Where can I find free pictures for game?

Question

I am developing a game. To test my map engine, I need pictures of 8 directions character walking. As a programming, it is not too difficult to write program, but it is a big problem for me to draw pictures. So my question is where can I find some free pictures for game developing? Pictures should be free because I might release some demo version on internet or somewhere. Thanks.

Answer 1

For early development, getting sprite sheets from some now-defunct SNES game or something of the kind might be just as easy as free images; for later development and demo releases, you're probably going to have to get a hold of a graphics artist at any rate.

Answer 2

http://gpwiki.org/index.php/Game_Content_Resources - Game programming wiki contains some good links for game resources (sprites, animations, 3D models, sounds, icons, textures and more)

• Gaming World - Tons of sprite rips.
• Charas Sprite Generators
• GameDev .Net - Forum Thread: Sprites, sprites and more sprites!
• VB Explorer - Free sprite sets, bottom right corner of the page.
• RPG2000 Life is imagination - A german site with TONS of RPG related artwork. The site is easy enough to navigate even though it's in german.
• Ari Feldman SpriteLib_GPL - SpriteLib_GPL (SpriteLib General Public License) Copyright (c) 1996-2002 by Ari Feldman
• Molotov.nu - Mostly old-school RPG and Nethack-like graphics.
• Lost Garden - Various free graphics for various genres under "Free game graphics". Good quality.

Answer 3

You could just mock some stuff up in MS Paint. Having original art, however simplistic, is likely better than none.

If you want something that looks "good", I'd go for the sprite sheets that Williham Totland recommended.

Answer 4

try to check the following projects and/or websites:

• http://www.openclipart.org/ (among the cliparts I guess you can find some cool image)
• http://www.deviantart.com/ (A website for artists, you can check if someone is interested in a quick project)
• http://pingus.seul.org/ (I am pretty sure you can either use the penguin icons, or at least contact the one who did them)
• http://happypenguin.org/ (The linux game tome has a lot of open source projects, and I am sure you can borrow some images)
• Worst case scenario, use an arrow, but I am sure you will find something better

Answer 5

This thread on GameDev.net has a lot of sprite resources. There's also this one, which has lots of game development resources in general (graphics engines, libraries, applications, media, etc.).