Pixelation
Critique => Pixel Art => Topic started by: Dave on May 31, 2006, 11:22:17 pm
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(http://img335.imageshack.us/img335/2161/blazerdash1es.jpg) <--Hero dashing. Couldn't animate it, 'cause I really don't know what program to use to do it. And I couldn't get the transparency to work, apparently. D: Might post more later. Critique, please.
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Hey Dave!
Firstly, I hope that you didn't save your only copy in jpeg. As you probably noticed, jpegs blur the colours together when compressing, which is a major no-no in pixel art.
You could probably bump up the brightness on the highlights, and darken the shadows. Otherwise the sprite doesn't have enough definition. As for animating, you can just draw each frame in a seperate part of the image and ask someone to put the frames together for you.
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Actually, I happen to have something on my site available which should help you with animating. It won't help you with transparencies or anything (for that, try GIMP or Paint.NET or something) but it will allow you to GIF together your sprites.
http://www.ayavaron.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2006/04/Animagic%2032Bit.zip
I hope that the program helps you. I like it a lot. It's a nice, simple, specialized program with a good UI.
Also. I like your sprite. It has a very nice, simplistic design to it. (This would be more suited to a stage enemy, but I still like it) Though, I noticed that your character has a ver weird-looking foot. It doesn't seem like you have the perspective quite right. Try sketching out (on paper) the geometry of the feet so you understand how the should act and look in particular poses.
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G_Dragon: Nah, that's not my only copy. I have that, the whole sheet as a .bmp, and I have the object in my Games Factory file.
Ayavaron: Thanks for the program, it helps.
Thanks for the pointers, guys. I'll redo my sheet, and come up with some new sprites soon.
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If he's dashing I suggest perhaps using a more extreme showing of it by leaning his body over to maybe a near 45 degree angel. As it is now he's almost standing upright and it doesn't seem to suggest any type of speed associated with dashing.
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(http://img273.imageshack.us/img273/8903/blazertest4wx.gif) <--Stopped, walking and dashing animations after some modification. Flame flickers WAY faster than that, but that's the best I could do. Ohh, and I completely suck at walk cycles, too.
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I noticed that you added a new darker shade. I suggest you make it darker and use it a little more in the upper part of the body.
Also, in the walk cycle, I recomend watching the tutorial found on this page (http://data.forumhoster.com/forum_smiff/index.php?showtopic=31). It is specific to a 3D animation program but the basics of the walking it teaches should be applicable for you too.
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Walk Cycle: Remember, Feet don't slide. They lift by bending, straighten out forward, and come back to the ground before falling behind as the other leg does the same. Also, the body moves during walk cycles; When one leg is perpendicular to the ground, the body rises, and when the legs are farthest apart, the body falls. Arms also swing in opposition to the corresponding leg.
As for the sprite itself, do you really want the chest to be that big? I mean, I guess it's part of the character design, but it really looks cumbersome. Also, the leg hilight could be a bit more thick than 1px, as well as the one on the arm and near shoulder...but not by too much.
Mmm...seems like alot of platform spriters seek their legs from oldskool megaman...
Not a bad thing, but there are much more fasionable (and more easily animated) legs out there. But I guess that's a character design as well, as it fits with the bigness of the rest of the character.
The colors could use some desaturation and variation as well.
Is his far arm going to be holding a weapon?
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Walk Cycle: Remember, Feet don't slide. They lift by bending, straighten out forward, and come back to the ground before falling behind as the other leg does the same. Also, the body moves during walk cycles; When one leg is perpendicular to the ground, the body rises, and when the legs are farthest apart, the body falls. Arms also swing in opposition to the corresponding leg.
I fixed that since posting that animation. The feet still slide, 'cause it's more of a walk than a jog. The Dash is for more speed. ;)
As for the sprite itself, do you really want the chest to be that big? I mean, I guess it's part of the character design, but it really looks cumbersome. Also, the leg hilight could be a bit more thick than 1px, as well as the one on the arm and near shoulder...but not by too much.
Yeah, I should probably fix the highlights, too. And the big chest is part of the design, as it was originally a giant robot, and that's where the cockpit would've been. But I'll probably make some massive weapon that drains all the energy in one go that comes from there. Probably a giant beam.
Mmm...seems like alot of platform spriters seek their legs from oldskool megaman...
Not a bad thing, but there are much more fasionable (and more easily animated) legs out there. But I guess that's a character design as well, as it fits with the bigness of the rest of the character.
Yeah, it comes from that, and from being an adaptation of the giant robot design it was originally. I've found that giant robots look better, and more physically feasible, when the lower legs and forearms are bigger and sturdier.
Is his far arm going to be holding a weapon?
Right now I have projectile weapons on the near arm (vulcan in the forearm, holding a bazooka, etc.), but when I get to making melee weapons I'll put them in the far arm.
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I fixed that since posting that animation. The feet still slide, 'cause it's more of a walk than a jog. The Dash is for more speed. ;)
Unless he has wheels under his feet, even those who just walk instead of jog don't slide their feet. Their feet has to lift up and literally pull their body forward. Whether they're walking or jogging doesn't change those physics. I think that's what he was trying to say. The robot will have to pick up his foot and place it forward, when he does that the rest of his body will also move slightly up, then back down with the placement of his foot.
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Right. I have the body moving up and down, and the arms moving. I just didn't lift the legs up like it's running.
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Right. I have the body moving up and down, and the arms moving. I just didn't lift the legs up like it's running.
Stand up and walk, paying careful attention to your feet. Do they glide effortlessly across the ground, or do you pick them up? Even when you don't run, sliding feet don't make sense (they're possible, but they don't make sense, even for a robot -- too much effort).
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In a run cycle, both feet leave the ground for a moment. I'm not saying to do that. In walk cycles, there is a point where both feet are on the ground (When the foremost foot just touches down). I've seen people slide their feet when they walk, but they still lift their leg to some extent. It's extremely difficult to walk like a chu-chu train all the time.
Look up the games Flashback or Out of this World to see what I'm trying to say...though you can produce the same kind of walk in fewer frames than they used. For a platform sprite, I think that 4 frames is the minimum for a good walk cycle. The legs should go something like this for each leg:
L R
| >
/ \
> |
\ /
I can't really give a good visual example ATM, 'cause I'm at school and unable to pixel much before lunch is over, but I'll see if I can pixel it when I get home.
Oh, and you said you updated the anim; would you mind posting it?
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Don't talk to me like I don't know my anatomy, I'm in college for that shit. I know how the body moves when walking. I know that when people walk they don't lift their knees up, unless they're marching. When I lift the leg up in the animation the thing looks like it's fucking marching. I don't want that. I want it to look like a walk. I'm sorry I'm reacting this way, but I'm very angry right now and my graphics are the least of my concerns. I downloaded that walk cycle video, and applied what I could to my sprite. And as I recall from that video, the legs never raised up like it was running. It was a simple walk. I'll post a new anim when I'm in a better mood. Once again, I'm sorry, I really do want to improve.
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If you're saying you're sorry by the end of the message, why even post it?
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Why are you going to school to learn about something you say you already know?
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Because I had to vent to a bunch of people I don't even know. :( I've been going through a bunch of shit today, and I just saw those responses, and I went off. There's some stuff that pertains to this in there mixed in with the rant, though.
Anyway, back to business.
(http://img99.imageshack.us/img99/1434/blazerwalk0ru.gif) <--I've noticed that a lot of games have walk cycles like this.
Why are you going to school to learn about something you say you already know?
I should correct myself. I'm going to school to learn how to fix problems with people's bodies, so they can move properly. I've fucked up my body too much playing sports, so I want to be able to fix any problems other people have, so they're not in the position I'm in now.
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Because I had to vent to a bunch of people I don't even know. :( I've been going through a bunch of shit today, and I just saw those responses, and I went off.
Heh, we're here to help, and since you came here asking for help, we're trying our best to help you. If you don't want the information we're giving, then don't take it. But if we see problems, don't expect us to be like: "That's incorrect, but this is an exception."
(http://img99.imageshack.us/img99/1434/blazerwalk0ru.gif) <--I've noticed that a lot of games have walk cycles like this.
That does not at all mean that those games are correct. If the platform has 3 frame restrictions, then that's fine, and, admittedly, that's about the best you'll get with 3 frames, but one more frame would greatly increase the possible quality of this sprite.
Oh, and BTW, the hilights look much better, as well as the body movements.
Further crits: The fartherst leg doesn't move enough when compared to the closer one.
The closer foot would look better if it tilted upwards when in the forward position.
Mmm...I think that the spikes on the guy's back would look better if they moved in coordination with the shoulders.
I don't know what's going on with your life, but I hope you can cool off and that things improve for ya.
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Heh, we're here to help, and since you came here asking for help, we're trying our best to help you. If you don't want the information we're giving, then don't take it. But if we see problems, don't expect us to be like: "That's incorrect, but this is an exception."
Yeah, I know... I guess I just knew what I was saying, but I wasn't saying it right. :(
That does not at all mean that those games are correct. If the platform has 3 frame restrictions, then that's fine, and, admittedly, that's about the best you'll get with 3 frames, but one more frame would greatly increase the possible quality of this sprite.
Hmm... Probably. I was thinking along the lines of games like Final Fantasy, with simple walk cycles, but those were done way better than this. Not sure how I'd improve it, though. I'll have to think about it.
Further crits: The fartherst leg doesn't move enough when compared to the closer one.
The closer foot would look better if it tilted upwards when in the forward position.
Mmm...I think that the spikes on the guy's back would look better if they moved in coordination with the shoulders.
I'll try to fix those leg issues (legs have always been my weakest point). And I'll see what it looks like if I move those wings with the shoulders.
I don't know what's going on with your life, but I hope you can cool off and that things improve for ya.
Me too. Should be soon, when I get to start actually making real moves with this international hip-hop organization (http://www.illcrew.org) I'm involved with.