Pixelation

Critique => Pixel Art => Topic started by: erikklan on July 05, 2008, 03:11:39 am

Title: nuts 22!
Post by: erikklan on July 05, 2008, 03:11:39 am
oh my, well this is for some friend!
(http://api.ning.com/files/laabz20zDx7VLEvwraRFeHylc8DQOSzbqEXR1bMnXbK3czwQNzTVzIOV4DrzN4KyMDt9hApg-GBiqp4Pz7xIq2KNwvNsk*tl/nuts2.png)
Title: Re: nuts 22!
Post by: skw on July 05, 2008, 07:54:07 am
wait. . . 235 colors?  what the heck is that?  and it's still .png?  what kind of image compression is THAT!?

I like it anyway, it's quite a stylish piece.  there are ways, though, to tweak the palette up a little, since the washed out colors.  and you should really rethink the concept of black outlines.  also, the lower part of her hmm, jumper? looks a bit confusing.  do you have any references for the girl's face?
Title: Re: nuts 22!
Post by: wah_wah_69 on July 05, 2008, 09:19:31 am
wait. . . 235 colors?  what the heck is that?  and it's still .png?  what kind of image compression is THAT!?

I case you didn't mean it as sarcasm, the png standard defines indexed modes with a palette of 256 colours or less,yes, it doesn't make much sense to not use a palette with the size of a power of two, but it's still a png compliant image.

Quote from: W3C
4.3.3 Indexing

If the number of distinct pixel values is 256 or less, and the RGB sample depths are not greater than 8, and the alpha channel is absent or exactly 8 bits deep or every pixel is either fully transparent or fully opaque, then an alternative representation called indexed-colour may be more efficient for encoding. Each pixel is replaced by an index into a palette. The palette is a list of entries each containing three 8-bit samples (red, green, blue). If an alpha channel is present, there is also a parallel table of 8-bit alpha samples.

http://www.w3.org/TR/PNG/#4Concepts.Indexing
Title: Re: nuts 22!
Post by: Helm on July 05, 2008, 09:37:18 am
The flat colors are subtle gradients, hence the color count. I'm very interested in your process for making this, could you go in some detal? I love the finished piece, ambitious pose that's carried through, some emotion, wonderful. The pixel art technique, besides the odd gradients, is ok. Once we've hopefully helped you remove the gradients and seen that the piece doesn't suffer much for it, we can then see about nitpicks and minor alterations.
Title: Re: nuts 22!
Post by: skw on July 05, 2008, 04:04:51 pm
no, that wasn't sarcasm, man!  I was only shocked that instead of seeing some 16 colors after applying color count (since I wanted to show you how would I optimize the palette), I had them 235!  I know what the .png standard is.

what software you were doing it in?  have you done all those subtle gradients by hand?  I mean, without using any gradient fill tool?  in case you have not, this is considered a dirty method by the pixel art purists.

please, tell us more about the piece itself!
Title: Re: nuts 22!
Post by: ptoing on July 05, 2008, 04:52:47 pm
2603 unique colours actually. So I would say the gradients are indeed done with some gradient fill tool.
While it does work from a graphical point of view, it is not entirely pixelart. I agree that it does look quite nice, tho I think the hair looks a bit noodley and I would like to see the reference used.
Title: Re: nuts 22!
Post by: erikklan on July 05, 2008, 07:41:45 pm
well i didnt expected so many comments  ;D
first, yes I use a picture for reference, I just had to complete her head because it was cut.
I did all the lines, "surfaces" and shadows by hand with Pixen, but then I took the picture to photoshop and applied the gradients just for fun!
I noticed that the colors seems a little weird when I see the picture on a browser, I wonder why is this.
Title: Re: nuts 22!
Post by: erikklan on July 05, 2008, 07:43:46 pm
and here's the reference  :D
(http://api.ning.com/files/AjI1OkDSrSFxY4DKYqng-1xYbuQQfxF2maqaSsbFmwA_?crop=1%3A1&width=192&height=192)
Title: Re: nuts 22!
Post by: Peach on July 05, 2008, 08:30:58 pm
I agree with johnnyspade: you can lower down the palette to 16 colors if you want.
The problem with gradients has already been pointed out, that's what I will remove first to lower down the palette.
Title: Re: nuts 22!
Post by: erikklan on July 05, 2008, 08:52:18 pm
hey, thanks! but actually I dont need the picture with a smaller palette, this was more an experiment than a real pixel art, but your comments are more than welcome!  :P
Title: Re: nuts 22!
Post by: skw on July 05, 2008, 09:37:20 pm
heh. . . sorry to bring it out, dude, but that's really not how we use a picture for reference.

(http://jspade.republika.pl/laska.gif)

tracing is bad and it'll lead you nowhere good.  remember that!
Title: Re: nuts 22!
Post by: Helm on July 05, 2008, 10:10:38 pm
Please be clear about the RULES (http://www.wayofthepixel.net/pixelation/index.php?topic=2002.0) of this forum! Tracing and otherwise misleading the userbase is frowned upon here... severily so. You seem to not mean to do this directly though, so I'll hear what you have to say before reaching for carpentry tools.
Title: Re: nuts 22!
Post by: erikklan on July 05, 2008, 10:22:25 pm
mmm i guess i misunderstood the expression reference image, sorry for that it wasnt my intention, just that my english is pretty bad.
well, like i said before this is just an experiment, it wasnt my intention to bluff about it and you can see that in my comments.
anyway, dont worry for bring this (or anything) out, you're doing right!

edit:
i'm sorry, i didnt know that this were so purist, and dont misunderstand me, i think is great, but i see now that i've messed up!
and johnny' i know that tracing lead you to nowhere, but believe me this isn't the case, i wasnt trying to show my drawing aptitude, just trying with a different style, i was bored of vectors, markers and other stuff.
there's something that i can do to fix this? i mean erase the post or maybe just leaving the forum, i dont know, just let me know!
Title: Re: nuts 22!
Post by: skw on July 06, 2008, 08:00:58 am
mods decide.  nobody will banish you for that, though, don't be kidding!  all you can get is a strike.  I, personally, would also lock this thread up, but have no power to do this.  and for the future, just don't let Helm bite you.

it's a pity that this turned out to be traced -- I really liked the piece. :(
Title: Re: nuts 22!
Post by: Helm on July 06, 2008, 09:06:36 am
Since it's mostly misunderstanding, I'll let you off with a strike (usually we ban rippers and tracers etc on the spot, but I don't think there was malice involved in this).

To work off the bad karma just be a nice person :) It'll come off soon enough.