How to Make Sprites in Photoshop

A sprite is 2D pixel art that you can create using the Photoshop software. Sprites are usually very small, and often used as icons or images in a graphical game. Pixel art requires a very small and hard brush setting in Photoshop and a lot of patience, as you must create the sprite drawing pixel by pixel. You can create a sprite from scratch or by shrinking an existing image and drawing pixels on top of it.

Instructions

1. • 1
     View and download sprites from websites like the Sprite Database, The Spriters Resource and Pixel Warehouse. Open the images in Photoshop to study examples of game sprites.
   • 2
     Click the “File” menu in Photoshop and click “Open” to browse your computer for the image you want to turn into a sprite. You can also click “New” to create a new sprite from scratch without using an image.
   • 3
     Click the “Image” menu, then click “Image Size.”
   • 4
     Type a number in the “Width” box. This can be any number, but usually sprites are very small in size, ranging from 32 to 100 pixels.
   • 5
     Click “OK” to resize your image. If you are resizing an existing image, the original picture will become pixelated at a small size. Don’t worry about that, as you are going to draw over it.
   • 6
     Click the “Zoom” tool and click on your image to zoom in. You will need to work at a magnified setting to see your sprite as you draw it.
   • 7
     Click and hold on the “Brush Tool” and select the “Pencil Tool” from the menu. This tool will provide a hard brush for drawing pixels.
   • 8
     Click the “Brush” drop-down and select the size 1 “Hard Round Brush.” This is usually the first brush listed in the standard brush set.
   • 9
     Click the “Layer” menu, then “New” and “Layer” to create a floating layer over the background.
   • 10
     Choose a color from the color palette, then click on your image with the pencil tool to begin drawing your sprite, one pixel at a time.
   • 11
     Double-click the “Background” layer once you have completed your sprite art. A window will open, prompting you to create a new layer out of the background. Press “OK” to continue.
   • 12
     Right-click the “Layer 0” in the “Layers” window and select “Delete Layer.” This will remove the background layer, leaving only your pixel art.
   • 13
     Click “File” and click “Save As.” Choose a “GIF” or a “PNG” file type to retain a transparent background when saving your sprite image.