It was around 2003 in August. While I was playing on my GBA SP I wanted to make one of those characters, (I didn't know what sprites were called back then), so I went on my computer and eye traced a SMB2 Luigi from the screen, http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m102/Josiahiouigi/1luigifan-1.png This was way before I knew how to change any setting in Paint.
After that sprite, I decided to make more and more by eyetracing from the GBA screens, which led me to the creation of these terrible sprite comics. I wish I still had them for the nostalgia though...
And so after awhile, one of my friends got Super Mario World for the GBA. I really wanted to have it, so I traded a game with him... I think it was Star Wars Battlefront (a very stupid trade but I didn't know any better), so then I started to eye trace the Super Mario World Mario which turned out to be better than what I've done from before because I made a decsicion to shade. Which was a good move, overtime I started to make my own little graphics. I still did a little eye-tracing here, but eventually stopped doing it. I kept all of the files on an old E-Machine 500 hard drive. I think I've made eight pages of little graphics. (I really need to find out how to get the files out of the hard drive)
I eventually decided to join a website called MFGG (Mario Fan Games Galaxy) where I shared my work to others. It was where I first got critique and didn't take it too well. (and I was 13 or even nearly 14 so it wasn't too long ago
) But soon as I discovered this place I saw how incredible pixel art is, which inspired me to become a better pixelartist. And even in early sophomore year the art classes really helped as well) Once my family and I moved to Arizona I was able to practice my traditional art skill even more.