Hello all,

It's been a while since I've been on GD.net. Glad to be back!

Anyway, recently I've decided to pursue 2D game making and sprite design. I've found some decent software, and so far I've found GIMP to be ok with designing sprites, but the lack of proper palettes makes it rather difficult to use without having to open and close several windows repeatedly.

I've found some software called Pro Motion 6, which seems to be alright, but does anybody have any input and experience with any software you would recommend?

I've also tried GraphicsGale, and it seems quite capable, but it's sort of annoying to use. Any input would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks!

Oh, thanks for those links! That helps a lot. I think GIMP is probably my best bet for now. I really don't want to learn other software to make sprites. :P

It depends on how you work and the style of sprites you need to make.

If you are doing retro-style 8-bit art then basically any raster image editor can do what you need to do; GIMP, etc. and I know of no tools that make this kind of work easier or harder.

If you are doing more of a high resolution cell-shaded/vector style, you can work in a vector editor such as InkScape or Illustrator; some people prefer this. Otherwise, another option for the cellshaded vector look is to work in traditional media (that is, pens and ink). scan at high resolution, clean up and possibly color in GIMP or photoshop, and then scale down to the size you need. This works remarkably well once you get the hang of it.

Also, and I say this a lot on these forums, but I think the main thing anyone doing any kind of 2D game art should invest in is a Wacom tablet. Their entry-level Bamboo line is very affordable.

It's still in alpha, but if you're planning on a lot of animation you might be interested in Spriter, which allows for a modular approach to building your animations.

It's still in alpha, but if you're planning on a lot of animation you might be interested in Spriter, which allows for a modular approach to building your animations.

Wait, so are Spriter and Spine two different things? or did Spine change its name to Spriter?

Also, and I say this a lot on these forums, but I think the main thing anyone doing any kind of 2D game art should invest in is a Wacom tablet. Their entry-level Bamboo line is very affordable.

Oh yeah, that's being saved up for right now. I definitely need one, because using the mouse is just ridiculously cumbersome!

I think for now I'll stay with GIMP, because with the modifications in that link Kryzon posted, I can have a great palette to work with, which makes it a LOT easier to switch between colors. However, I will check out Spriter, it looks pretty good!

Thanks for the info, everyone! :)

Wait, so are Spriter and Spine two different things? or did Spine change its name to Spriter?

No, they're different pieces of software, although from a quick look at Spine it appears to be a similar idea -- probably worth further investigation.