Many people use palettes which have already been made for them. However, there comes a time in ever pixel artist's life when they have to move beyond pre-determined colors and create a palette of their own. After all, a predetermined palette is only as good as the sprites which have been created using it.
So how exactly does one make this "perfect palette", you might ask. Creating palettes is most likely the number one reason that people use pre-defined palettes. Some might think that there is no need for creating an original palette (especially since this is Zelda Fan Game Central, and most of the sprites that are going to be created here will be edits of the Zelda series sprites. However, as a pixel artist, it is always your job to be thinking outside the pre-defined realm of colors to create styles unique to your own abilities.
Creating a palette is not always easy, and it takes both time and patience. However, if you follow these simple steps, it will make creating that "perfect palette" a whole ton easier.
^I use iDraw 3.32, I love that program, although it only supports 256 colors and less. It's an excellent tool for any pixel artist. I recommend it for anyone looking for a free program to use.
1) Imagine what your style will look like. This is important in that it helps give you an idea as to how the gradients will look in the palette. Gradients are a major issue that destroys many self-created palettes, so be sure to think about the changing from dark to light colors in this image.
2) Create a list of different tiles/textures you will use the palette for. This is very important; it lets you know specifically what the palette will be used for, what colors you will want, and allows you to envision these textures in your mind as you create your palette.
3) Begin planning out the palette. Make sure you will have enough room for all the colors that you wish to include. For 256-color palettes, I tend to use 8-colors per gradient. Realize that you will need many different shades of common colors, such as green, so do not expect to make one green gradient and have that be all the green you need. If you are sure that a color will not be used very often, a 6-color gradient may be used for that color (considering you're working with 256-colors). 4-color gradients may also be used, however these are typically unplanned gradients that will fill up extra space in the palette as you require it.
4) Create the palette. One of the biggest problems people have with creating the palette is making the gradients. Many people simply create the light color and the dark color, and use steady intervals to change from light to dark.* Instead, create the gradients yourself. Every palette will have different styles of gradients, so experiment with it and you will find one that is perfect for yourself. Personally, I like richer darker colors and (what's the word) lighter colors, so like a 102/23/23 dark red, with a 253/128/128 light red (taken from the palette I'm using for a ssb fan game!). This also brings me to my next point; just because 253/128/128 is a good shade of red does not mean that 128/128/253 will be a good shade of blue, every color on the palette should be custom created.
*: 4-color gradient black to white, starts out with 0/0/0, 85/85/85, 170/170/170, 255/255/255.
