Pixelation

Critique => Pixel Art => Topic started by: theorb77 on December 09, 2010, 05:16:36 pm

Title: Ice Giant, take two
Post by: theorb77 on December 09, 2010, 05:16:36 pm
In the spirit of me going back and making another attempt at stuff I've done before, here's a new take on the Ice Giant I did.  If any of you looked at the first version, it was a hyper-dithered mess.

(http://theorb77.com/ice_giant_v2.png)

Comments / Crits / Suggestions / etc.

PS: There are about a ton of references that were used.  And yes, the stance is supposed to be all weird like that.
Title: Re: Ice Giant, take two
Post by: Cure on December 09, 2010, 07:12:08 pm
but why is the stance supposed to look like that? i think it works if he's wounded, in which case adding a severe wound might help make since of it.
Title: Re: Ice Giant, take two
Post by: theorb77 on December 09, 2010, 09:05:20 pm
but why is the stance supposed to look like that? i think it works if he's wounded, in which case adding a severe wound might help make since of it.

So, like this?

(http://theorb77.com/ice_giant_v2_bleeding.png)

He's meant to look kind of out of breath and off balance, so I hope that comes across.
Title: Re: Ice Giant, take two
Post by: Olothontor on December 10, 2010, 10:58:59 am
The wound isn't really noticeable. Make the blood either darker, or a different color (red would be perfect if you want it to stick out like a sore thumb, green would also be doable).
Title: Re: Ice Giant, take two
Post by: theorb77 on December 10, 2010, 04:20:46 pm
The wound isn't really noticeable. Make the blood either darker, or a different color (red would be perfect if you want it to stick out like a sore thumb, green would also be doable).

(http://theorb77.com/ice_giant_v2_bleeding2.png)

I also beat up his hammer for good measure.  Stupid hammer!
Title: Re: Ice Giant, take two
Post by: Stava on December 11, 2010, 01:35:43 am
(http://i52.tinypic.com/28uo9dt.png)

I edited the hammer shading a little but now it doesn't go with the rest of picture, looks different..
Wanted to post it anyway. xD
Title: Re: Ice Giant, take two
Post by: theorb77 on December 11, 2010, 07:17:51 pm
(http://i52.tinypic.com/28uo9dt.png)

I edited the hammer shading a little but now it doesn't go with the rest of picture, looks different..
Wanted to post it anyway. xD

I think what's happening in yours is that the second light source lighting the top of the shadow that you added should probably also at least moderately light up that dark shadow on his leg and arm.  It being as light as it is (the snow he's standing on is a straight up RGBx255), you can't realistically expect a black, black shadow like that.  I'll have to try to rework it to include some more light hitting that side.  The original drawing never took a background in to account:

(http://theorb77.com/ice_giant_v2_raw.png)

Yeah, it was drawn on a post-it at work with a ball-point.  I recently got my scanner working on my Linux box, so I figured I'd scan this in, which is the genesis of this thing.  I read Arne say somewhere on this board that that was how he started his pixel work (at least, I think I read that, might have been someone else), so I gave it a try.
Title: Re: Ice Giant, take two
Post by: Stava on December 12, 2010, 08:43:20 pm
The only thing that bugs me about my edit is the style difference, the body is less detailed than the hammer so it's annoying for eyes. So I'd rather edit whole body then to match the style or leave it as it was, or if still aren't happy with the hammer try to fix it..  :)
Title: Re: Ice Giant, take two
Post by: Skully on December 12, 2010, 09:29:26 pm
I think the left shoulder pad should be in the style of the loincloth and arm armor.
Title: Re: Ice Giant, take two
Post by: theorb77 on December 20, 2010, 06:51:32 pm
My concerns are the same as usual, whether I'm successfully avoiding banding, if my palette choice sucks, if I'm pulling off the hue shifting.  For me pixeling has been about learning color theory more than anything else along with learning about "pools" of pixel colors and generally avoiding dithering.

So I'm genuinely interested in some thoughts.

Here's some minor edits, along with that leather shoulder pad:

(http://theorb77.com/ice_giant_v2_bleeding2.1.png)
Title: Re: Ice Giant, take two
Post by: Blacklight_Studios on December 20, 2010, 08:03:09 pm
Looks good! Are you trying to keep your color count low? the strap for the shoulder pad seems to blend in with the giant's body. That color should be changed, IMO.
Title: Re: Ice Giant, take two
Post by: ndchristie on December 20, 2010, 11:03:14 pm
I think there's a few things going on here worth mentioning...:

1 - technique does not have to be entirely consistent, sometimes differentiating mark is good, but the crisp, even, 1-pixel graphic detail on the hammer really works against the sludgy shading on the body.

2 - quickly adding wounds to a bad pose doesn't make it more convincing.  Why are his feet pointed in?  few enough people do that when they weigh nothing, but this character is supposed to be hulking and out-of-breath.  What creates the impression of imbalance is a character who is trying very hard to steady himself.  nobody in pain is going to angle their feet and knees in like that, unless they *want* to fall over.  it's just not right.  try redrawing the pose as someone trying to stand properly, but perhaps can't...pose like that and feel the best way of positioning yourself.  run around the block if you must.  i can almost guarantee there will be some variation of:
- spread knees, around 90 degree turnout
- rump high, torso leaning far forward
- at least one hand resting on knee or lower thigh, elbows bowing out