outline on the hat!
jollyvaporeon
Click to load png image (size - 4 kb)
after taking a small break, i'm back, but... i feel like i've hit a wall...
i think i'm satisfied with the overall shape of the hat, and now i want to work on colors.. but i've tried multiple different shades of blue for the lighter shade, and none of them feel right... additionally, with little clue as to how shading works, i'm afraid i'm not very sure if my shades are PLACED very well, either...
i feel like i've managed a lot with my limited knowledge and skill, but unless i decide to do some serious research and watch/read some tutorials, i'm not sure if i can improve this much more...
jollyvaporeon
and since i want my avatar to be back to normal til i finish this, here's the non-zoomed version of the sprite http://imgur.com/JHZDHMg
jollyvaporeon
i have an update!
Click to load png image (size - 3 kb)
i think i was making the lighter shade too bright, or unsaturated... i feel like this color looks closer to what i was hoping for! as usual, any feedback is greatly appreciated!
smaller version: http://imgur.com/a/SIwvD
Azel
That's good! You're right, the lighter shade was definitely too bright, this color looks good ^^
You should probably remove the central shade, the one near the golden spot. I don't know, it seems unnatural :/
jollyvaporeon
Yo!
Does it? i showed it to my bf, he should i should move it a bit, but... idk... didn't look quite right when i moved it a bit to the right...
i tried removing it, but i'm not sure if it looks okay. Is it looking kinda flat/boring now, or looking more natural?
Click to load png image (size - 1 kb)
jollyvaporeon
also: I feel almost satisfied with this! It's by no means perfect, or even as good as an experienced pixel artist would be able to do, but i feel with a bit more tweaking i'll be satisfied with it! Enough so to finally make it my icon.
Bgammax
Its looking really cool. Too bad that King Frost guy left
Enigma
It looks so cute!
jollyvaporeon
the real question is, how's it look as my avatar!
...
not as good as i'd like... hm...
jollyvaporeon
actually, it's growing on me already...
i'm debating over moving that gold part a bit to the right, or leaving it as is. but hey, i'm pretty happy with how it is, i think! i need to stare at it more before i can be sure on that though.
And it only took me a week to finish~ heheh
Azel
According to me, it looks better now ^^
For an unexperienced pixel artist this is no doubt a quite good result!
jollyvaporeon
thank you! <3 i think so too, pretty nice result for being my first time doing something like this.
imtherealklib
I hope to see more from you in the future. Practice makes perfect!