AuthorTopic: The Recorded Pixel Art Project :: FOURTEEN VIDEOS!  (Read 241025 times)

Offline pkmays

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Re: The Recorded Pixel Art Project :: FOUR VIDEOS!

Reply #50 on: October 26, 2006, 11:44:13 pm
Ship created in Pro Motion using the symmetry tool.



Download

I was aiming for 30 minutes, but ended going over my goal by 12 whole minutes. I know this isn't a speed-spriting thread, but watching the video helped me to see some areas where I could optimize my workflow.

This took way longer than I wanted it too. I didn't have a concrete concept of the rear wing design, which slowed me down in the beginning, and came to haunt me later. I also did some awkward fuddling with the new Palette Editor plug-in. I'm still uncomfortable with some of the controls, but overall I find it a great addition.

Speaking of the Palette Editor plug-in, if you don’t have it, get it! My biggest gripe used to be that there wasn’t an easy way to sort the palette by hand. The palette dialog just lets you swap and copy color values based on the index value, which will screw up the image if you try to organize your palette (and as you can see in the video, I tend to just plop a color down randomly in the palette and ramp it). The new plug-in lets you move the palette entries around in a non-destructive fashion, and it reassigns the correct index value to the pixels on the canvas. There are lots of other cool features too, so check it out.

Unlike to other two videos that where recorded in Pro Motion, I prefer to use the on screen palette to edit colors rather than the double click method which pops up the Edit single Color dialog. I use a tablet while I work and it feels faster moving my pen over to the sliders rather than double clicking, moving sliders, then pressing Enter or the OK button. I'm really not sure if either way actual is any faster than the other. *shrugs*

The preview window is an absolute must. As Helm mentioned it keeps you from having to zoom in and out all the time, which makes the workflow that much faster.

One big boo-boo I made was setting only one background color and sticking with it throughout the piece. It’s good to try out different hues, saturations, and values as you work to see how the outlines are looking. If I had changed the background to something light and desiderated before I considered the piece finished, I would have noticed how jagged the nose and parts of the wings were and would have made the appropriate changes.

I enjoyed making this and hope it was useful. Definitely will be making more soon. I’ll probably make a few more videos that use some of the useful Pro Motion tools, like creating tiles and using brushes.

And I'm absolutely craving to see some more videos from you guys. Don't make me name names.
« Last Edit: October 27, 2006, 12:11:16 am by pkmays »

Offline Helm

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Re: The Recorded Pixel Art Project :: FIVE VIDEOS!

Reply #51 on: October 26, 2006, 11:53:41 pm
looks excellent. Downloading video.

Watched video: You know the program well, and you know how to pixel. Your palette usage needs to be optimised a lot I think. You add colors in the last 5 minutes. That's a great way to make certain you're not going to use the new colors optimally. Each to his own, and you saw how haphazard I can get as well, but I think you should become a bit more systematic there. Tying a palette together is a good thing on most sprites.

Also, you drew a lot of outlines you replaced anyway. Every pixel you place that you later replace is a place to look if you want to get faster... place. Place. Anyway, make sure you have the shapes and tones right, and then when you outline/aa, you only have to do it once.

Interesting video.
« Last Edit: October 27, 2006, 12:16:39 am by Helm »

Offline pkmays

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Re: The Recorded Pixel Art Project :: FIVE VIDEOS!

Reply #52 on: October 27, 2006, 01:12:54 am
Quote from: Helm
Your palette usage needs to be optimised a lot I think. You add colors in the last 5 minutes. That's a great way to make certain you're not going to use the new colors optimally. Each to his own, and you saw how haphazard I can get as well, but I think you should become a bit more systematic there. Tying a palette together is a good thing on most sprites.

Agreed. My palettes are generally created by-the-seat-of-the-pants, which isn't a huge issue on a simple sprite like this, but on more complicated pieces it's important to get everything unified. Will work on it.

Quote from: Helm
Also, you drew a lot of outlines you replaced anyway. Every pixel you place that you later replace is a place to look if you want to get faster... place. Place. Anyway, make sure you have the shapes and tones right, and then when you outline/aa, you only have to do it once.

Again I agree. I waste a lot effort redrawing lines and shapes. I've got a tendency to try and get something absolutely perfect and tweak it to death, which slows me down a lot. I'm trying to get into the habbit of adding AA to everything as the absolute last step.

If you're taking any requests, I'd like to see you make a 16 color 64x64 sprite with the palette visible, so I can see how and when you get your colors organized.

BTW this Camtasia codec OWNES. Better compression and image quality than Quicktime H.264 in my tests. Plugins for Mac Quicktime also means it'll work on Macs and PCs. I think I'm gonna buy the full version and support these guys.
« Last Edit: October 27, 2006, 02:29:48 am by pkmays »

Offline Helm

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Re: The Recorded Pixel Art Project :: FIVE VIDEOS!

Reply #53 on: October 27, 2006, 03:02:52 am
Quote
If you're taking any requests, I'd like to see you make a 16 color 64x64 sprite with the palette visible, so I can see how and when you get your colors organized.

I will do as requested.

Offline Lee N

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Re: The Recorded Pixel Art Project :: FIVE VIDEOS!

Reply #54 on: October 27, 2006, 09:28:39 pm
Helm: How do you get Timanthes to paint widepixels? It only paints single pixels here, and I can't seem to find any options.

Offline Ryumaru

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Re: The Recorded Pixel Art Project :: FIVE VIDEOS!

Reply #55 on: October 27, 2006, 09:41:54 pm
layers- layer properties- check indexed color and then in the drop box choose unrestricted double pixel or some of the other modes.

Offline Matriax

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Re: The Recorded Pixel Art Project :: FIVE VIDEOS!

Reply #56 on: October 28, 2006, 05:54:03 pm
About promotion.(i download promotion 5.1 trial...

How i make appears the "edit single color"?

I look in the help on promotion "key shortcuts" and find "p" but..

I view in the helm video appear instant. I download promotion 5.1 and presh "P" and show "edit RGB table" and "edit single color". ¿how make to appears only  "edit single color" ?

¿ And is possible change the shortcut keys for others ?

layers- layer properties- check indexed color and then in the drop box choose unrestricted double pixel or some of the other modes.

Where is layers in promotion? i not view layers in any site.... ¿?

Offline Evil-Ville

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Re: The Recorded Pixel Art Project :: FIVE VIDEOS!

Reply #57 on: October 28, 2006, 06:18:14 pm
He was talking about timanthes.

Offline Helm

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Re: The Recorded Pixel Art Project :: FIVE VIDEOS!

Reply #58 on: October 28, 2006, 06:21:29 pm
double-click on the color, Matriax.

Offline Matriax

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Re: The Recorded Pixel Art Project :: FIVE VIDEOS!

Reply #59 on: October 28, 2006, 07:51:54 pm
He was talking about timanthes.

Ops! oks


double-click on the color, Matriax.

Yes i make Double Click in the color and appears the box "gradient"... but now i make double click in other sites and now appears the "single color" thanks.

After using a time promotion im very lazy, too many controls, hotkeys, and to make a thing i go slow, but i view things interesting. The best are the symetric tool, dither(and intensity of the dither) and the "edit single color" this tools make more fun make pixels, but im a little confused with the keys, zoom,etc.. i hope have practice with promotion soon  :)

And other problem... I use the tool with a discontinuos rectangle and scisors, and get a part of the image how brush.... but how change to the normal brush? if i leave the mouse above said "right click" says "right click to restore last brush" but i make right click in the image, in the tools and not...¿?

I think need stop pixeling in promotion for today....