Hopeful Newbie Says Hi!

[puggsoy]

Heya, welcome to the Resource! I myself have only been here since December, which is the same time I started sprite ripping too, so you're not the only novice here.
By the way, I also make GIFs, although they're from sprites sheets, not custom.

I'd be super glad to receive any tips you'd have! Being a novice that knows more than me right now..

Well if you haven't already, I'd recommend reading a tutorial on how to organise your sprite sheets. Before I started settling here I found one on another spriting site, although I'm unsure if I'm allowed to link that. In any case it helped me get a general overview on how I should put my sprites on that magenta/blue/green/<unused colour> background, and got me off on a good start.
Also, when making sheets, I always like to keep a layered version of it. For example, with GIMP I keep it as an .xcf file, in addition to the final PNG, with each sprite on its own layer. That way, if I like I can move the sprites around later. The Photoshop equivalent of this would be keeping a .psd file.
Other than that I'd just say try to find out as much as you can about ripping from whatever console you're working with. You might find better emulators, methods, or just random tips.

And most of all, have fun! Ripping sprites just because you feel like you need to can stress you out, and that just sucks. Even if you're doing it as a request, people should understand that you're human.

Hope that rambling is useful!

Also, on the subject of home country, I'd like to chime in and say that I'm proud to be British.

I'm proud to be Kiwi. Probably because New Zealand is awesome.