Critique => Pixel Art => Topic started by: metachaos on March 18, 2016, 09:19:00 am
Title: Studying Pixel Art with Megaman X sprites
Post by: metachaos on March 18, 2016, 09:19:00 am
Hi all,
I'm actually working on a game.
I made the game engine based on megaman X spriteset and tileset and now start to create sprites based on X animations (i'm not good enough to do the whole thing from scratch :/ )
I made a first test which doesn't work well ingame so i came here to get some C&C about what could improve the sprite integration.
Decided in page 2 to do a 8 frames 360° of an upscaled version to define a design before spriting.
I'll then go with my own poses as suggested by @Friend.
So far :
(http://www.isckia.com/boltzarms.gif)
Quote
EDIT ------------------
I slightly messed with the colors :
(http://www.lexon-files.com/perz/test_edit.png)
I used the same outline colors but now it looks messy... ???
EDIT 2 -------------
(http://www.lexon-files.com/perz/mockup.png)
After a bunch of tests and a mockup i think that my reference wasn't right.
I tried to take an original screenshot which seems more saturated. In this case the character is fitting way better in the scenery.
Is there any advice about how to make the char merge into the stage in a video game ?
thx
Title: Re: Studying Pixel Art with Megaman X sprites
Post by: rocifier on March 18, 2016, 11:47:40 am
I'm a little confused, it's looking good to me. Can you post a screenshot of exactly where the problem you're having in game is?
Title: Re: Studying Pixel Art with Megaman X sprites
Post by: Shanenopolis on March 18, 2016, 04:57:06 pm
The color change is an improvement, but I would darken the outline a shade.
Title: Re: Studying Pixel Art with Megaman X sprites
Post by: metachaos on March 18, 2016, 05:32:48 pm
@rocifier
(http://isckia.com/mockup2.JPG)
(http://isckia.com/mockup3.JPG)
That's a screenshot from the game engine. I have this uncomfortable feeling that the char doesn't fit very well compared to X sprite, and i can't figure out why.
@Shanenopolis
Do you mean like this ?
(http://isckia.com/sprites.PNG)
Title: Re: Studying Pixel Art with Megaman X sprites
Post by: rocifier on March 19, 2016, 10:22:11 am
The only issue I can see is that you have some kind of light source that is affecting the platforms but not the character (at least not properly).
Title: Re: Studying Pixel Art with Megaman X sprites
Post by: metachaos on March 20, 2016, 09:32:29 am
I'll try to add light masks on top of the char thx :)
Title: Re: Studying Pixel Art with Megaman X sprites
Post by: Applefatdotgov on March 22, 2016, 04:21:01 pm
rather than try to fully explain, I just did an edit. (http://i.imgur.com/JVCcr2b.png)
I changed the chest to read more like I think you intended, IE a ridge along the middle. now it comes across as looking as if it's facing forward a bit. The main changes were the head. higher contrast and a small rounding of the.... eyebrow ridge? and increasing contrast of the brightest skin value. I changed the eyes, mostly because they read as looking up a bit, but also to give them a better presense. I uhh, wasn't sure if this guy was an alien or not, but i sorta removed the nose too? that one was just playing around really, feel free to ignore that.
Title: Re: Studying Pixel Art with Megaman X sprites
Post by: metachaos on March 22, 2016, 09:25:07 pm
Hi Apple,
Thanks for the edit ! You're definitly right for the chest and contrast modification, i'll keep them.
The original drawing i did was this one :
(http://www.isckia.com/boltz.jpg)
As you can see, there is a visible nose which was represented by the pixel you rubbed.
Title: Re: Studying Pixel Art with Megaman X sprites
Post by: Seiseki on March 22, 2016, 09:56:27 pm
In that sketch the forehead doesn't stick out at all.
When I see this I think of: (http://vignette3.wikia.nocookie.net/starwars/images/a/aa/Fortuna_lookalike.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20130903193142)
Not sure if that's the intention, I like your sketch a lot more.
Title: Re: Studying Pixel Art with Megaman X sprites
Post by: metachaos on March 22, 2016, 10:04:12 pm
Thanks Seiseki
I think that the feeling comes from the fact that i started from Megaman X sprite.
I'll try to edit the character tomorrow with your rightful advice and make the sprite more readable as i was told in another topic.
Thanks for the help guys :-) !
Title: Re: Studying Pixel Art with Megaman X sprites
Post by: Seiseki on March 22, 2016, 10:35:48 pm
Yeah, well it's like you put a layer of skin on top of his helmet. Unless that's the look you were going for, there is no need to follow the shape of the megaman sprite, because he still has a regular shaped head underneath.
Title: Re: Studying Pixel Art with Megaman X sprites
Post by: metachaos on March 24, 2016, 12:40:41 pm
I tried to make it more readable and added some features.
I worked on the forehead as you suggested :
(http://www.lexon-files.com/editb.png)
Title: Re: Studying Pixel Art with Megaman X sprites
Post by: Friend on March 24, 2016, 11:46:32 pm
what seiseki is saying is that it looks like your character has no helmet on, but the shape is still like a helmet, so it looks like his skin is shaped like a helmet. it's really weird. i'd also focus on drawing your own pose and character if you want to get bbetter
Title: Re: Studying Pixel Art with Megaman X sprites
Post by: metachaos on March 25, 2016, 08:09:58 pm
(http://)
Title: Re: Studying Pixel Art with Megaman X sprites
Post by: metachaos on March 28, 2016, 09:05:20 am
@Friend : I totally agree !
I'm doing an upscaled 360 (8 frames) of the full char to define the chara design and will sprite again after that :
(http://www.isckia.com/boltzfull.gif)
What do you think of the head like this, is it making sense ?
thx
EDIT -----------
Haha this thing is too damn long to do :'(
(http://www.isckia.com/boltzchest.gif)
Wondering if it is better to do part by part or sketch the whole char before detailing ???
Blobbing the arms :
(http://www.isckia.com/boltzarms.gif)
Maybe too thin, i'll try to muscle arms a little bit :yell:
Title: Re: Studying Pixel Art with Megaman X sprites
Post by: rocifier on March 28, 2016, 11:41:19 pm
That's fairly impressive. It's a bit strange that the lighting direction changes as the head rotates though (edit: I see you improved it a lot. could still do with a little more). It's a lot of work indeed. But maybe you could use it in a character profile/selection screen in-game? (if it was made into a game). Overall I like what you've done with the form of the head, I'm just worried it's a bit too large now? Why not just visualize it at 100% size?
Apart from that my only other suggestion is the neck looks too weak to support the head. Seems the neck is kind of "flattened" on the front of the character and it looks a bit like the head would fold backwards. Probably beefing it up and considering the anatomy of human tendons more would help solve that.
Title: Re: Studying Pixel Art with Megaman X sprites
Post by: metachaos on March 29, 2016, 06:31:42 pm
@rocifer : Thanks for the advise ! :)
I agree with all the underlining you did.
I'm trying in a first time to get the whole character with good proportions and i'll then edit the different points you notified.
So far : ( Arms still thin, i'll try with big hands to get a SD style. Thighs need to be thicker too..)
(http://www.isckia.com/boltzlegs.gif)
I think i'll go for your suggestion and add this 360 in titlescreen, or menu yes.
Here a little screenshot of the level editor lol :
(http://www.isckia.com/screenshot.png)
And one ingame :
(http://www.isckia.com/screenshot2.png)
EDIT :
I did the whole body and edited the hands the chin (larger and metallic lighting) and the neck as suggested :
(http://www.isckia.com/boltzwhole.gif)
I will try with much larger legs and more spread feet. Think my shoulders also need more width.
What do you guys think ?
Title: Re: Studying Pixel Art with Megaman X sprites
Post by: rocifier on March 30, 2016, 08:03:39 pm
Hmm, the proportions aren't sitting quite right with me, but it's fine if you know where you are deviating from the human form and why. I'm a little unsure if he's supposed to be a realistic humanoid (eg. mass effect), or a cartoon one, eg. chibi.
For reference: (http://i.imgur.com/wynpDQO.gif)
Title: Re: Studying Pixel Art with Megaman X sprites
Post by: metachaos on April 02, 2016, 05:02:39 pm
@Rocifier :
I wanted to go with a SD style so yeah, proportion aren't realistic.
I tried to modify legs to check if the whole body can be balanced with such proportions :
(http://www.isckia.com/boltzfull_widylegged.png)
what do you think ?
Title: Re: Studying Pixel Art with Megaman X sprites
Post by: rocifier on April 03, 2016, 10:12:21 am
Hmm I like the shape of the legs more there, but I think they are too big now. Maybe keep a similar silhouette but thin them down a bit.