New version of ghost sprite & animations & bg

[mornin (away for quite a while)]

Hello everybody,

this is my first sprite ever. His name is Shivers and as you hopefully recognized he is supposed to be a little cute ghost. Since this is my first sprite, I'm in desperate need of some c&c to improve this little fellow. I think he could use some shading, but I really don't know how. Anyway, here he is:

Old version:


I also made this animation of him floating through the air. Well, it turned out to look like he is jumping, so I could use some advice on this one, too.



Paint-overs are very welcome 

Thanks in advance

    **mornin**

EDIT: I decided to make him a little more detailed, so I changed the resolution. He is much bigger now. I also tried to add some shading:

New version:


What do you think? Better or worse? Is the shading right?

[Scummbuddy]

I like it a lot. Very nice job. You want to add shading? Okay, maybe some shading stripes around the bottom of him, his tail thing... And maybe some on the right side of his head, the curve that goes to the back.
Otherwise, its awesome.

[BerserkerTails]

Definatley a great sprite! I was able to recognize it right away as a sort-of "friendly" ghost. For his "walking" animations, perhaps have his ghost tail thing float behind him as he moves.

[mornin (away for quite a while)]

Thanks for the suggestions. I'll try to use them to improve him. 

By the way, is it possible to make a sprite semi-transparent, so that the background shines through a little? Would be more ghost-like than just this plain green colour...  :

So, thanks again and continue with the c&c please.

[Chicky]

yes it is SetCharacterTransparency i belive.

[Secret Fawful]

very cool sprite
is he supposed to be friendly or evil???
is that hobbes i see as your avatar?

[Scummbuddy]

who else? Of course its the wonderful character of Hobbes.

and yes, SetCharTransp would act really nice for this char

[mornin (away for quite a while)]

<-- This is of course cute, little Hobbes 

I'll try that SetCharacterTransparency thing. At the moment, I have absolutely no idea how, but I'll figure it out . Oh, I'm such a n00b 

By the way, I did a little update of Shivers. Just take a look at the first post again 

mornin

[UP]

It's great too, except the shade might be a little bit odd, if the ghost is transparent... At least the shadow shouldn't be so dark or something...

[Mephistophilis]

He making fun of your newbieness.
Great sprite, maybe you could take a bit of the shoulder so it runs onto the body as opposed to having it totally enclosed, just a suggestion.

[viktor]

But if he is going to be transparent he's not going to need shade. Is he? I mean since when does a gost hawe a shade?

[mornin (away for quite a while)]

But if he is going to be transparent he's not going to need shade. Is he? I mean since when does a gost hawe a shade?

Well, I don't want to make him completely transparent, just semi-transp. So, there must be at least little bit of shading. But I'll see how it looks like in the game and then perhaps change it. 

[m0ds]

Great stuff! Though I think the first, smaller sprite is better IMO. It looks more like a ghost. I think it might just be the colouring of the other one, he's too dark in my opinion.

[mornin (away for quite a while)]

Here is the newest version of my little ghost:



Here is the new float animation I made:



Here are two talking animations. I can't decide which one to choose:



And these are two backgrounds for the game:

background 1
background 2

So, what do you think?!?

[mousemat]

these are brilliant sprites .i prefer the 2nd talking ghost and the floughting ghost is a bit choppy.
weldone.

[Kweepa]

I'd slow down the flapping in the movement animation.

Also, now that his arm is animated it looks a bit like his hand has been chopped off.
You could either round off the wrist or draw a three fingered hand on there.

Pretty nice!

[Erika]

Sorry to be the first one to brake the news. But I kinda think it looks like a condom, more than a ghost that is...

What I mean is: There are more ghostish attributes for you to use. Even though you intend to create a friendly ghost. For example: Lose the pointy thing on ITs head. Consider the outline. Perhaps a more grey nuance would be better. Also I agree with SteveMcCrea when he claims the animation to be flappy and the arms cut off. I don't know how IT died. Maybe the grim reaper punctured him by the hands, right infront of IT's lubricated friends.

[Shane 'ProgZmax' Stevens]

Wow, I didn't know ghosts had to look a 'certain' way to be ghosts (since they aren't real and tangible entities, afterall).Ã,  Some of you people are far too critical for anyone's good.Ã,  I think it looks fine.Ã,  Ã, 

[mornin (away for quite a while)]

Sorry to be the first one to brake the news. But I kinda think it looks like a condom, more than a ghost that is...

Damn, it'd love to see your ghost condoms. Must be scary to have a condom with head, arms and  face... 
Well, I don't think it looks like a condom at all (probably it's just me or the condoms we have in Germany  )  Actually I'm quite happy with the overall look of my sprite, but I'll work on the hands and on the floating animation. I might insert some more frames to the flapping. But I'll leave HIS head as it is.
Any c&c on the backgrounds?!?

[MrColossal]

Wow, I didn't know ghosts had to look a 'certain' way to be ghosts (since they aren't real and tangible entities, afterall).Ã,  Some of you people are far too critical for anyone's good.Ã,  I think it looks fine.

This is the critics lounge, he asked for a critique, he is getting one. What do you want from people? Because something doesn't exist means that one can't critique how it looks?

I will grant you that whatever he wants the ghost to look like is what it will look like since it's a cartoon, but since he asked for C&C then that is what he gets...

As for the sprite, I'm afraid I like the first one better. But maybe what I like about the first animation is that I thought the bobbing animation was his idle view, I recommend using something like it for when he's just "Standing" around

eric