java.lang.NullPointerException when doing .getImage -

i have been searching site , google days , tearing hair out wondering why isn't working. making 2d rpg style game ffii , able make character walk around screen using different images depending on direction , code worked fine until put image[] in new class make more usable later coding. here part of code works perfectly:

package alpharpg;  import java.awt.image; import javax.swing.imageicon;   public class alphacharactersheet extends alphaconstants{                      image[] avatar;  public alphacharactersheet() {                    avatar = new image[numofavatars]; }  public void getcharacter (int c){          switch (c){                 case bard:                      imageicon tempii;                       tempii = new imageicon(this.getclass().getresource(frantikmenu));                     avatar[menuavatar] = tempii.getimage();                     tempii = new imageicon(this.getclass().getresource(frantikbattle));                     avatar[battleavatar] = tempii.getimage();                     tempii = new imageicon(this.getclass().getresource(frantikfront));                     avatar[frontavatar] = tempii.getimage();                     tempii = new imageicon(this.getclass().getresource(frantikback));                     avatar[backavatar] = tempii.getimage();                     tempii = new imageicon(this.getclass().getresource(frantikleft));                     avatar[leftavatar] = tempii.getimage();                     tempii = new imageicon(this.getclass().getresource(frantikwalkfront));                     avatar[frontwalkavatar] = tempii.getimage();                     tempii = new imageicon(this.getclass().getresource(frantikwalkback));                     avatar[backwalkavatar] = tempii.getimage();                     tempii = new imageicon(this.getclass().getresource(frantikwalkleft));                     avatar[leftwalkavatar] = tempii.getimage();                   default:                 break;             }      } 

the call getcharacter(bard) works , in paint() draw with

drawimage(party.players[inputcounter].avatar[currentzone.avatarfacing], currentzone.avatarx, currentzone.avatary, null);

however though works when put into

public image[] img;  public void alphaavatar(){      img = new image[numofavatars];  }  public void setavatar (int avatarid){       switch (avatarid){          case bard:          imageicon tempii;         tempii = new imageicon(this.getclass().getresource(frantikbattle));         img[battleavatar] = tempii.getimage();         tempii = new imageicon(this.getclass().getresource(frantikfront));         img[frontavatar] = tempii.getimage();         tempii = new imageicon(this.getclass().getresource(frantikback));         img[backavatar] = tempii.getimage();         tempii = new imageicon(this.getclass().getresource(frantikleft));         img[leftavatar] = tempii.getimage();         tempii = new imageicon(this.getclass().getresource(frantikwalkfront));         img[frontwalkavatar] = tempii.getimage();         tempii = new imageicon(this.getclass().getresource(frantikwalkback));         img[backwalkavatar] = tempii.getimage();         tempii = new imageicon(this.getclass().getresource(frantikwalkleft));         img[leftwalkavatar] = tempii.getimage(); 

now in charactersheet have alphaavatar avatar;

in charactersheet() have avatar = new alphaavatar();

then when getcharacter(bard) called make call avatar.setavatar(bard) , gives error @ first img[] = tempii.getimage();

any why can load images through 1 class not other appreciated.

replace

public void alphaavatar(){      img = new image[numofavatars];  } 

by

public alphaavatar(){      img = new image[numofavatars];  } 

public void alphaavatar() not constructor, method called alphaavatar returns nothing... explains why img not initialized in it.