Pixelation

Critique => Pixel Art => Topic started by: Cysai on July 20, 2014, 06:07:23 pm

Title: First step on pixel art
Post by: Cysai on July 20, 2014, 06:07:23 pm
Hello. :)
I'm interested in pixel art and i really want to learn it !
So i started exercising and this is what I did :
(http://nsa33.casimages.com/img/2014/07/20/140720080505323537.png)

Please give me some advice, i realy want to improve that skill.

Thank you.
Title: Re: First step on pixel art
Post by: Mathias on July 24, 2014, 06:47:27 pm
My firewall is blocking the domain your image is hosted at.

Use imgur (http://imgur.com/).
Title: Re: First step on pixel art
Post by: LarkoftheRiver on July 24, 2014, 08:20:29 pm
Firstly, welcome to the forums and pixel art in general! I'm pretty new to it myself!

I really like your lineart. It is very clean and neat. I would, for coloring, start doing hueshifting! Its a technique to make your pixels more realistic, because nothing in the world shines pure white or casts a shadow of pure black or gray, its all different colors. For instance, with your heart, I would make the darker bits more of a purple tint, and maybe make the lights more hot pinkish, instead of getting lighter red. I would also add more colors to your sword, maybe add light blue for your shading. Color and contrast is a big part of pixeling.

Let me hop over to the computer and do a little edit on the heart so you can have a visual.
(http://i.imgur.com/VKkHDXM.png)
Title: Re: First step on pixel art
Post by: Drazelic on July 26, 2014, 06:25:00 pm
I'd... probably recommend the opposite of that, actually. Instead of reducing brightness and contrast, raise contrast up and make things shiny.

(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/30179243/Pixelart/Paintovers/heart.PNG)

Also, avoid working on white backgrounds. Always try to use some color as your background if possible, because in almost every native view condition you'll be seeing the sprite on a non-pure-white background.
Title: Re: First step on pixel art
Post by: Ymedron on July 26, 2014, 10:23:52 pm
Drazelic, you might want to specify why you advise Cysai to make everything shiny.

I like the jar, it is rather adorable. The cork is hard to read, I recommend exaggerating it (if it's one of those old style push-in corks, make it poke out of the bottle silhouette. If it's one of those screw-on corks, you can make it almost the size of the top of the jar to clarify itself.
If it's some other kind of cork then... er...
Title: Re: First step on pixel art
Post by: Drazelic on July 26, 2014, 10:48:54 pm
I find that telling new pixelartists 'make it shiny' is an easier inferential step than 'raise the contrast'. Most new artists don't have a good heuristic of how much contrast is enough and when you tell them to raise the contrast they just raise it a little bit and you have to keep pushing them. At the least, making things shiny immediately conveys the message 'you need really, really, really bright spots'.
Title: Re: First step on pixel art
Post by: Ymedron on July 27, 2014, 02:57:21 pm
That's true, though I'm always wary of giving absolute rules when it comes to that... Depends on the artist's intent, and making everything max contrast is just as bad as not having enough contrast at all!

More contrast is obviously more fun to look at, and grabs attention as an individual piece. Just have to be careful not to ignore the surface qualities of the object.
Title: Re: First step on pixel art
Post by: Cysai on July 27, 2014, 06:48:28 pm
Hello. Sorry for the late.

Quote
My firewall is blocking the domain your image is hosted at.
Use imgur.
Ok, i will use it.

Quote
Firstly, welcome to the forums and pixel art in general!
Thank you !

Quote
I really like your lineart. It is very clean and neat. I would, for coloring, start doing hueshifting! Its a technique to make your pixels more realistic, because nothing in the world shines pure white or casts a shadow of pure black or gray, its all different colors. For instance, with your heart, I would make the darker bits more of a purple tint, and maybe make the lights more hot pinkish, instead of getting lighter red. I would also add more colors to your sword, maybe add light blue for your shading. Color and contrast is a big part of pixeling.
Wow, ok, i get it. I'll try to make my objects more natural.

Quote
I'd... probably recommend the opposite of that, actually. Instead of reducing brightness and contrast, raise contrast up and make things shiny.
I'll try that too.

Quote
Also, avoid working on white backgrounds. Always try to use some color as your background if possible, because in almost every native view condition you'll be seeing the sprite on a non-pure-white background.
Ok, i understand.

Quote
I like the jar, it is rather adorable. The cork is hard to read, I recommend exaggerating it (if it's one of those old style push-in corks, make it poke out of the bottle silhouette. If it's one of those screw-on corks, you can make it almost the size of the top of the jar to clarify itself.
If it's some other kind of cork then... er...
Oki. I tried, but i think the cork is too flat. And i don't really know how to improve it  :blind:.
(http://i.imgur.com/H0Sznfj.png?1)

Thank you very much everyone for your comments. I learned a lot. I will continue to practice.  :)

P.S: Sorry if my english is weird, i don't really speak english very well.
Title: Re: First step on pixel art
Post by: PsylentKnight on July 27, 2014, 07:22:41 pm
I think he meant make the cork larger vertically instead of wider. To make the cork more readable by making the silhouette clearer.
Title: Re: First step on pixel art
Post by: Cysai on July 27, 2014, 07:53:19 pm
I tried to draw a rock. But it's a big fail. It's look like nothing. (First test on dithering.)
(http://i.imgur.com/Bdm78Lr.png)
Title: Re: First step on pixel art
Post by: LeshrotArt on July 27, 2014, 08:27:45 pm
I don't think dithering is needed now because it will leave some unnecessary texture.

My view for you, I hope it help.

(http://i58.tinypic.com/rvc5ck.png)
PS: i think you could use other colors
Title: Re: First step on pixel art
Post by: Batzy on July 27, 2014, 08:28:38 pm
I tried to draw a rock. But it's a big fail. It's look like nothing. (First test on dithering.)
(http://i.imgur.com/Bdm78Lr.png)

(http://s6.postimg.org/4jrc1vevh/bajs.gif) quick edit, you're thinking about it too much and no needs for dithering here. also please post images 1x scale.