Billy (ZX Spectrum pic)

[ptoing]

I found ZX Spectrum graphics always intruiging from the first time I saw em which if i recall correctly was around 2003 when i joined pixelation and saw some stuff of Gas13. I tried it a few times but always failed sorely.

So recently i looked at quite a few demoscene pics for the speccy and i studied what those artists did to work with the restrictions and after closer inspections it's a pretty tiny ruleset everyone should be able to figure out more or less fast.

The restrictions are 256x192 pixels, divided into 8x8 tiles. 8 fullbright colours (white, red, green, blue, cyan, magenta, yellow and black) and the same colours a bit darker (white becomes grey and black stays black).
Each tile can have 2 colours and also has to be either dark or bright. There can be no bright and dark colour in the same tile, so making smooth transitions from say light to dark red is impossible more or less.

here is what i came up with and i reckon it's ok for a 1st proper try.



and progressanimation

[sevenfingers]

I approve!

[Darion]

Haha, badass. I also like how you put a twist on the style.

I really don't have much of anything to critique, and afraid that if I do, it may not even be possible. Hot job, Bob.

[Panda]

This image got me curious about the whole Spectrum thing, so probably will experiment with something soon.
Maybe I would have used dark yellow on the right part of the skull, to give more volume.
Not quite a critique, but I would have left a few of the squares without dithering, just for stylistic purposes.
Just wondering but why did you go with  rainbow smoke? Curiosity heh.
Good job on it heh.

[Gas 13]

I feel so happy without all that restrictions. And I almost forgot what a pain it is to follow all of them Wonder what makes people want to follow them?   

Skull shading is what I would call classic for Speccy. I would just add some dithering on teeth and right part of the skull to blend with BG.

The rock is ugly :| Either it should be turned to black (instead of purple blue) to get some structure or completely reworked so that color spots weren't that narrow.

And colored sky is always the best part of the speccy pics. Color it! Instead of smoke or at least on other pic.

[baccaman21]

Looking good ptoing... (my first post in a long time)

I think what you've done here is pretty much as good as you can get. 256x192! now that's a screen res i've not seen or heard of in long time... (I feel an obi wan coming on) It amazes me that you feel the need to go back to such a basic ruleset and that your passion for such restrictions astonishing, pixel artists like you are a rarity in this day and age of cel chips, wiis and xenons (360)... to think that you must have been a mewling child when I was knocking this kind of stuff out 'proffessionally' makes me more impressed with your desire to learn retrospectively.

Top stuff!

Good luck with the new position!

\o/

[ptoing]

Gas: I just like to work with restrictions in general because they make you think. i see what you mean about the rock, but i wont change it, will keep stuff like that in mind for future works tho. I do not agree about the blending of the skull on the right and the coloured sky tho. The light is coming from the right so the skull is lit, sharp and defined on that side. And i wanted a dark sky because i did not want to have an overpowering bg plus i think it helps the mood.

Pete: The DS screens are 256x192, someone should write a double spectrum emulator for better yet have a soft keyboard on the touchscreen, it would be fucking perfect. Ta about the job

[Gas 13]

Haven't I mentioned CC'06

[ptoing]

Heh, thanks Gas, i will think about that. Do you know what format they want speccy stuff in, i only have it as png.

[Gas 13]

*.scr or *.$c I suppose. There's a BMP2SCR tool in the web. It might help. But it doesn't support brightness difference. I'll try to help if you decide to take part.