AuthorTopic: Mountain Background  (Read 18530 times)

Offline ndchristie

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Re: Mountain Background

Reply #10 on: January 04, 2009, 07:52:50 pm
ah, ok, so technically just a sketch, but so much more flow!  would love to see a mix of the two...
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Offline EvilEye

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Re: Mountain Background

Reply #11 on: January 04, 2009, 07:56:28 pm
ah, ok, so technically just a sketch, but so much more flow!  would love to see a mix of the two...

Hmm, well maybe if I put some more effort into the trees on the second one. My problem with the first one was once I was finished with a few trees it looked like they were in a tornado.

Does it look to you like the first one has too much wind?

Offline ndchristie

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Re: Mountain Background

Reply #12 on: January 04, 2009, 08:03:34 pm
if you make the leaves solid like in the second one i tihnk they will have more stability, just a guess though.
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Offline EvilEye

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Re: Mountain Background

Reply #13 on: January 04, 2009, 09:03:33 pm
I've been looking at this so long I am not sure if this looks good or not.

Old:



New:



Opinions?

Offline ndchristie

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Re: Mountain Background

Reply #14 on: January 04, 2009, 09:10:40 pm
looks best-yet to me.  Also, is it just me or is there some giffage going on on the ninjas?  you might want to stick with png for the most part.
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Offline EvilEye

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Re: Mountain Background

Reply #15 on: January 04, 2009, 09:51:16 pm
looks best-yet to me.  Also, is it just me or is there some giffage going on on the ninjas?  you might want to stick with png for the most part.

Well there is probably some giffage, but also they were drawn ( not pixeled ) in 10x the resolution, shrunk, then I used a trick to reduce the blur of the black outline and make them transparent. Saves a TON of time vs pixeling them, and looks almost as good. But as you can see they have some jagged outlines as a result.

Offline Helm

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Re: Mountain Background

Reply #16 on: January 04, 2009, 10:27:25 pm
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and looks almost as good
I'm sorry to have to disagree as strongly as I am. How long does it take to paint one sprite like this? These ninjas could be hand-pixelled to the level you've got them now in the same amount of time and look better because of the intentionality of low-level work.

Offline EvilEye

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Re: Mountain Background

Reply #17 on: January 04, 2009, 11:20:21 pm
Quote
and looks almost as good
I'm sorry to have to disagree as strongly as I am. How long does it take to paint one sprite like this? These ninjas could be hand-pixelled to the level you've got them now in the same amount of time and look better because of the intentionality of low-level work.

The ninja I would estimate took maybe 1 hour for the sprite which is roughly 60 x 60. Then maybe an 2 hours for the portrait which is 75 x 75 ( partially taken from the small pose ).

Here they are at finished size:



Now I might be able to pixel a ninja at 60 x 60, but certainly not with as fluid a pose. For that I would have to sketch it first, then translate that into pixels.

Maybe I just don't pixel fast enough. That is possible. But I estimate pixeling the sprite at that size would take me around 3 hours or more. The portrait would take at least double that.

The key is for me I am a better free-hand artist then I am a pixeler. I can whip out a sprite with a killer pose freehand much easier then I can pixel it.


*Oh yes and update on the trees*
« Last Edit: January 04, 2009, 11:26:03 pm by EvilEye »

Offline EvilEye

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Re: Mountain Background

Reply #18 on: January 05, 2009, 02:04:59 am
Update again. This time I think I got it looking decent. Only took me 2 days :blind:


Now watch helm tell me I could have pixeled that in 2 days :P
« Last Edit: January 05, 2009, 02:11:28 am by EvilEye »

Offline Helm

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Re: Mountain Background

Reply #19 on: January 05, 2009, 04:17:55 pm
I don't know if you could have but I think it's safe to assume that if you had invested the same amount of time in learning to pixel straight then in the two days you could have made something that not only is as pleasing to look at (because it is pleasing to look at, of course) but would also have about it the air of control and intentionality that pushed-the-single-pixels work carries.

If it takes you 3 hours to do that portrait though you are a competent artist otherwise, there must be a problem in your tool chain or your methodology as a pixel artist and that is what Pixelation is here to help you with. The Low Spec Art section is not here for things that counter the ethos that Pixelation stands for: intentionality, control, working around limitations smartly. It's not here so people can post cgi-color-reduced stuff that look like pixel art and then say I saved this amount of time not doing my pixel art properly.

I don't mean to make this into a big thing, but if Low Spec Art creates a different sort of culture to Pixelation's main one, especially one that runs counter to what Pixelation is about, then it needs to go. There's been way too many asspats and 'make a game using that model, it'll be awesome!! :D :D :D' posts and not enough critique and this is already a wound in this subforum's side. Actually starting posting cgi-drawn-color-reduced-downscaled-almost-pixel-art is quite another. I like looking at the pretty art as much as anybody, especially the 3d pieces, but if the same modus operandi of Pixelation with critique and betterment doesn't occur, then what use this subforum is should be reconsidered.
« Last Edit: January 05, 2009, 04:21:31 pm by Helm »