Speed tutorials?
Printed From: Pixel Joint
Category: The Lounge
Forum Name: Resources and Support
Forum Discription: Help your fellow pixel artists out with links to good tutorials, other forums, software, fonts, etc. Bugs and support issues should go here as well.
URL: https://pixeljoint.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=8799
Printed Date: 13 September 2025 at 4:17pm
Topic: Speed tutorials?
Posted By: CrapFactory
Subject: Speed tutorials?
Date Posted: 16 July 2009 at 3:16pm
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I couldn't find any (though I might be blind). Basically I sprite but I sprite slow as heck. Even when I'm spriting something with reference material since I don't just flat out copy the poses and stuff it'll still take me bare minimum a few hours for a video game character sprite or small pixel art. When I'm working on fully original sprites where my reference material is minimal (like how I'm working on a Snail Warrior right now but my only references are pictures of snails...) or non-existent I can easily take all day... I need to speed things up. I've tried drawing and scanning my sprites first but alas, I suck at drawing. I must go FASTER! :O Are there any tutorials for somewhat experience spriters/pixel artists that focus on speeding things up? |
Replies:
Posted By: ellie-is
Date Posted: 16 July 2009 at 5:35pm
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I dont think there is any.
One thing that I noticed, is that a tablet can help. When I sprite with a mouse or a tablet, the final result is the same, but with the tablet, I can make the same thing in 1/3 or the time. |
Posted By: greenraven
Date Posted: 16 July 2009 at 6:12pm
  -------------  "pwnage comes with patience, practice and planning." ~ Jalonso 
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Posted By: CrapFactory
Date Posted: 16 July 2009 at 6:33pm
| There's got to be something about my technique that's slowing me down besides a lack of skill. Hopefully. :p |
Posted By: ellie-is
Date Posted: 16 July 2009 at 6:43pm
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Not enough Red Bull?
Maybe your arm is broken and you didnt notice? :P |
Posted By: jalonso
Date Posted: 16 July 2009 at 6:44pm
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Pixelart is slow by nature. I can see trying to be faster and faster but don't let this be the goal or the art will suffer. Practice does make one quicker :|
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Posted By: CrapFactory
Date Posted: 16 July 2009 at 8:21pm
| Any great pixel art processes on Youtube? |
Posted By: greenraven
Date Posted: 17 July 2009 at 8:20am
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uk2sPl_Z7ZU - Is it time to bring out the Mona Lisa again ? Here's all the speed you little heart can handle.  ------------- "pwnage comes with patience, practice and planning." ~ Jalonso
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Posted By: susuwataris
Date Posted: 17 July 2009 at 10:39am
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I don't think there's a techinque to go faster. You should try to enjoy the moment, because it's not only about the final art, but the proccess while you're making it.
When you really like what you're doing, you want to work with your creation. |
Posted By: 7Soul
Date Posted: 17 July 2009 at 1:50pm
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I can pixel fast using these methods: - Know what you want to do before you start - I use Photoshop, so i keep a separated window to see my work at 100% zoom and dont need to zoom in/out very often - I have knowlege of shortcuts, what speed things up a lot Also, lots of practice helps a lot ^^ |
Posted By: successiveaspect
Date Posted: 14 August 2009 at 10:42pm
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Originally posted by lucas_irineu One thing that I noticed, is that a tablet can help. When I sprite with a mouse or a tablet, the final result is the same, but with the tablet, I can make the same thing in 1/3 or the time. I am fairly new to pixel art. I bought an HP tx2000. I was supprised at how rapid I could clean up line art, dither and so on. I would say that a tablet not only increases your productivity but also improves your work. It just seems like it's closer to the image or even inside it sometimes. What I want to know is how many veteran pixel artists still use a mouse. |
Posted By: cure
Date Posted: 15 August 2009 at 10:31pm
| There's no get-rich-quick option. You just have to be familiar and comfortable with what you're creating. Using decent programs helps, but nowhere near as much as practicepracticepractice |
Posted By: Antifarea
Date Posted: 16 August 2009 at 9:04am
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@ successiveaspect = I'm not a veteran, but I still use a mouse... I work fast and I get faster every day as I keep working on my sprites and general pixel art... @ crapfactory = Well here's an speed video, supposedly done in about half hour: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2BhA24pN8eE - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2BhA24pN8eE As far as my tactics for speed, it's simple... 5 steps to follow here: 1- Plan before starting to work, conceptualize either in your head or make a fast sketch so you know exactly what you are going to create and in what position, etc. 2- Have everything ready, such as the color palette, canvas size (size of the blank area where you are planning on working on). 3- Get a notebook and a pencil. Write down the exact time when you start as well the current date (if you plan to pause the work for the next day and such). Whenever you take a break, even if it's 15 minutes, write it down, and start counting the time by writing it down when you go back to work again... at the end of the piece (when it's finished) you then grab the windows calculator and do the math, that way you have the exact accurate time of how long it took you. Do this from now on, and don't forget that each thing is different, to know if you really improved in a certain area, you have to keep doing the same thing... counting the time. 4- Don't use rubbish programs like MS paint. The video of the mona lisa was done by an expert artist who can make stuff that fast, but you are not a veteran nor as experienced as him... so stick to other programs such as Charamaker1999 (the program used in the video) or Graphicsgale. They allow easy color grabbing, support shortcuts and many other extra time killer functions. 5- Observe process sheets from other artists, and videos of them creating pixel art, observe people's works around and try to think up ways to increase your speed on your own. And well you know the usual... practice a lot, that's the only way to get used to it which in the end will improve your speed vastly. You are a pixel artist now, this stuff takes time, and it will take you more than a year before you can start getting really good at this, regardless of how talented you are. ------------- |