Making Sprite Characters using Gimp

So I was wondering if anyone on the site knew how to actually make Sprites (as in the small character profile pictures that are used in video games). I would like to be able to make my own Sprites using Gimp, so that way I wouldn't have to browse the internet.

Just in case you're still not 100% sure what I mean, I mean a character like this:


(Picture credit: gokou-sama on Deviant Art: http://gokou-sama.deviantart.com/art/Character-Sorrelo-Sprite-Showoff-304618080).

Judging by the detail, it looks simple enough that even an idiot might be able to do it, if they dedicate a bit of time to making one. So what I want to know is, how do I make one; what are the steps to making an effect that looks pixellated and filled in squares? Is there anyone on the site who is willing to show me how to do it? Is there anyone who knows how to do it!?

 

I made this

from editing Yosuke's sprite from P4 arena.
It takes some time editing but from scratch you have to manually convert an upscale image to a pixelize version. The unscaled is used as concept for the sprite, starting from scratch is somewhat a long process but it's easy once you find the right tutorials like youtube, deviantART, or somewhere around google etc. Mostly Phoshotop/Sai mixed with Adobe Flash will be the most used I can't say much about gimp as I find tutorials all using the programs I mentioned. Good Luck! Sorry if I did not mention exactly how as it's complicated to do these just find a base sprite and start editing from there like I did here for Colme's JD Game:
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