How do you create your flash characters?

[Blackwolf]

I'm new to flash, learning different things step-by-step. But I want to know how do you create your own characters? Do you hand draw them, create them with photoshop/gimp, create them in flash, ect? Just curious is all. I would like to find the best way(s) to make my characters.

Oh, and another thing, do I have to draw out or create the different parts of the character separately & put them all together in flash to create an animation with the character? Or can I draw the whole character as one whole & segment different parts of the body off in flash to animate?

Thanks in advance!

[OwnerOfSuccuby]

I base only on theoretical data - i am not the best animator so i think that:

It is very hard for me to make it on flash - so it is more simple to try to draw on paper - make scan of it - put it in Flah and than draw lines by the image you scan in flash.

It is 3 ways to animate. You can redraw each frame - but it takes more time and space.
You can make a one character like one mono part - and animate it with bones - but some times it will not look good.
You can make it like parts - and move it as you want - it is more uneversal and is good for any task - and it is simple to remake it to any other version i write earlyer.

I like the third version more but any other can be used too. Some times they are not bad