I realize I’ve been using the 32x32 cycle, with the more-or-less same 16x16 run cycle(via just having both feet in the air)for quite awhile, want to be able to both 16x16 & 32x32 walks and runs, correctly
The Help category is for help with Aseprite specifically, it is not for general art questions.
A run cycle is a run cycle. Without both feet in the air for a bit, a motion is not a run. Cycles are usually categorized not by canvas size, but by frame count, and the only reason that smaller sprite sizes tend to use smaller frame counts is because they may lack the resolution to distinguish between some of the frames of higher-frame cycles. There’s no “rule” about how many frames to use though, because different art styles and different character personalities allow for many different runs even within a specific size.
Start with a larger size, maybe even larger than 32x32, and animate a walk cycle. Instead of worrying about specific cycles and copying them, instead focus on the key frames, which tend to be consistent for all cycles above 5 frames or so: - (leg A contacts with the ground, nadir of coming down), leg B passes leg A, (apex of pushing up, both legs off the ground), … repeat for the other leg.
For a larger animation, you might have the resolution to add tweens to make the motion smoother. For very small ones, you probably won’t be able to distinguish the frames grouped in parentheses and will need to merge them. Many 8-bit games don’t even have these frames due to memory considerations, and instead have just 2 or 4 frames (in the 4-frame cycles, only 3 distinct frames are often used). Once you understand how a run cycle works and how those key points in the run influence the look and speed of the run, you’ll probably have a better time understanding the reasoning behind the frames chosen for these shorter cycles.
So basically, even this walk cycle works just as well for smaller versions?
Say, question, how do I best keep track of the legs and make sure they look smooth? I can’t even follow the same cycle as here
If you’re having trouble keeping track of legs, you’d probably benefit from drawing several walk cycles at a larger size. Once it clicks, you should have no trouble keeping track, because each leg’s motion is tied to the motion of the other leg, and of the torso. When you do these practice cycles, don’t just copy that cycle, play with it, create different running styles using the same key frame concepts but with different shapes. Make an exaggerated cartoony run, make a bouncy schoolchild run, make a nervous salesman late to a meeting run…
Also, instead of drawing 1px-thin lines like your example, block in the entire leg. Even at 16x16, that’ll usually be thicker than 1px unless you’re going for a stick figure style. This will not only make it easier to track which leg is which if you use different colours, it’ll also make it easier to see if something looks off, since you’ll have the whole leg. You can also use different layers for the back and front legs in addition to using different colours, but I personally prefer to use a single layer so I don’t have to think about what layer I’m drawing on.
Didn’t think of that, I guess this can do with just blocky legs
It’s supposed to be a crocodile(?)mascot
Reptilian reptiloid.
You mean Reptilian Reptoid?
You know better.