Pixelation

Critique => Pixel Art => Topic started by: Wakka on March 08, 2007, 01:17:54 am

Title: Help me with my shading.
Post by: Wakka on March 08, 2007, 01:17:54 am
This is not my line art. It is ARCHE's line art, I'm just using their line art to practice my coloring/shading.

Now that thats over with, I really need help with my shading. I wanted to use 6 colors. I could have shaded the teeth, but the black took the 6th color slot. Anyway, I tried to get the shading right, so correct me if im wrong :).

(http://img83.imageshack.us/img83/170/archnerj2.gif)
Title: Re: Help me with my shading.
Post by: Malor on March 08, 2007, 01:24:27 am
I would say, to few colors, or, not a good enough pallete. The shading you accomplish with this pallete is quite less spectacular, than what could happen with 6 colors. I'd say get a new pallete, and use it to dither away and make new colors...if that makes sense :-[
Title: Re: Help me with my shading.
Post by: AdamAtomic on March 08, 2007, 01:37:54 am
I agree that if you are going to limit yourself to 6 colors you should probably have a wider array of values, and simply the creature's color scheme so that you can do more intricate shading.  On the flipside, for a toon-shaded piece, you may be headed in the right direction...but it doesn't look too great yet.  You seem to be afraid to really add something to the texture of the beast.  You practically have the coloring book version here;  I say go crazy!  Here are some rushed, poorly executed ideas to hopefully get you started:

(http://adam.lastchancemedia.com/sprites/bad_edit.gif)
Title: Re: Help me with my shading.
Post by: Wakka on March 08, 2007, 01:47:06 am
Alright, this is like my second pixel art... I do want to improve, so I'll brainstorm a new texture for the fellow. However, did I get the shading right?
Title: Re: Help me with my shading.
Post by: Xion on March 08, 2007, 03:39:07 am
The hilight on the top half ot the head should've extended further back, as in Adam's edit. Everything else about the shading is cool, except the little pillowshaded spot beneath the lower teeth. In the lip. See it? Yeah there. It looks wierd to me. Adam didn't correct that part, so maybe it's just me.
Title: Re: Help me with my shading.
Post by: AdamAtomic on March 08, 2007, 04:55:43 am
nah you're spot on, i didn't correct it cuz i was lazy and missed it!
Title: Re: Help me with my shading.
Post by: Wakka on March 08, 2007, 06:49:22 am
Update, hows this :). I had a lot of fun coloring this one in.
(http://img214.imageshack.us/img214/9900/archnn8.gif)
Title: Re: Help me with my shading.
Post by: terminal_arcade on March 08, 2007, 07:47:50 am
Take a look at how Adam raised the brightness overall, and the contrast between the colours. It makes it really stand out more. Your design could benefit from that kind of facelift.
Title: Re: Help me with my shading.
Post by: RhysD on March 08, 2007, 08:05:31 am
it's a bit dark and there's not enough contrast between colours, since you are using so few.
Title: Re: Help me with my shading.
Post by: Wakka on March 09, 2007, 09:50:18 pm
(http://img230.imageshack.us/img230/988/archjp0.gif)
Alright, I updated the contrast/brightness. I'll be moving on to my next project, and I'll post it here when I'm done...
Title: Re: Help me with my shading.
Post by: MoD on March 09, 2007, 10:02:59 pm
It's brighter now, but the contrast is still lacking. Contrast is increased by having light colors for highlights and dark colors for shadows. Right now you have light colors for both (though subtly different) and before you had dark colors for both (though once again subtly different). You could inccrease contrast by using your current highlight color with the shadow color of the previous version; contrast is the difference between colors. Your colors are too similar in value and thus lack contrast.
Title: Re: Help me with my shading.
Post by: Wakka on March 10, 2007, 06:48:11 am
Alright. :y:
(http://img247.imageshack.us/img247/4169/archcl8.gif)
Title: Re: Help me with my shading.
Post by: AdamAtomic on March 10, 2007, 04:40:51 pm
Your patterns look very pillowshaded to me - meaning the outside edge of the pattern you added is light green, the edge itself is bright pink, then the inner area is pink, and the innermost area is red.  This is generally frowned upon as laying your colors out this way prevents you from communicating any real volume or lighting information.  Your decorations look kinda of like cuts or scars, but there is no real direction lighting on them to corroborate their depth or features.  We're left to assume that they are perfectly flush with the skin, and in the case of the one near the back of his skull area, also perpendicular to the viewer, despite the obvious change in display angle.
Title: Re: Help me with my shading.
Post by: Wakka on March 10, 2007, 05:20:13 pm
I really cannot imagine how you can add depth to scars like that :huh:.
Title: Re: Help me with my shading.
Post by: AdamAtomic on March 10, 2007, 09:09:54 pm
that's exactly the problem, really.  Why is there a bright green edge around the scar near the back of his head if the whole thing is in shadow?  and why is the inside still pink?  it makes them look like weird, multicolored decals instead of actual skin features.  Because you pillowshaded them (light on outside to dark inside) it makes it look like they are receding, or are cut into his skin.  However, this conflicts with the fact that there is no actual shading or light difference or difference in angle regardless of where the scars are on his head.
Title: Re: Help me with my shading.
Post by: Zolthorg on March 10, 2007, 09:16:28 pm
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v124/zolthorg/quickscars.png)

beat you to the edit adam, but you got the post.
engarde!
Title: Re: Help me with my shading.
Post by: Wakka on March 10, 2007, 11:56:07 pm
Oh hey, I get it now, thanks.
Title: Re: Help me with my shading.
Post by: AdamAtomic on March 11, 2007, 03:04:21 am
haha, well done zolthorg, i was waaay too lazy to do a second edit, but you hit it spot on!