RPG Character Base, Side-View Woes

[Xooxer]

Hey gang! Long time no post.

I was playing around with a basic 3/4 view 32x32 RPG character base, and I guess it's been a while since I've done any real pixel art, because I can't seem to come up with a decent side view that fits with the front and back. I was wondering if any of you had some pointers or tips on how I could approach this. Here's my sprite thus far, with a little cool dude to show how it might look clothed with hair and a bad sword.

C+C always welcome. Thanks!

basic front/back view:


3 frame walking animation:


cool dude:


~X

[Xooxer]

Meh, it's better than anything I've tried so far, but I'm still not happy with it.

~X

[sharprm]

Can't help with side view. Something i noticed for front and back is the shoulders are too wide. The way the feet bend out on back view seems wrong. I wonder if lighter color for midtone would be better. The cool dude looks too much front on rather than top down.

[Xooxer]

How's that? I'll tweak the colors later. Not sure what I could do to make the clothed figure look more in perspective for you.

[sharprm]

I'm sure it'd have something to do with how long legs are ... maybe wait for someone who knows more about rpgs.

I like those new shoulders but maybe now he looks wimpy?

The legs are weird because they bend out.

Tried an edit, I'm new at hue shifting so take with grain of salt.

[Xooxer]

Eh, your edit looks like a flexing mulscled baby.

I'd like to show have the legs slightly parted, not just straight up and down. I could try raising the split a pixel and see if that helps.

Ok, here's some more edits, and I threw in the cool guy with the same adjustments to see how it's translate.



I think it looks better. He doesn't have to be completely buff, but some tone is nice.

~X

[Xooxer]

Alright, I played a bit with the colors, though it's kind of hard for me to tell how it really looks on this laptop. Seems kind of redish, but it might be me.



~X

[Terley]

his edit is not much different to yours Xooxer, just has better readability.. Ive tried to continue onto sharprms edit because the use of colour is a vast improvement, maybe too much hue shifting but imo it looks much easier on the eyes. What I think you need to do is simplify this into an easy to read position, it seems like you're trying to fit an overcomplicated pose into such a small canvas.

Theres no need to try make your character soo beefed, work on making him look defined more than anything, you want him to look solid and controlled.. Not puffed up like a soft balloon.



help atall?

[Xooxer]

Eh, it doesn't really help. You've taken away any definition in the arms, and gave way to much in the abdomen. Not to mention it barely resembles a human; it's really green. I'm not looking for a direct lighting source, either, which you both seem to imply. I don't think my pose is all that complicated. I wanted something that looks a bit more dynamic than a tree trunk with a bobble head, hence the parted stance. I admit I over did it with my first draft, but I really don't see anything wrong with my current edit. I can give the colors another shot, and perhaps add in a fourth skin tone to smooth things out a bit. I can AA the outter edge as well. The game environment I work with allows for alpha transparencies, so no reason I should be using hard outlines.

Thanks for your input guys, but what I really could use help with is that side view.

~X

[sharprm]

Found some chrono trigger sprites:
http://www.videogamesprites.net/ChronoTrigger/Party/Crono/

Might be better if you use redish shade for skin as with crono. Also, they have the head more side on for side view. It looks like they only have three tones for skin so maybe just find right shades.

I like Terley's legs, they don't look stange at the bottom like yours. While i think the arms are a bit too thin, simplification seems like a good idea at this scale.

I think the spine on his back view is too short.