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Old part of the post, because I don't want to have to manage a project anymore and just wanna make these for fun:
This is now just a gallery for Hi-Res Pokemon sprites for me but heck if you've made some too, feel free to share them here!
Spoiler:
I realize that high resolution Pokemon sprites are something that a lot of people don't do, and maybe the fact that people are unsure of how to go about making them makes them feel alienated from helping. Because I need help and I would love for other people to be familiar with the style, I'm thinking about tutoring about 3 people at a time. It'll be for DS-style hi res sprites and you'll need to have a decent grasp on pixel art basics, particularly line art. Recommended only if you know how to make pixel art from scratch, or if you at least know how to trace since that also requires some skill as you want to make sure the line art comes out clean. A big part of hi-res sprites is in the line art, and it's where most of the challenge is.
Would love to know what you guys think of this idea!
Hi all! I started a project on my own about 7 years ago called the High Resolution Pokemon Sprite Project. One day I thought it would be really cool to see what Pokemon sprites would look like when scaled up 200%, and I've gradually gotten better and better with them as the years have gone by; at first the sprites would be almost a direct 1-to-1 ratio. After a while, I realized something: when the art team goes to make the sprites for Pokemon, they sometimes have to sacrifice details for readability. Since Hi-Res sprites are upscaled, it means that you have much, much more room to fit in more details, and to make already-existing details much more intricate and precise. I've been working on it on and off for a few years now.
Here's what a direct 1-to-1 ratio looks like:
See...that's not what we want, here. It's important to fill in the blanks. Here's how it should look:
Much better!
I used to have a project thread open on Relic Castle forums, but due to how I had it organized, it got to be extremely tedious for me and I never actually had time to contribute my own sprites. I still had a lot of fun though, especially since I got to expose more people to the high resolution sprites I've been making for years now! But now that I'm more serious about getting it done, I need more help than ever!
In this project, we'll be tasked with enlarging every sprite from the Black and White games and directly tracing over them (in order to get accurate proportions), basically remaking them in order to have them fit in any fangames that work at double the regular DS resolution. Or, of course, for people to make sprite edits of! Either way, this can be a very invaluable resource for people if we finish it.
Here's what they can look like when finished.
We will be working with Kanto Pokemon only, to start off! This also means no megas or alternate formes that were introduced post-generation 5; at least, not yet! We'll be working on those once we reach the generation in which they were introduced.
I'm looking for relatively skilled spriters who can do a really good job. This being said, contributors will be determined on an application basis only. If you want to help out, I will need you to PM me the following:
You may or may not think this system is unfair. That's fine, but I disagree. It prevents me from being overworked from moderating and having to do a lot of quality control for below-threshold entries, and makes the project easier to keep organized. It's really nothing personal.
People whose contributions are listed on the spreadsheet are considered honorary contributors and will be allowed in by default.
It's certainly nothing against you, and it doesn't mean you're a poor artist, either. Like I said: I'm a little picky! I would say I'm about as picky as LeParagon is with his Smogon sprite projects, to give you an idea of what to expect.
Whether or not you're accepted to be a spriter for the project, one thing is for certain: I appreciate any and all applicants I get, because it obviously means that the project was enticing enough to make you want to help out! And that really, really means a lot to me personally. I hold this project very, very close to my heart, which is exactly why I want high-quality submissions.
Here's the overall quality I'm looking for.
High quality entries require some, but relatively minimal QC. These examples were all made by Phi-Bi.
Optimal quality entries require barely any quality control, assuming they need any at all. Examples provided by Phi-Bi.
So yeah, I definitely allow for a bigger margin of error than I may have led you to believe up to this point! High quality entries can have small errors that are very easy for the trained eye to notice, but are overall very well-made. They are much easier to QC!
We all have real-life obligations. If you become inactive, there are no penalties that will be enacted against you as a result. You're encouraged to contribute as much as you can, but you aren't strictly obligated to. Do what you can! This being said, if you reserved a Pokemon and it's been a few weeks and we haven't heard anything from you, your reservation will be removed.
Larryturbo:
If you have any questions or think you need a little extra in regards to crit and how you can do better (in the scenario that you're a contributor), I certainly don't mind!
Would love to know what you guys think of this idea!
Hi all! I started a project on my own about 7 years ago called the High Resolution Pokemon Sprite Project. One day I thought it would be really cool to see what Pokemon sprites would look like when scaled up 200%, and I've gradually gotten better and better with them as the years have gone by; at first the sprites would be almost a direct 1-to-1 ratio. After a while, I realized something: when the art team goes to make the sprites for Pokemon, they sometimes have to sacrifice details for readability. Since Hi-Res sprites are upscaled, it means that you have much, much more room to fit in more details, and to make already-existing details much more intricate and precise. I've been working on it on and off for a few years now.
Here's what a direct 1-to-1 ratio looks like:
See...that's not what we want, here. It's important to fill in the blanks. Here's how it should look:
Much better!
I used to have a project thread open on Relic Castle forums, but due to how I had it organized, it got to be extremely tedious for me and I never actually had time to contribute my own sprites. I still had a lot of fun though, especially since I got to expose more people to the high resolution sprites I've been making for years now! But now that I'm more serious about getting it done, I need more help than ever!
So, what are we doing here?
The aim of this project will be to make high resolution version of the Black and White sprites for EVERY. SINGLE. POKEMON. Front, and back. Sounds like a huge task, doesn't it? It does, and it is. When you consider all the alternate formes that some Pokemon have and due to the fact that you have to make front AND back sprites for every one of them, the number of sprites to make reaches the thousands! So I can use all the help I can get.In this project, we'll be tasked with enlarging every sprite from the Black and White games and directly tracing over them (in order to get accurate proportions), basically remaking them in order to have them fit in any fangames that work at double the regular DS resolution. Or, of course, for people to make sprite edits of! Either way, this can be a very invaluable resource for people if we finish it.
Here's what they can look like when finished.
We will be working with Kanto Pokemon only, to start off! This also means no megas or alternate formes that were introduced post-generation 5; at least, not yet! We'll be working on those once we reach the generation in which they were introduced.
Okay, I'm in. How can I help?
So, this sounds interesting, right? Does it sound like something you'd want to help out with? If so, then great! There are just a few considerations to keep in mind.I'm looking for relatively skilled spriters who can do a really good job. This being said, contributors will be determined on an application basis only. If you want to help out, I will need you to PM me the following:
- A few of your best pixel art pieces that you're proud of. There is no maximum, but the minimum is about 3! This will give me a general idea of the skill level you have to offer.
- An attempt at a high resolution Pokemon sprite. Can be any Pokemon at all, as long as it's from any of the DS generations.
You may or may not think this system is unfair. That's fine, but I disagree. It prevents me from being overworked from moderating and having to do a lot of quality control for below-threshold entries, and makes the project easier to keep organized. It's really nothing personal.
People whose contributions are listed on the spreadsheet are considered honorary contributors and will be allowed in by default.
Oh man, sounds a little intimidating!
I'll admit, I am a bit picky. This is a project aimed towards pixel artists with more skill and experience, so if you're new, this isn't the project for you. That being said, I don't bite and am very gentle, so there's nothing to fear or be intimidated about. The worst thing that can happen is just not making the cut, and even then you can always come back and try again when you've gained more experience. I can't give you an in-depth critique, but I can give you general pointers as to why you didn't make the cut and how you can do better next time.It's certainly nothing against you, and it doesn't mean you're a poor artist, either. Like I said: I'm a little picky! I would say I'm about as picky as LeParagon is with his Smogon sprite projects, to give you an idea of what to expect.
Whether or not you're accepted to be a spriter for the project, one thing is for certain: I appreciate any and all applicants I get, because it obviously means that the project was enticing enough to make you want to help out! And that really, really means a lot to me personally. I hold this project very, very close to my heart, which is exactly why I want high-quality submissions.
Here's the overall quality I'm looking for.
High quality entries require some, but relatively minimal QC. These examples were all made by Phi-Bi.
Optimal quality entries require barely any quality control, assuming they need any at all. Examples provided by Phi-Bi.
So yeah, I definitely allow for a bigger margin of error than I may have led you to believe up to this point! High quality entries can have small errors that are very easy for the trained eye to notice, but are overall very well-made. They are much easier to QC!
We do have some "do"s and "don't"s, though.
- Firstly, please refrain from submitting if you are not an official, approved spriter as designated by me. If you want to contribute, just PM me your application! I'll be very excited to get one from you.
By extension, if there isn't a shiny version of a sprite that's finished yet, please do NOT just come here to submit one. To me it feels like a cheap way to attach your name to a big project like this one and just get quick recognition. All the contributors have worked hard to create these sprites, and to me, that feels very disrespectful to them. Recolors take a few seconds, anyway. - Only reserve one evolution line at a time, even if it has been partially finished. This is just for simplicity's sake!
- Kanto BW sprites only. No megas, gigantamaxes, or regional variants right now, please!
- I prioritize front sprites more, but you're good to make the back sprite as long as there's a front for it! This is just for the sake of consistency. Either way we'll need to make both front and back, anyway.
- Fronts and backs only for now! Please no overworlds or icons.
- BW sprites only! Please refrain from submitting anything that isn't from BW.
- For some reason, the BW back sprites' proportions can be a little...janky. I highly, highly encourage you to use official 3D models as a reference for backsprites. Trust me, they will help you!
- Please don't come here just to request a sprite to be made.
- Please DO feel free to leave feedback! Anyone, spriters and viewers alike, can come by to give feedback. Constructive feedback is especially always appreciated!
- Please do make sure to include gender differences! Shinies are optional for now. They're only recolors, so they're very easy. Gender differences are usually a bit more than just a recolor. Also, I prefer alternate formes of the same Pokemon to be done by the same artist, so keep this in mind!
- Max canvas size is 192 x 192, and the max number of colors is 15.
- Try to stick as close to the shading style as you can. Don't add or change colors unless absolutely necessary.
- Please only use DeviantART, sta.sh, or imgur for uploads! They are some of the most reliable hosts.
- Any contributor to the project is free to QC (quality control) any submission!
- Like I said before: smaller sprites mean less room for details. this also extends out to proportions. Sometimes, such as in the case of Gardevoir and Lucario, the head has to actually be proportionally bigger than it actually is in order to successfully portray facial details. Let me show you this in action:
In some cases, the legs are actually too short in the original sprite. As with Rapidash and Persian's cases, here:
Basically, if you've finished the lineart and the proportions seem...off, they probably are. Just make adjustments to the problem area until they look correct. When I originally made Lucario and Gardevoir, there, I was really confused as to why they looked like bobble-heads at first!
And finally, I have a basic tutorial for the creation process of a high resolution sprite right here. It's old, but still gets right to the point. Do it however you're most comfortable, though.
How the system will work.
First, we'll finish the front and back sprites for the Kanto Pokemon, excluding Gigantamax, regional variants, and megas. Then, we'll start the initial stage of quality control. Finally, I'll go over everything and make final tweaks and add shinies, and then we'll be done with all the Kanto sprites.We all have real-life obligations. If you become inactive, there are no penalties that will be enacted against you as a result. You're encouraged to contribute as much as you can, but you aren't strictly obligated to. Do what you can! This being said, if you reserved a Pokemon and it's been a few weeks and we haven't heard anything from you, your reservation will be removed.
Terms of use.
Anyone is allowed to use any high resolution sprites made for this project for any non-for-profit projects, games, etc. Just give credit to the PokeCommunity High Resolution Sprite Project.Approved contributors and reservations!
SassySnivy: Reserving Nidoran F, Nidorina, Nidoqueen back sprites.Larryturbo:
Resources
- I've made an extremely comprehensive tutorial on how to make these. It's way better than my first one, but it isn't meant to teach you pixel art. It's important to have firm grasp on that stuff beforehand.
- I also have a few unlisted Youtube videos that show my own process for these: Beheeyem, Archen, Absol, Emboar, Pignite, Trubbish, and Samurott.
- And last but not least, here's a link to the spreadsheet that has all of the finished sprites thus far!
If you have any questions or think you need a little extra in regards to crit and how you can do better (in the scenario that you're a contributor), I certainly don't mind!
This is now just a gallery for Hi-Res Pokemon sprites for me but heck if you've made some too, feel free to share them here!
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