Ideas for drawing

[AvihooI]

Hi, I am new around here... so hi everybody.

I've been looking around the AGS site for drawing tutorials and sites and they sort of helped (at least I think they improved my understanding of graphics making) and I also googled a bit.
I think I figured out how to draw nice backgrounds and I keep practicing so no matter if I am not at a decent level as of yet, but my main problem is drawing sprites.

I'd like to know how to draw sprites in the style of 5 Days a Stranger or perhaps A Tale of Two Kingdoms.

For the protocol I have an extensive knowledge of programming and music and generally computer aided design/creation... but I lack the graphical part, so any ideas?
I am quite willing to write adventure games but I couldn't due to this disturbing fact.

Thanks in advance.

[jetxl]

For the 5das type of sprites, you might want to check out reality on the norm. Yathzee created ron so the sprite style shouldn't be far off from his style, although crude compared with 5das and his later games.

I think there is also a King's Quest Remake background tutorial floating around. The backgrounds a simiar to that of atotk.

[Andail]

It's just a matter of training. Look at graphics you like. Try to emulate its style. Publish the results in the critics lounge and you'll receive useful feedback on it.
That's the way to do it.

[AvihooI]

Ohh I've been drawing some stuff but I'd only expose it once I get to a decent level of drawing.
I guess I am just looking for some very specific beginner's guidelines to making sprites... what about the software? I use photoshop, d'you think it might be too bulky for the job?

[Tuomas]

Photoshop is what most of us use, including me. And no, it's not too bulky, rather decent.

[nihilyst]

I seldomly begin a pixel background with Photoshop, although it can be very handy when it comes to organizing layers. I use ArtGem, some kind of a better MS Paint, which you can find somewhere here in the forums.
I use Photoshop to adjust the colours of an image.

But sprites are something I'm really bad at, too. Guess I can't help you there.

[Oliwerko]

http://oliwerko.wz.cz/Beginner_General_Suggestions.txt

seems to suit your requests, I wrote it to suit cases like this 

Otherwise, the things what Andail said apply.
I spent hours looking at 5DAS to figure out what the hell Trilby is doing. I walked him here and there and paused the game using right click to see how many frames are there and so on.

[AvihooI]

Thanks for the replies...

I've read your file, Oliwerko, and I found it useful, especially the movement cycle part.

So basically I begin with 3 fully detailed sprites of a character, one facing sideways, one facing towards you and one facing away from you... and then I animate each of these sprites movement?
I think one of my problems is being able to make those 3 seperate drawings so that they'd look consistent to one character... any suggestions on that part?

Again I say that 5DAS graphics are an excellent role model for me because they appear do-able yet extremely appealing.

[Oliwerko]

Well, I have made the front view, then front walkcycle and then moved on to the backwards one and at last I did the sideways one. This way you are looking at the character for hours and that helps to visualise him/her in the sideway walkcycle. It is sometimes difficult to remain consistent, you have to keep on trying.

[AvihooI]

I've posted a sprite on the critic's lounge... take a look: http://www.adventuregamestudio.co.uk/yabb/index.php?topic=33711.0

[radiowaves]

Try looking up Andrew Loomis tutorials. You don't have to follow up his style, but that just gives you the understanding and teaches you to see the character as a 3d shape. So next time, instead of plain outline, you actually feel the form.

[AvihooI]

I couldn't find those tutorials you speak of, radiowaves.

[space boy]

Here's the link
http://www.fineart.sk/index.php?s=0&cat=12

[radiowaves]

Actually I meant this for starters: http://www.scribd.com/doc/10343/Andrew-Loomis-Fun-with-Pencil

[big brother]

That's a good book for learning solid basics. I can't help laughing though -- there's a few pages of ethno/racial stereotypes plus a page or two of women failing at a variety of activities, hilarity for the politically correct eye.

[ildu]

That's a good book for learning solid basics. I can't help laughing though -- there's a few pages of ethno/racial stereotypes plus a page or two of women failing at a variety of activities, hilarity for the politically correct eye.

Negative caricatures, but caricatures nonetheless.

[Phemar]

Stereotypes are mainly what cartoonings about. The reader needs to instantly recognise what you're trying to portray.