Pixelation
Critique => Pixel Art => Topic started by: dfcastelao on September 05, 2008, 10:33:40 pm
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Edit: This is an aged thread right now. Let me post the latest versions here:
Characters: Popolon
(http://img67.imageshack.us/img67/822/popolonstandingrc3.png)
Bosses: Medusa, Atropos, Nemesis, Minotaur
(http://img219.imageshack.us/img219/3409/medusastandau0.png) (http://img216.imageshack.us/img216/6190/atroposym0.png)(http://img112.imageshack.us/img112/482/nemesisstandii7.png)(http://img55.imageshack.us/img55/9631/minotaurstandingmh6.png)
Enemies: Blob, Satyr
(http://img72.imageshack.us/img72/8002/blobcrawlinglr2.gif) (http://img225.imageshack.us/img225/6863/satyrdr4.gif)
Tile set
(http://img169.imageshack.us/img169/7088/stage1tilesetnewga3.png)
Tile set mock-up
(http://img57.imageshack.us/img57/3443/stage1640x480tiles20wm5.png)
The original post can be found below this text:
Hello there!
I'm doing some graphics for a remake of Knightmare, a MSX game. Action is supposed to happen at ancient Greece, so we are trying to get closer to that atmosphere than the original game was :). The main character, Popolon, is a Greek hero. I don't know what the heck is a Greek warrior doing wearing a horned helmet, but the original sprite had it and we wanted to keep his look ;D.
(http://img510.imageshack.us/img510/7398/popolon40x40xu6.png)
I'm also drawing the tileset for level one. I would like to heard your opinion about it. I'm mostly worried about colours combination between the different surfaces. Road tiles doesn't seem to be too integrated with grass and dirt tiles :(.
(http://img364.imageshack.us/img364/415/roadtileslc6.png)
And finally, a mock-up. Not trying to do something beauty. Just playing a bit with the tileset.
(http://img57.imageshack.us/img57/6636/stage1640x480tiles20bd8.png).
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When I first looked at it before reading the text, I thought that the path was a wall. So yeah, it does stick out a bit too much.
The problem is that it has more contrast then the player himself. Tone it down a bit. The more contrast something has, the more it sticks out, which is why many games have very muted backgrounds.
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Thnx a lot. I've lowered contrast and added an extra dark color. I needed that extra color to recover some of the deep that was lost when reducing contrast. Some other minor changes added.
(http://img57.imageshack.us/img57/3443/stage1640x480tiles20wm5.png) (http://img169.imageshack.us/img169/7088/stage1tilesetnewga3.png)
I'm quite happy with the road tile right now. I'm still open to any suggestion about it, off course :).
Can someone give any advice about the sprite? He is the main character and I would like him to be the better before starting with the animation stuff ;).
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Give him more contrast, that will let him stand out. Darken his edges to get a negative 'halo'around him to separate him from the background.
For the rest of it, it's okay. Loved the actual game too :P
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Sorry for not replying in a long time. I went on holidays :)
I've added more contrast to Popolon sprite:
New vs. old:
(http://img67.imageshack.us/img67/822/popolonstandingrc3.png)(http://img510.imageshack.us/img510/7398/popolon40x40xu6.png)
I've also created sprites for some enemies:
Blob:
(http://img360.imageshack.us/img360/306/blobcrawlingzn1.gif)
Satyr (maybe a replacement for the very boring armored knights of the original game):
His movement is a bit hard because I think that someone with lamb legs won't be able to run on standing position gracefully :).
(http://img225.imageshack.us/img225/6863/satyrdr4.gif)
And the first final boss: Medusa
(http://img227.imageshack.us/img227/7669/medusastandqq5.png)(http://img384.imageshack.us/img384/9041/medusatorsoct4.gif)
This boss is composed of several sprites: face, hair, body and four tail segments. The tail segments will slide when Medusa moves.
As you have probably noticed, they're still WIP. Any c&c will be wellcome.
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Medusa Edit:
(http://img227.imageshack.us/img227/7669/medusastandqq5.png)>>>(http://img516.imageshack.us/img516/3536/medusaaj0.gif)
Tried to make her look more like a woman and less like just a man with boobs.... Also color edit.
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Started doing some anatomy girlyfing changes (face and chest, BEEG AMERICAN TEETEES), then went for better volumes/shading definition, and did some texturing and crazy palette changes, tried to unify the colors a bit and pop contrast more. Looking at tehwexx edit, maybe contrast could be taken further.
(http://img516.imageshack.us/img516/3889/dfcastelaoknightmareen6.png)
Pretty nice sprites you've got there, the main char and the monkey are looking good. The blob needs clearer lightsource and volume definition. The medusa animation looks good also, but could be further worked on
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Thanks for the kind replies. I've done some changes following Turbo advices, I'll go with the colors later.
In her first incarnations she wore some kind of robe, so I gave her that wonder-bra breast. Only the neckline was going to be visible. Btw, I've heavily followed Turbo edit, I really love it. Truly.
I've also reduced her testosterone dose as sugested by tehwexxl0rz. I've reduced her shoulders and made her arms and face a bit thinner.
New vs. old:
(http://img231.imageshack.us/img231/1104/medusastanddu7.png)(http://img227.imageshack.us/img227/7669/medusastandqq5.png)
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(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y13/tocky/dfmedusa.png)
needs hips. I changed the lightest skintone to something more contrasty. Doing the girl->snake transition is hard, I suggest maybe changing the pallete so that the girl colours merge into the snake colours. Anatomy ref: http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y13/tocky/107nt5.jpg
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tehwexxl0rz edit Vol. 2!
(http://img406.imageshack.us/img406/1737/medusahs2.gif)
I see now that in my last edit, in trying to make her more feminine, I accidentally made her look like a weak, pretty, young lady. Now, I've tried to instead make her look like a strong, old, cold-hearted bitch! YAY! :P
I still think the face in your latest version looks like a man's face, so I tried to address that here. Also, I tried to make the arms less bulky, but still clearly very muscular.
I referenced Turbo's edit a bit for anatomy. Also, color edit again. I might have taken the saturation down lower than you'd like....
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Very helpful. Thanks to everyone.
I've softened her abs and give her some hips. Not too much because she shouldn't have pelvis indeed. She's still in her way to become a more femenine creature ;)
I've also tried to increase contrast. And, of course, I've started the snake tail texturing (using this pixelation thread (http://www.wayofthepixel.net/pixelation/index.php?topic=3078.0) as guide).
New vs. Old
(http://img232.imageshack.us/img232/2570/medusastanduy9.png)(http://img231.imageshack.us/img231/1104/medusastanddu7.png)
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New vs. Old
(http://img232.imageshack.us/img232/2570/medusastanduy9.png)(http://img231.imageshack.us/img231/1104/medusastanddu7.png)
Uhm, is it just me, or am I the only one that thinks these recent depictions of Medusa, are more MANLY, as opposed to Feminine. You don't need muscles to be frightening, you know. In fact, with bulging muscles like that, and maybe it's just me talking, but I find it more comedic, than a big, bad, scary boss. Also, she must have caught a glimpse of her own breasts, cause those things look like stone humps glued across her chest. Remember, breasts hang off the pectoral muscles, shaped like a tear drop racing down a wall. And, to much women's dismay, they sag with age.
(http://i110.photobucket.com/albums/n118/TheBoBslow/medusa.gif)
Of course, the main thing I'm concerned with in this edit was just her upper body and head, didn't really do much with the scales or clean anything up there. There were some pointless near value colors, but you fixed that with your latest edit. Basically, I'd rather you have detailed her head a bit more, as that is Medusa's main focal point, seeing as how it's pretty much the focus of Perseus's main weapon toward other monsters. Also, what's with the hands behind her back? Seems like a cheap copout from forcing yourself to draw arms and hands.
And last but not least, your "Satyr" character breaks the imaginative plane, in which these characters are standing in(ie, breaking perspective). Take a gander once more:
(http://img232.imageshack.us/img232/2570/medusastanduy9.png)(http://img406.imageshack.us/img406/1737/medusahs2.gif) (http://i110.photobucket.com/albums/n118/TheBoBslow/medusa.gif)* (http://img225.imageshack.us/img225/6863/satyrdr4.gif)* (http://img360.imageshack.us/img360/306/blobcrawlingzn1.gif) (http://img67.imageshack.us/img67/822/popolonstandingrc3.png)
Hope this kinda' helps, and good luck with your project!
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I'm trying to made her more feminine on every sprite revision, but I haven't find the right balance between an athletic female body and the female version of Hulk Hogan. Her muscles aren't intended to produce fear on the player. I didn't want to show a monster, but something beauty (or some sort of) at first sight that can become ugly and fierce when fighting (please, have a look at the attacking animation at the first post). She misses snakes on her hair and doesn't have claws nor huge teeth because of that. Btw, my wife agrees with you about Medusa's breast ;).
On the other hand, you're right about her arms, I cheated. I still have a ton of sprites to work in and a very tight deadline (we are developing the game for The Retro Remakes 2008 Big Competition (http://oddbob.wordpress.com/)). I know, I'm trying to excuse myself instead of being working on it :P.
About the satyr, he is supposed to be bended towards the front (because of the difficult of walking with goat legs and so), but as you remarked it seems like a normal person draw on a different perspective. I'll work on it once I'll have a running game engine to test it in :).
I don't want to forget to thank you for your edit. Nice point of view. It has give me some clues, mainly about the tail's lightning. Thanks.
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I think that now I have something that looks like a woman. Finally, I've decided not to follow the path of the monster, but I've had some good ideas thinking about that. I've almost ripped B.O.B. 's tail lightning, your edit has helped me to reduce the color count and made the whole image more coherent. Thanks a lot!
I think that the bulk of the image is finished and it only needs some final polishing. C&C about her is still welcomed anyway :)
New vs. old:
(http://img219.imageshack.us/img219/3409/medusastandau0.png)(http://img232.imageshack.us/img232/2570/medusastanduy9.png)
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(http://img225.imageshack.us/img225/6863/satyrdr4.gif)
Your Satyr is trotting like a pacer. :wah:
Normally you move the arms and legs in opposite directions when you walk/run.
You picked a great game for a remake. MSX had loads of great Konami games during that era.
I almost bought an MSX last weekend. I wish that one-chip MSX will come true some day. ::)
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Yep, our team has already done remakes of some MSX Konami games. Let's visit Braingames homepage (http://www2.braingames.getput.com/) to have a look. You'll find a very good "Maze of Galious" remake there. We are open to any kind of collaboration, of course ;D.
About the sprite, mmm... he is moving arms and legs in the opposite direction indeed. But... maximum arm movement and maximum leg movement are not exactly in the same frame. Maybe that's what you find strange about it. I can't test satyr animation in-game yet, so I'll keep working on this sprite whenever it's possible to test it :).
On the other hand, I'm working on another final boss right now. She's Atropos, one of the Moirae sisters. I'm completely stuck with this sprite. She will flight waving from left to right and throwing those big scissors to the player. The main problem I have I'm unable to get a decent shadowing :-[ for this one. I'm neither sure about how to detail it too ???
(http://img216.imageshack.us/img216/6190/atroposym0.png)
Any help will be welcomed.
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New final boss: Nemesis
(http://img142.imageshack.us/img142/2495/nemesisstandff5.png)
Still a WIP. She will hold a sand clock and a flame sword. C&C wellcomed.
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I've keep working on this image: I've added some gadgets to her hands and changed the whole palette. I've been told to rework her hair, with I fully agree. Are there any other notorious flaw that I should correct?
Edit: Finally I reworked her hair and corrected the body posture.
Newest vs. New vs. Old
(http://img112.imageshack.us/img112/482/nemesisstandii7.png)(http://img152.imageshack.us/img152/8074/nemesisstandjq5.png) (http://img142.imageshack.us/img142/2495/nemesisstandff5.png)
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After finishing Nemesis I'm working on another final enemy: the Minotaur. He is supposed to handle a couple of big axes, but I don't really know how to fit them on the image. Maybe I should get rid of the sprite size limit. It's a PC game after all and sprites size is not a very important constrain.
(http://img406.imageshack.us/img406/5219/minotaurstanding001yc0.png)
Edit: I almost forgot. The blob is almost finished.
(http://img72.imageshack.us/img72/8002/blobcrawlinglr2.gif)
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I've keep working on the Minotaur.
Old vs. New:
(http://img406.imageshack.us/img406/5219/minotaurstanding001yc0.png)(http://img89.imageshack.us/img89/4357/minotaurstandingwe8.png)
I didn't really like how the axes fit on the sprite. Maybe I should try another pose ???
I would really appreciate your C&C about this (and any other image on this thread :)).
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These axes are quite small compared to the massive creature, also, they are held compeltely unrealistic. If you're gonna keep the pose: make hte axes stand up straight. If you wish some more variation: Have one arm lifted with the axe nearly touching the shoulder, ready to strike, with the other axe either in front of the body (a bit closer than this) or just held more relaxed next to it.
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Sorry for the long delay,
I've done some fixes to the minotaur. To be truth I'm not really happy with it, as the axe doesn't seems to be handed properly yet. Btw, I've replaced the other axe with a spear. Quite a cheap trick, I suppose :(.
OLD vs NEW:
(http://img89.imageshack.us/img89/4357/minotaurstandingwe8.png)(http://img55.imageshack.us/img55/9631/minotaurstandingmh6.png)