Hi, I have a pretty good grasp of standard 2d sprites and gfx creation, but have never really done anything with animated special effects. Can anyone point me in the direction of some advice/tutorials/guidance on the creation of this type of graphical effect? Thanks in advance, Wibbs

What kind of special effects are you interested in?

There's not really a specific effect I was interested in - I'm looking more for general workflow tips and techniques, particularly for animations

You might want to look in the articles section of this site, particle effects might be a good place to start.

An interesting side note: the concept of particle effects was created for Star Trek The Wrath of Kahn to simulate the Genesis effect.

I assume you are not a developer so once you understand the concepts you could google for one of the many toolsets that will allow you to develop the artwork for it.

Hope this helps