I'm currently working on a survival game and don't want to use someone else's sprites for the characters, so I want to be able to make the sprites myself. Is there any free to use software that will let me use layers, use different frames, and be able to export it in a sprite sheet?
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Try piskelapp, it's free and you use it directly in the web browser.
I currently use PikoPixel myself. A really simplistic program but for Pixel Art, simplistic is often the best way to go. One downside... It only works on Mac.
In response to %{ user }@StenSven
Perhaps you could provide us a link?
Here you go: https://www.piskelapp.com/
Have you had a look at SpookyGhost?
It's a procedural animation tool for sprites that let you move, rotate, scale and deform them.
You can then export the results as single frames or the spritesheet.
At the moment the demo has no limitations, you can find it here: https://encelo.itch.io/spookyghost
Hi everyone, I have just uploaded a new version of SpookyGhost that brings a redesigned interface.
It should be now a lot easier to add, remove or manipulate assets like textures, sprites and animations.
It is now also possible to load and save project files so that you can resume working at a later time.
I have also included some example projects to show you some of the features you can use and the results you can achieve.
You can now open the documentation a lot more easily by pressing F1 or by selecting its entry in the Help menu.
Enjoy this update and don't hesitate to share your creations! 
I use Paint.NET, it's very useful for pixel art, but I would recomend you Krita
In response to %{ user }@Tricky
What about Krita though?
SpookyGhost, my procedural animation tool for 2D sprites, is now free and open source!
Starting now there is no more a demo version and the source code is released on GitHub under the MIT license.
You can use it for your commercial projects and never have to pay anything.
I have also added many new features and fixed some bugs. Have a look at the latest devlog for more information.
Join the Discord server to chat with other members of the community.
Last modified on May 25, 2021 by Encelo @encelo
I have uploaded a big update for SpookyGhost on Itch.io.
Some of the new features are:
sprite groups with color tags
custom spritesheet export layout
additional flexibility when dealing with textures
global animation speed multiplier
You can read more about it here: SpookyGhost r66: sprite groups and more.
Last modified on October 28, 2021 by Encelo @encelo