A Place for new Spriters

[Iceman404]

I started customs at 12. Teens aren't lazy, certain people are.

[Rosencrantz]

many of these inexperienced sprite-editors (as they can't be called pixel artists or spriters at this point in time) are younglings that've barely entered their oh-so-glorious-teenage-years, ranging from around 12-13 or so. I bring this up because I think it's an important part of why they end up making horrendous excuses for edits and sprite comics for the following reasons:

1. Teenagers are lazy (lazy people make lazy edits)
2. Teens are inexperienced (low amount of art, writing, and technological skills)
3.Teens have overinflated egos (they think everything that they make is gold, and that hinders improvement)
4.Teens think that everyone is against them (they can't take constructive criticism which is supposed to help them do better.)

There are a few examples that are able to disprove these observations, but I'm speaking on general terms here.

fun fact: I began editing stuff and making terribad sprite comics when I was 10.

And I would have never gotten my animation technique down pat without the constant use of Fireworks back in those days.

I still have a lot to learn about animation still, but I sure as hell wouldn't be as far as I am without the editing and "sprite movie" background~

[Proton]

Make them have use like, little exercises and things to teach, etc.
At least with little practice stuff, they learn more than edits.

Like, those things from TUGS to enter.
Give them things, and they post.

[Cobalt Blue]

there's plenty PixelJoint and their Weekly Challenges for that.

[Proton]

there's plenty PixelJoint and their Weekly Challenges for that.

Not only does PixelJoint have a submission review process,
making it harder for them to stay/go there and enjoy being there,

their Weekly Challenges are still just giving them an empty canvas with a small gimmick attached, like colours.

You give them colours, they'll use colouring whatever.
Maybe good, maybe not. It's not an organized way to show a beginner.

You give them something to colour, they learn colouring.
And with giving them something to colour, they can be sure the rest of the sprite looks fine. With errors, they can start over and wouldn't matter.

[Neoriceisgood]

I support this idea a lot, I liked those tasks at the start of TUGS, I think they'd be very very helpful to people who want to practice and aren't very good at 100% scratch stuff yet.

I'm pretty sure quite a few of us could design very helpful assignments like that for people to bridge the steps between edits and scratch sprites, no?

[Koopaul]

I'm going to change the subject a bit like Iceman did but this is sorta related.

We have a lot of talented spriters and pixel artists vs the new guys. But why is it that our most talented don't actually make sprite sheets? Most of the time they make a pixelart of sorts and that's nice but... I think it's kind of a waste of talent. All that hard work in that pixelart but it's not going to be of much use. A sheet can be used for all sorts of things and will get more attention from the public. And you're actually contributing your talents to something.

What I'm saying is we have a Custom Section on the site that has some pretty lousy sprites up there. Perhaps these new guys look at those dusty old customs and think those are our finest. C'mon guys what happened? Why isn't anyone contributing to the Custom Section?

Only one person I know is doing that right now.

[LeleleleMAXIMUM]

ever heard of
art for art's sake?

i agree, and i've voiced it out once, but the thing is, people just get lazy
and then there's the fact that some of them won't bother if they don't get paid

but it would be an awesome way to support the site

[Elk]

Making a sheet for free with a certain level of skill, why?

[Neoriceisgood]

Making a sheet for free with a certain level of skill, why?

Posting to support this reply.

Last time I checked, I absolutely have no real reason to do what you people call a "custom sprite sheet" to make public just for the sake of charity.

First of all, a [properly animated] spritesheet takes quite a lot of work and, although more "useful" it can hardly be considered as artistically viable as a "showcase" product as most of the things you see pixelartists make for practice/fun.

Personally, as a pixelartist I prefer to see Elk's giant dragon over Elk making a random sprite sheet, why?

Cause I don't need someone to make a spritesheet for me.

I'm not sure why the people who submitted sheets so far have done so, but I can tell you, calling work a lot of people put tons of time and effort into a waste of talent hardly motivates me (and most likely more people) into doing what you could easily call very time-consuming charity work.

There are probably ways to convince pixelartists to contribute some stuff like custom sprite sheets, but the way you did feels rude, not inviting.


p.s. last I checked this has little to do with

talented spriters and pixel artists vs the new guys

.

I'm sure if you put the opinions of all the "talented spriters/pixel artists" in a column and compared them, you'd most likely find that it isn't just "a side that's fighting the newbs" but individuals who can do art well who have an opinion.

If you want to persuade people to contribute, feel free to do so, but don't call the art people do a waste of time, please.

[Whispy]

I'm probably way behind the times, or maybe stuck in 2003, but since when is tSR some place in which you can only post customs, or where "sub-par" work is not welcome? I thought this was a community that helped you become a better spriter through every step, and most of us started with edits and recolors, as they are a key step to developing a custom. Somebody mentioned keeping edits and recolors to yourself, but it's only natural you'd have a few doubts about your early work, or want to brag about it, especially when you're just getting started. There's a lot to criticize in an edit (keeping stuff in-style, correct use of shading, whether it looks blatantly edited or not, etc) or recolor (palette practice), as simple as they may be. Heck, even mash-ups. Whatever happened to "recolors are people too"?

What I do recommend is maybe always clearly stating whether you're posting an edit, recolor, or custom. Maybe make it obligatory to post the original artwork in case it wasn't a custom, so it's easier for it to be constructively criticized. But prohibiting anything that isn't a custom or a super-complex edit sounds very counter-productive to me.

Edit - My 100th post after two years, hooray.

[Neoriceisgood]

What I do recommend is maybe always clearly stating whether you're posting an edit, recolor, or custom. Maybe make it obligatory to post the original artwork in case it wasn't a custom, so it's easier for it to be constructively criticized. But prohibiting anything that isn't a custom or a super-complex edit sounds very counter-productive to me.

Edit - My 100th post after two years, hooray.

I fully support this idea, I'd probably prefer a different (more lenient) section in the spriting forum for people to post edits and stuff, cause it'll probably be a lot cleaner if there was still some form of distinction, forum-wise, between completely original works and those that are mildly/strongly derived from others.

The one rule that I fully agree on from this post is that, if people post edits or sprites that aren't entirely self made, they always post the base/reference material clearly, because I find it impossible to judge when I can't see what a sprite used to look like.

[Koopaul]

I still wish to see dedication to the Custom section. Why? Why did I get into pixels in the first place?

How many of you are disappointed that a game like Mushroom Kingdom Fusion is as ugly as it is?

A certain joy fills me when I see my sprites being used by someone... This has only happened once but it sort of made me happy. Perhaps I'm just different but I want my time and effort to be used for something. Not lost forever in a gallery that someone will only take a quick glance at.

[Terminal Devastation]

I had to reread a few of these posts to understand just what the points of view on each side of this custom section side note.
But now that I have, I have a few things to say to both sides.

First of all, calling art a waste of talent is absurd. Even the non-functional "showcase" pieces of pixel art can at the very least show just how far one can go with the medium and inspire others in various ways, just like any other art. And its enjoyable as well

On the other hand, I am in fact highly partial to functional sprites/pixel art to the point where I personally can not motivate myself to make any sprite that does not have an intended use. (Granted not all of them are for public use... But I do make way too many conversions anyways) While Elk is asking why, I'm asking why not?

I do not see how making a sheet has to be any less artistic than a "showcase" piece. It can be BOTH or at the very least decent practice, especially if its outside ones confort zone. It could also be consider a type of fan art and as such a way of showing appreciation towards well, what ever.
If I had to give a reason other than its a nice thing to do to make such a thing, I'd say you could make it because you have other motives in mind first (again, its at the very least decent practice, good practice if you've choosen subject and style well)

But once made, you might as well make it for public use (after sticking a give credit if used tag on it), since name recognition is the only currency you can get out of something like that, and I'd think public pieces would get more of that.

In short, make the sheets because you, personally, get something out of making it. Donate it because you might as well.

[Proton]

Bold fonting.
Bold fonting everywhere.

I still wish to see dedication to the Custom section. Why? Why did I get into pixels in the first place?

To enjoy making a form of art?

How many of you are disappointed that a game like Mushroom Kingdom Fusion is as ugly as it is?

Probably not the person who made it, or they would have done something about it.

A certain joy fills me when I see my sprites being used by someone... This has only happened once but it sort of made me happy. Perhaps I'm just different but I want my time and effort to be used for something.

I would rather have a hedgehog persona than see someone take something I worked my ass off and put it in some sort of stupid DBZ rip-off flash movie, full of fangasming and horrible storylines.

It's more fun just making things than forcing a work project onto yourself.

Not lost forever in a gallery that someone will only take a quick glance at.

I didn't realize the only point of making things was to get attention.

If someone wants to make sprites for a game or anything else,
they'll make them for said things.

Why do other users have to be a charity case just because you want a beefier Custom section?