How to Pixel: Devices

After reading the great but very general tutorial made by CrazyMLC
How to pixel: The basics I noticed many people don't follow working procedures,
I personally think its because its a long and rare to adapt to cortex device making.
Here I show my way to work step by step, from 0 and one idea in my mind.

Starting off

The very earlier step its picking up so much ideas and details as possible.
I have enough with one single reference picture, so I'll pick up this one I've seen in google.
Before to nothing we should decide what size would be the best for our device,
I prefer to do it a bit bigger than classical vanillas, but not much, just enough to win details.
(all those pictures have a bigger version clicking on it, for perfection adepts)


There's my main sheet, every sprite I begin should be this way, looks easier for me
to keep details fresh, keep the size proportions and comfortability properly.

(1)
Let's get dirty our hands, drawing the first sketch, as a friend I have, says "there's no party without cruelty"
At this point its important to have present the coalition with classic size to make it proportional and the reference picture.


I know, I know, it looks bulky and ugly and tremendous removable,
worry not, it would be improved with future steps to decent and usable quality.

(2)
Time to bring some basic colours, basing our effords in reference
placed upward, brown and gray this time.


Sometimes I've seen sprites released at this point, it makes me laugh,
obviously, it requires more job, shading, general adjustements, border polishing...

(3)
My favourite part, shading, this part makes shine the skills of each person,
mine aren't godly like Ivan but decent enough to do a vintage machinegun.


At this moment it stop to look like burnable crap and begins to look almost useful,
you can take so much time as necessary, but remember isn't the last step!


I didn't find enough shiny looking the reference picture so I added more light pixels!


After looking it many times I decided to equal the shading in all steel parts of this device

(4)
Border shading and minor border adjustments


CrazyMLC recommends harder and more soft border shading, but decided to keep aggressive style.


I considered the final barrel were too big, I adjusted it a bit, it looks less badass but more realistic.


Overall comparation succeed, in my opinion.

And that's all folks, if you consider it interesting, I can try a lil-tutorial about sprite animation,
But that would be another day, have fun and good luck.

The sprite looks a little flat, and the section above the trigger looks kinda wierd.

Well, the main mechanism part must look flat because it is, check the reference.

About the part around the trigger, I pretended to use a vanilla mag to complete it ->

If I could printscreen properly on this pc I'd make a guide... I WANT TO MAKE A GUIDE TOO :'(

Too much highlight, though this would easily be justified by adding "NaXx style!" to the title.
The gun itself might be a tad too large for the actor, one should always have size in mind when making sprites for CC.

Thanks I guess, I always do the stuff to my own way...
I know it looks laaaarge but you just have to look to reference picture, I didn't lie!

I would like to encourage other spriters to show their methods, really.

Kudos.



Every spriter has his or her own style, so yes, that would be very justified.