Pixelation
Critique => Pixel Art => Topic started by: chaosjinni on November 29, 2007, 10:24:53 pm
-
New to pixelling, but not art (ink illustration). Here's what I've been working on. It doesn't quite gel. Any tips appreciated, but I'm really looking for ideas on how to make the face pop a little more and make the background into something that will tie it all together. Eventually I'll be using this as my online avatar everywhere I go so I'd like it to be incredibly good in the end.
I want some sparkle effects and I'd like to work the lamp in somehow, but I'm willing to abandon all that in favor of fresh ideas. Not used to working with color as you can see.
By the way, I love the look and layout of your site--nice warm colors.
My dithering is crappy as well so tips there will help.
(http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc10/chaosjinni/chaosjinni.gif)
-
There is no shading on the skin of the face, and let me be the first of many to say that your face just creeps me the shit out.
-
Erm.
I don't think this is pixel art at all. It's just a smooth-scaled image. If you really wanna try pixel, then turn on that pencil mode in Photoshop or boot-up (shudder) m$-paint.
-
I don't think it's all pixelled either. Are you trying to trick us?
-
Post your references. Link (http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/2/2f/Shazzan.jpg/220px-Shazzan.jpg).
-
So, please tell us more about this.
-
Yep, that's the original image.
The program I use is called Microsoft Paint. It's pre-installed in Windows since Windows 95.
To launch it: Start ► Run, then type "mspaint.exe" into the command line. It's not robust at all, but it has everything I need. Well mostly. I use another freebie called colorpicker to get an extra zoom in on the pixels, since Paint only has two zoom levels: normal, and large.
To get my line art, I used irfanview (another freebie) to get a black and white image (2 colors). From there it's a simple matter to copy and paste that into Microsoft Paint. With the original image pasted next to it, I grabbed colors and started working on the lines.
The rest (lamp etc) is free hand. Again, I'm not used to working with color.
Did you guys have any suggestions on how to dither and shade it? Or is there a better process to use than mine going from reference to line-art? I'd rather not use expensive software though--just simple freebies.
CJ
-
Why the 80 colours though? Especially when using MSPaint, it's a bit extreme.
-
What's wrong with that many colors? It's a 3k gif file!
Oh yes, and Ilkke did you know that your avatar dances to the same beat as Rockit by Herbie Hancock? I happened to be listening to it while reading the thread. Heh.
Can anyone tell me whose idea it was to put Bruce Lee popping up in the banner? Well it's brilliant is what it is.
-
First of all, you should cite your sources from the beginning. What's wrong with the colors is that you don't need that many colors to represent all of the shades you have here. There are obviously some stray pixels. Plus, if you really did pixel this by hand, then that would mean that you would have to have chosen 80 colors by hand...it's difficult to believe that you did this, and that's why it's also difficult to believe that you pixeled this by hand.
-
It also looks a bit like you hand-placed some jpg artifacts ???
EDIT: I didn't actually intend for this to sound like a veiled accusation.
-
(http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j62/drain-body-confirmed/shazzan.gif)
I made this image to find out your method but in your explanation you already admitted to what is a partially-done colour-edit of someone elses work. I think you should work on some stuff from scratch instead.
PS. Telling pixel artists how to launch mspaint comes off as being patronizing and defensive.
PS2. On your comment about expensive software, here (http://mtpaint.sourceforge.net/)'s a link to the program I use, which is free. Good luck with that.
-
comes off as being patronizing
As does telling people off for overexplaining stuff when they've been asked to explain what they did in more detail. This dude is new, he doesn't know exactly what we want him to tell us.
(gah - hit the post button too early, more of what I meant to say here)
Colour conservation is important not because of filesize but for, uh, dicipline reasons. Pixel artists do it because it gives cleaner work, or maybe, because that's how it's always been done. Which is pretty much all we have in pixel art. Tradition and discipline is all that distinguishes it from, say, oekaki, or anything somebody made in paint.
Anyways, what I want to know is, why have you traced this, (understand that tracing is basically tantamount to high treason on any art forum) and why didn't you tell us you'd traced it, outright?
-
Hey guys,
I didn't mean to come off patronizing or anything, seriously. I'm not that kind of person. Like he said I didn't know what you wanted me to explain so I just told you everything I did. Also, I figured most graphics artists are working on a Mac or something aren't they? And why would they use MSPAINT when I'm sure they could afford better stuff?
Anyway, I feel bad guys. I didn't mean to start any drama. I wanted a genie face and everytime I tried to draw one, it came out looking like shit. So I thought I'd take one I liked and work it into something I could be proud of.
Look, accept my apologies? Will you?
Well, I took your advice and started from scratch. Really I just used the black and white lines and used 16 colors. I can't see using any less, maybe you can teach me how?
Here it is so far:
(http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc10/chaosjinni/cjface1.gif)
-
Did you reduce the colours using some program? I can only spot about six, so you're using some that are nearly indistinct, where you could be filling out your pallete with more useful colours. You really ought to be picking the colours yourself.
You also ought to draw it yourself, and this is probably more important. The way you're dropping details suggest you don't know which of the lines are important, and the way you're shifting the shape of the lines suggests that you're not used to this style of character. I suspect that you'll get more ultimately useful feedback if you'd drop this version too and start from scratch, no lines or anything. Drawing old hanna-barbara characters is fine, but actually ganking the lines means you won't learn anything about why the designs work or how they're put together.
-
Heh, quite frankly I can't draw faces. So I'm going to continue to work on this and try to understand the lines and color use as I go. Can you suggest a pallette I could use?
Still working, here's more progress:
(http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc10/chaosjinni/cjface2.gif)
-
I don't understand where you're going with this, I'd insist you start with something original and even consider going back to traditional means before charging into pixeling something like a bull in a china shop..
Theres a good quote by Rembrandt in the book I read a while ago - 'Start with the things that you know and the things that are unknown will be revealed to you'
It's very true id rather see you doing something very basic that gives you room to build, learn the why's and hows of pixel art. But most importantly, use of colour, lighting and definition.
-
Working on a little definition now, trying to get some volume...
(http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc10/chaosjinni/cjface3.gif)
-
It's better to use full shades until you've got the volumetrics as you want them, and hold off on the dithering until you've got it down.
-
Full shades? Could you give an example?
Trying some different colors now...
(http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc10/chaosjinni/cjface4.gif)
-
Done an edit if u dnt mind, couldnt be bthered with the ear im too tired..
(http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc10/chaosjinni/cjface4.gif) >> (http://img101.imageshack.us/img101/605/genie04jg4.png)
I think you need to first start off with your linework and make sure you've got together a good set of colours, block in the darker shades colour by colour and add it your lighter tones. You need to do this to ensure the depth makes sense. And that your colours work together well. After your happy then start AAing here and there, make the most of your palette to blend darker colours to lighter ones using some dithering techniques if its vital and where necissery and define detail and polish up. Do hope my edit pushs u in the right direction, its far from perfection but its if you can learn something from it im happy.
(http://img503.imageshack.us/img503/6412/genieeditwb6.gif)
hope it helps atall, I think you're doing what I tend to do a lot of the time and skip a lot of the crusial first steps.. Though there are no rules to art it is adviced to take it one small step at a time and have an image of where you want to go with it.
-
Look how nice everybody is here. Sadly we don't want liars and rippers around. I am banning you for a year. If you desire you may return after that time here.