Pixelation
Critique => Pixel Art => Topic started by: o_8 on January 24, 2007, 12:47:13 am
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Hi, my name is Alex / o_8
I'm kind of new to pixel art stuff, so I'm eager to see stuff here, as well as learn a lot
Me and some friends are working on a fighting game called Skullgirls, so I've been making and animating sprites mostly for that lately. I might post stuff from that here from time to time.
However, in the meantime, here are a few other random pixel things I've made before... most are kind of old, but I guess my style is still similar:
(http://pub.tenkuu.net/Images/pixel/tableguy_xmas-ani-gift_b.gif)
(http://pub.tenkuu.net/Images/pixel/space_pirate_01a.gif)(http://pub.tenkuu.net/Images/pixel/space_pirate_01b.gif)
(http://pub.tenkuu.net/Images/pixel/space_pirate_02a.gif)(http://pub.tenkuu.net/Images/pixel/space_pirate_02b.gif)
(http://pub.tenkuu.net/Images/pixel/space_pirate_03a.gif)(http://pub.tenkuu.net/Images/pixel/space_pirate_03b.gif)
(http://pub.tenkuu.net/Images/pixel/space_pirate_04a.gif)(http://pub.tenkuu.net/Images/pixel/space_pirate_04b.gif)
(http://pub.tenkuu.net/Images/scout_jackal_pixel_a.gif)(http://pub.tenkuu.net/Images/scout_jackal_pixel_b.gif)
(http://pub.tenkuu.net/Images/pixel/cyblade_a_2.gif)(http://pub.tenkuu.net/Images/pixel/cyblade_b_2.gif)(http://pub.tenkuu.net/Images/pixel/cyblade_c_2.gif)(http://pub.tenkuu.net/Images/pixel/cyblade_d_2.gif)
(http://pub.tenkuu.net/Images/pixel/ekki.gif)(http://pub.tenkuu.net/Images/pixel/ekki_b.gif)(http://pub.tenkuu.net/Images/pixel/ekki_c.gif)
(http://pub.tenkuu.net/Images/pixel/nanocyst_2.gif)(http://pub.tenkuu.net/Images/pixel/magadwe_2.gif)
Nice meeting you all m(__)m
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Welcome!
I read the last few, gosh, probably months of your blog after I found the link in pkmays's thread. I was totally tickled by all the fan art(Ayame ftw), I have to agree with pkmays, it's really inspiring to see so much crazy character and costume design in one place! I don't really have many crits, outside of a desire to see more pixel art that perhaps differs stylistically - your palettes are solid, you seem fairly comfortable with outlines (or the lack thereof), and your designs are really fun and read well. It'd be fun to see a few pieces that are slightly more realistic or detailed/busy - not to prove anything but to see another skilled artist's take on the art form we all love :) Some more animation would be fun to see to.
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Hellooo! :D
I really like the style of all this stuff. It's like, perfect for animation. I was looking through your site the other day and looking at those space pirates and thinking "I wish I could tell this guy how great I think those are."
But wait! You're here!
So I will tell you how great I think they are:
I think they're great.
But when I was looking at them on your site I was also thinking "I wish I could tell him they'd look even better if their legs didn't look so flat from the side."
But wait! You're here!
So I will tell you how I think they'd look even better if their legs didn't look so flat from the side:
They'd look even better if their legs didn't look so flat from the side.
Alright, enough of my nonsense. Hello and welcome to Pixelation!
Seriously though, these things would be perfect for like a game or something...would you mind if I tried my hand at making them move? Are you going to be doing anything with them?
Either way, as I said, I think the far leg is too thin. Also, it lacks a calf.
The first picture, with the sled and cube-creatures, is really cool. I especially like the...well, "things." How you made angular creatures look so soft. I can almost imagine them being rubbery. But the one thing that bugs me is that the red critters' legs are running all at the same time rather than the left & right leg pairs being offset by even just a little bit.
The Jackal is cool. The only thing I'm seeing is that the cape's hexagonal pattern is kinda messy...and I think the hook'd look cooler if it were pointed slightly toward the viewer.
I haven't got any crits for the little people on the bottom except that
a) their necks are like, attached to the very very back of their head
and
b) the yellow chick with the big white thing seems kinda stiff.
That's it from me!
Oh, and I know you said this stuff was old, but I couldn't go without saying something. ;D
~~Xion [M. Night]
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welcome! anyway, your art is awesome!
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Yes! I'm glad to see you here.
And to get things started on the right foot, here's an edit. :O)
(http://img95.imageshack.us/img95/6203/jackaledit7fl.gif)
The hook and head vent-thing break with the non-outlined style of the piece. I suspect these may have been made on a white or transparant background, which I'd recommend against. If this character were in a game environment, he'd be walking through all sorts of colors of various brightness, and I'd bet very few of them would be pure white. When working, I like to constantly change the background color to make sure the sprite is readable in a variety of settings. Something close to a mid gray (128, 128, 128 in RGB) also works as a median color.
Anyway welcome, I love what I've seen so far, and look forward to seeing more.
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this stuff is really great, i'll have to remember to watch for your work. I especially like the dark blue character, it reminds me of Ghost in the Shell, for some reason. I really like the facemask.
Overall in your work i see a resemblance to the style of this artist: www.redbeardead.com
I like the no-outlines/cellshading style, i'm sure it will look fabulous in a fighting game.
Welcome aboard. :)
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Wow, very nice work. Reminds me a lot of Doukutsu Montogari~ Cave Story, i mean really a lot of that game, Nice to meet you ='D and welcome to forums =3
Cant wait to see some more stuff from you =D
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Hello. You are very skilled. From your stage, I'd suggest investigating manual anti-alias, using a full color spectrum (from pure black to pure white) in a piece, palette trickery and management, dithering and such. These are the skills of the pixel artist, I'm sure you'll see what I'm talking about if you investigate the history of the medium a bit. Your stuff is great even without any aa and with small palettes, but do push yourself a bit outside your comfort zone and this medium will inspire you in some unexpected ways.
Welcome to the boards.
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Overall in your work i see a resemblance to the style of this artist: www.redbeardead.com
Oh i thought this was the same guy untill you said this.
I mean the readbeardead artist's name is allso Alex.
and judgning from the face in the sled i think you are a member of satelitesoda too =) gash i am such a lurker.
Lovely stuff.
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Criminy, that's some cool stuff. I'm guessing you're a Kingdom Hearts fan ;) All in all it's some good lookin' stuff. I only have one piece of advice: Your sprites all use muted colors, which looks cool, but can sometimes make it difficult to distinguish characters in a fast-moving action game as they will tend to blend into the background. It's easier to get away with with enemies than with the main character.
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Welcome to the board.
Good thing you registered, because I've been wanting to point this out since I first checked your blog.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v56/SnakemanEXE/Edit.png)
Your Scout is off balance. Mostly due to the left leg being somewhat skinny. The small feet add to it, so I've moved it to the left a bit while giving it a bit more mass. Should be consistent with the perspective of the right foot.
I would reccommend trying different variations of Anti Aliasing and generally polishing your sprites. That said, you've got a great style going. Your knowledge in illustration will make taking up pixels a lot easier. :y:
Overall in your work i see a resemblance to the style of this artist: www.redbeardead.com
I can't say I agree, but then that's just my oppinion. Come to think of it, I was thinking of something else. Maybe I can do some searching later. Though I feel it's usually better not to put styles into boxes.
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(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v56/SnakemanEXE/Edit.png) (http://www.locustleaves.com/Edit2.png)
Hope you don't mind. Showing what common pixel art skills can do to an otherwise very solid design.
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common pixel art skills
Ha, oh, you put that so wonderfully.
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(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v56/SnakemanEXE/Edit.png) (http://www.locustleaves.com/Edit2.png)
Hope you don't mind. Showing what common pixel art skills can do to an otherwise very solid design.
I'd say that's more like a highly advanced use of some basic skills :lol:.
But the edit does show a lot of good stuff, but Helm is beyond basic, so even what he would consider basic is beyond most people. I'd say study this carefully though, from what I see here, you'd have a pretty easy time picking up some of the skills he's showing. I really like the last 2 sprites, I think they kick ass. Hope to see more from you!
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I propose that a person as skilled at o_8 could probably do all these things in 2-3 months if he invested serious time in the medium, and in about a year if he just dabbled in it whenever he felt like it. There's nothing really really advanced about my edit, besides being a bit meticulous. There's some dithering and some sneaky aa here and there.
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I propose that a person as skilled at o_8 could probably do all these things in 2-3 months if he invested serious time in the medium, and in about a year if he just dabbled in it whenever he felt like it. There's nothing really really advanced about my edit, besides being a bit meticulous. There's some dithering and some sneaky aa here and there.
I'm not certain if that sprite is also for a game, but if it is, you edit would be far more work to animate.
It IS a nice edit though, don't get me wrong.
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I had assumed it was more of a style choice than a lack of technical skill.
Impressive as your edit is, Helm, it breaks the style. I mean - I understand completely that pixel art is all about optimization and careful placement and maximum use of mimimal space - but I don't think that when the sprites were designed they were trying to be anything like your edit. It's like taking the Powerpuff Girls, recreating them in Maya, and applying texturing, bumpmapping, lighting, etc. They're more detailed, but that doesn't make them superior to the original.
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I realize that. As I said in my post, it's an example of what can be done with pixel-art methodology. It's not making the original any better, just a different take, in this case hopefully educational.
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Hey again, thanks for the replies so far T^Tbb This place is neat, the feedback's really good. Sorry if my replies might seem slow at times, I have a tendency to lurk a bit too much haha ;;
Seriously though, these things would be perfect for like a game or something...would you mind if I tried my hand at making them move? Are you going to be doing anything with them?
Either way, as I said, I think the far leg is too thin. Also, it lacks a calf.
The first picture, with the sled and cube-creatures, is really cool. I especially like the...well, "things." How you made angular creatures look so soft. I can almost imagine them being rubbery. But the one thing that bugs me is that the red critters' legs are running all at the same time rather than the left & right leg pairs being offset by even just a little bit.
The Jackal is cool. The only thing I'm seeing is that the cape's hexagonal pattern is kinda messy...and I think the hook'd look cooler if it were pointed slightly toward the viewer.
I haven't got any crits for the little people on the bottom except that
a) their necks are like, attached to the very very back of their head
and
b) the yellow chick with the big white thing seems kinda stiff.
That's it from me!
Oh, and I know you said this stuff was old, but I couldn't go without saying something.
Ah even if old, some of these things I didn't notice till now, glad you pointed it out (like the necks being placed in the wrong area on those small sprites, for example.
Oh yea those Space Pirate sprites I guess were just practice in seeing how they might look in pixel form. I might use them for a game idea. Feel free to try out animating them if you would like to. I'm curious to see how that would look :O But yea eventually I'm thinking about using Jackal and Scout for a game idea one day~
hmm yea the hexagonal pattern on Jackal definitely would benefit from some cleanup
I read the last few, gosh, probably months of your blog after I found the link in pkmays's thread. I was totally tickled by all the fan art(Ayame ftw), I have to agree with pkmays, it's really inspiring to see so much crazy character and costume design in one place! I don't really have many crits, outside of a desire to see more pixel art that perhaps differs stylistically - your palettes are solid, you seem fairly comfortable with outlines (or the lack thereof), and your designs are really fun and read well. It'd be fun to see a few pieces that are slightly more realistic or detailed/busy - not to prove anything but to see another skilled artist's take on the art form we all love :) Some more animation would be fun to see to.
Ah good to see another Ayame fan :9 But yea I think you have a really good point there- I should try out more detailed styles just to broaden my spectrum in this. Actually, I guess I have a tendency to stick to a side view as well.. kinda curious to try out a top down or isometric view one day just to see how it feels.. or maybe environment stuff. By the way, what programs do you guys use? Long time ago I was using Graphics Gale, but I think I liked the hotkeys in Photoshop more, so sticking with that for now- any suggestions on that, though?
(http://img95.imageshack.us/img95/6203/jackaledit7fl.gif)
The hook and head vent-thing break with the non-outlined style of the piece. I suspect these may have been made on a white or transparant background, which I'd recommend against. If this character were in a game environment, he'd be walking through all sorts of colors of various brightness, and I'd bet very few of them would be pure white. When working, I like to constantly change the background color to make sure the sprite is readable in a variety of settings. Something close to a mid gray (128, 128, 128 in RGB) also works as a median color.
Ah, this makes sense- that never really occured to me- tho now for the Skullgirls sprites I've been using 0,0,255 for the background... I should test the sprites in a variety of background colors. Definitely looks more consistent with the hook not having an outline :]
Overall in your work i see a resemblance to the style of this artist: www.redbeardead.com
Oh, this site looks really cool- I think this guy's stuff is way totally better than mine though, but thank you for the comparison. Definitely gonna bookmark this place. I like the guy's character designs~
Wow, very nice work. Reminds me a lot of Doukutsu Montogari~ Cave Story, i mean really a lot of that game, Nice to meet you ='D and welcome to forums =3
Cant wait to see some more stuff from you =D
Ah thanks, yea I love Cave Story a lot and I think I ended up really influenced by that sprite style. I guess I like the blocky and simple color appeal of the characters in that game. It caught my eye the instant I saw stuff of it. I dunno why exactly, but yea I kinda tried to pick up some stuff of that, particularly for the space pirate ones.
Hello. You are very skilled. From your stage, I'd suggest investigating manual anti-alias, using a full color spectrum (from pure black to pure white) in a piece, palette trickery and management, dithering and such. These are the skills of the pixel artist, I'm sure you'll see what I'm talking about if you investigate the history of the medium a bit. Your stuff is great even without any aa and with small palettes, but do push yourself a bit outside your comfort zone and this medium will inspire you in some unexpected ways.
Welcome to the boards.
Its okay to use pure black and pure white? For some reason I thought that led to some complications.. not sure what it was exactly, though.... I'm not sure what palette trickery or dithering is exactly, but I can use antialias as long as the edge of the image itself is still aliased, right? :O
Criminy, that's some cool stuff. I'm guessing you're a Kingdom Hearts fan ;) All in all it's some good lookin' stuff. I only have one piece of advice: Your sprites all use muted colors, which looks cool, but can sometimes make it difficult to distinguish characters in a fast-moving action game as they will tend to blend into the background. It's easier to get away with with enemies than with the main character.
I haven't played much of Kingdom Hearts yet acutally :O Only a little bit of the first one- but thats a good point about the colors- I'll try more vibrant ones next time~
Welcome to the board.
Good thing you registered, because I've been wanting to point this out since I first checked your blog.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v56/SnakemanEXE/Edit.png)
Your Scout is off balance. Mostly due to the left leg being somewhat skinny. The small feet add to it, so I've moved it to the left a bit while giving it a bit more mass. Should be consistent with the perspective of the right foot.
I would reccommend trying different variations of Anti Aliasing and generally polishing your sprites. That said, you've got a great style going. Your knowledge in illustration will make taking up pixels a lot easier. :y:
There are different levels of anti aliasing? :O I'm not too familar with it I guess
(http://www.locustleaves.com/Edit2.png)
I realize that. As I said in my post, it's an example of what can be done with pixel-art methodology. It's not making the original any better, just a different take, in this case hopefully educational.
Though I was going for a relatively flat look, I really enjoy this rendering a lot as well. I espeically like looking at how the dome of the helmet was done. I'll definitely look over this to get some ideas of other ways to do pixel artwork. Opacus does have a point though, in terms of animating it, it would be trickier for sure. Definitely looks great tho, thanks a ton! I like the gun details and the little bit of shine on the knee too. Thats nice~
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There are no complications I know of that do not allow the usage of 0,0,0 or 255,255,255.
Dithering is the various forms of patters, like the checkerboard that make transitions between one shade and another smoother.
(http://www.locustleaves.com/dithers.gif)
Animating more detailed sprites as a second pass isn't as difficult as some people might think. Just takes a bit more effort, but for what result.
Finally, yes, there are different levels of antialiasing, from a single buffer shade between A and B, to two or more buffers. And yeah, as long as your contours retain crispness you will not suffer any jaggyness in-game if you antialias your spites manually.
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Hey
I really see some future in the bottom sprites (the ones with black outlines on your first post)
I would like to collaborate with you to make a terrific game out of it! :)
Please let me know what you think...
Vertigo
http://www.klmhaaszone.nl/vertigo
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love your style...post more!
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I have to admit, that I love the simplicity of your style, mostly the latest ones, since they remind me to cavestory style, (mostly the scientist) hehe.
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I have to admit, that I love the simplicity of your style, mostly the latest ones, since they remind me to cavestory style, (mostly the scientist) hehe.
I've fallen in love with this style, I'm really looking forward to seeing more of your work.
That little animation you posted, actually made me "Oooooo" out loud. Same with those last two characters that remind everyone else of Cave Story.
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By the way, what programs do you guys use? Long time ago I was using Graphics Gale, but I think I liked the hotkeys in Photoshop more, so sticking with that for now- any suggestions on that, though?
My exact sentiments! ...before I switched to using Cosmigo Pro Motion. If you plan on ever doing any larger pieces that have mid- to high-color counts, or doing any animation, or working on environments, the difference in speed between Pro Motion and Photoshop really blew me away. At first it was really weird, and it does have a few minor bugs here and there. But I've been using it almost exclusively for all my pixel art for a couple of months now, and I'm really glad I switched. Lately I'm finding that even on the smallest sprites, Pro Motion is just plain quicker. I still use photoshop for compositing sprites and tiles I've painted in Pro Motion, but that's mainly because layers and layer sets are pretty handy that way.
Haha, sounds like Jan paid me to write that, jeez :P The nice thing is you can try Pro Motion out for free for a month to see if you will like the workflow and tools or not. If you dig it, it's just $80 and you're up and running with the full version. I would recommend un-installing the trial version before installing the full version though ;) One of those pesky bugs...
Anyways, here's the site, I'd definitely recommend giving it a shot! http://www.cosmigo.com/promotion/
Also, a bunch of talented artists from Pixelation have been creating some timelapse videos of pixeling in Pro Motion, so you can get a feel for the benefits of fast index changing and index painting in general, not to mention the auto-tile completion feature...http://www.wayofthepixel.net/pixelation/index.php?topic=2144.0
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Long time ago I was using Graphics Gale, but I think I liked the hotkeys in Photoshop more, so sticking with that for now- any suggestions on that, though?
Remember that you can change every hotkey in Gale. In fact it will probably improve your efficiency if you do. I like to have "x" set to swap foreground and background colours and 1 and 2 to go back and forward frames. Just about every function in the program can have a key set to it they just don't by default.