Pixelation
Critique => Pixel Art => Topic started by: FRAWG on February 20, 2018, 04:47:32 pm
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(https://i.imgur.com/RwIitgb.png)
(https://i.imgur.com/1rcDU6b.png)
Working on a desert-themed tileset, looking for ways in which I can improve it.
Thanks!
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It's very grassy for a desert! Deserts rarely transition directly into lush grassland, so it looks unnatural. Desert vegetation doesn't tend to form ground cover like grass does.
You've got a a set of tiles where the ground fades out to a solid colour, consider using those more and having more areas of just solid colour. It's a great way to add variety without adding any extra tiles, and there's no background less obtrusive than a solid colour. Having more solid areas would also fit better with your grass, which is mostly solid.
The cliff strata feel too clean and even, they resemble a stack of pancakes too me. Real rock strata are usually varied in thickness, have breaks in them, aren't perfectly horizontal, and don't have smooth edges. The bottoms of cliffs are usually not so clean either, there are usually rocks and sediment piled up at the bottom, having eroded from the cliff face.
Your edge tiles of all sorts feel very straight (perfectly vertical or horizontal), with only minor deviations for texture. This is fine if you want the tile grid to be easily visible in-game (useful for e.g. strategy games), but if that's not what you want, then consider having rougher edges. Don't be afraid to have the transitions go all the way to the edge of the tile. Only the edges need to remain consistent, you have total freedom within the interior of the tile.
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The textures are pretty and they tile beatifully but it looks a bit dark doesn't it?
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Gotta love these big tiles, noiseless, nice details, not overdone :y: Grass is a little flat and too green?. It gives a western vibe, and i take it that by desert you mean rustic dry lands, which is not what we imagine when we read the title "desert tile set". I agree it is way too dark, it looks as if you wanted to depict it at a late sunset. This quick recolor might be quite far from what you planned but it shows how it can be a lot more readable with much brighter colors, but if you go brighter you might want to lower the contrast on the floor texture, giving its shade a different index from the sides of the cliffs. Also, if you and to imply desert vegetation then you would probably want warmer/army greens.
(https://i.imgur.com/kJEobEX.png)
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(https://i.imgur.com/eQ1e0bH.png)
Here's what the changes have been so far. Added some tiles for a smooth section of the dry land (and I'm aware that it is missing some corner-tiles, I'll get to them soon), along with an overhaul in the colors.
The game's setting is a bit on the surreal/mystical side of things, with the visuals taking some inspiration from the American southwest and Central American features/landscapes. So I tried to keep a bit more of a red hue to the ground as much as possible, but thanks for the tips so far!
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I think the flat areas are working well!
Good colour improvements, too. Perhaps consider making the contrast on the ground a little lower? It might be fine as-is though, it depends on the size and style of your sprites.