A sprite editing tutorial? You bet!
Tumblr decided to update midway through this so I have to rewrite this all. Rip all my witty jokes.
Aaaaanyways! You guys want to learn how to make sprites...? You want to learn from someone who isn't even that good? Alright. This is gonna be LONG.
Step 1: So here's the most painfully obvious and easiest step, pick the sprite. (Well, it's the easiest, unless you're like me and spend a good 5 minutes picking the perfect sprite). Here, we're using Togs, for my Swordsman Togami edit!
And then, you lower the opacity. This is important, if you're doing any kind of edit that changes something in the appearence that isn't the color! It'll be so much easier to be able to work. I'd reccomend 50% at first, and lower it for later rennovations.
Step 2: Sketchy! Sketch sketch. This is where you spend forever finding out what you're gonna do to the sprite, and sketch it over the sprite. If you're changing the eyes, I'd reccomend sketching it too! Even if it's a small edit, like making the eyelashes longer. Also, don't worry too much about making it super clean! As long as you're able to line it cleanly later, make it as messy as you want!
Step 3: Linework! Aka, the most hellish part of this, in my own opinion! It's a pain in the ass to get the linework done, especially since danganronpa has a lot of folds in it's style, and folds. suck.
If you wanna try and do the sprite's body freehanded, without the original sprite underneath, I'd highly reccomend doing this vv
It makes it a lot easier to be able to sketch it freehand. Without it... you're essentially sketching without a sketch. Of course, it does require you to sketch what the body below the clothes would look. And of course, if you're keeping the sprite visible (still at lower opacity) underneath, than this is unecessary.
Step 4: begin coloring. This one is a sort of a relaxing point after the linework, and yet it's still painful. Colorpicking is probably the easiest way to get accurate colors for hair and skin, if you want that.
Once you complete coloring, I'd reccomend some overlays! It helps replicate the look of a sprite a little more, and it makes the sprite look a little more appealing (at least in my opinion). Plus, I usually use the eyes from the original sprite in the coloring. It's the only thing I keep from the original sprite anymore.
Step 5: this is where more suffering begins. But first, we do something extremely simple! Set your light source: though it is simple, it is important! It'll make shading way easier. Usually I'll draw a little sun, with the rays pointing in the direction of the source.
And then you shade! Sadly, I couldn't get any process pieces, but then again, it would clutter this up even more, and it's lont enough as is. Anyways! Basically, you just need to follow the lightsource. Remember that anything blocking the source will also make a shadow! Obvious art tips are obvious.
I'd also like to point out that normally, shading on the face is done with an airbrush-like tool, with the only parts that are done with a normal pen tool are with shadows created by a normal pen tool, as well as any other shading.
Step 6: Realize you forgot some details and cry! This is where you can add on any extra details you forgot (I had forgotten his sword when I first made the sprite).
You also add the texture! A good texture was made by @/photoshopronpa ! Make sure to play with overlays and possibly turn the saturation all the way down when you're adding the texture, to get it back to the original color of the sprite (since the texture will make it brighter and warmer in color).
This is where I ran out of room for images, buut! This is also the end of the tutorial! Once you add the texture, you're done, other than little bits of cleaning.
And don't feel bad if you don't think it turned out perfect on your first or second try! Remember that all editors started somewhere, and not everyone is extremely good on their first few tries!
