In modern “Pokémon” games, 3D models display the Pokémon in battle on the current hardware, the Nintendo Switch. But what about before the Nintendo Switch? In the older Pokémon games, simpler display methods were used: sprites. Sprites are pixelated assets typically used by older video game systems like the Game Boy Advance or the Sega Genesis.
With each Nintendo game’s release, the style of these sprites changed, getting larger and more detailed until 3D models were introduced. Sprites even have moving parts in “Pokémon Black and White.” Mastery over sprite animation is an impressive skill, one that I have not yet mastered. However, simply learning the process of creating a still image is impressive enough for many.
Now, as with any art, the first thing to do is to get an idea of what to draw. For my example, I have decided to sprite Croconaw, one of the starter Pokémon from “Pokémon Gold and Silver.” and their respective remakes, “Pokémon Heartgold and Soulsilver.”
The next part of the process is to find references. I used an anime screenshot of Croconaw for the reference image here, and decided to just draw right over it as I saw fit. Creating a base from scratch may prove difficult for some beginners, so plenty of online resources hold the sprites of Pokémon from official games, for ease of use. I would recommend a beginner to start out using and altering these bases and slowly graduate to creating their own.
One common mistake that new spriters will make is staircasing, which occurs when the pixels that make up the outlines look like a staircase, overlapping and ruining a smooth look. Another common mistake is missing stray pixels, which are unintended pixels that are off to the side of the sprite. Missing these pixels can lead to a flawed final design. Finally, outlining too pointily can harm the final drawing. Sharp and pointy bits can benefit a sprite, but too many can take away from it. When it comes to making the outline too pointy or smooth, moderation is key.
Once a proper outline has been created, the next step is to choose a color palette for the sprite. Once a palette has been chosen, one should color in the sprite as they see fit, sticking to one main shade for each body part. Again, this may take multiple attempts to perfect the sprite. Nothing too fancy is required yet, so hold off on shading. Make sure that the colors chosen do not clash with each other, which should be easy to judge at a glance.
Shading is different depending on the game that the sprite is based on. In Pokémon’s generation three, for example, there is a large amount of dithering present. Dithering is a style of shading that uses alternating shades of a color that connect for a bit of a blend. However, future generations tend to shy away from dithering, so using it less is not a bad idea. The light tends to come from the upper left corner of the sprite, so color pixels in that area a lighter shade of the first color used to create the effect of that area being brighter. Typically, one will want to use two or three shades to give depth to the sprite, but too much shading can make it look weird.
The final step to making a sprite is to shade the outline, since a solid black outline does look kind of strange with some styles. Just like shading the body of the sprite, the outline should be shaded too. Shade it with the same sense of lighting and make sure not to overshade. Overshading is subject to personal preference, so if it feels like too much, it probably is.
Spritework is a process that takes skill and time, so multiple attempts may be needed to produce a result that one really likes. Still, keep at it, this is a worthwhile and rewarding process.
