Pixelation

Critique => Pixel Art => Topic started by: JaViS on September 25, 2008, 02:02:01 pm

Title: [WIP] small ninja-like sprite
Post by: JaViS on September 25, 2008, 02:02:01 pm
Hi people!

I'm trying to do a small sprite I had in mind for a while, I've been wroking on the design for about 2 days and now I'm looking for some C C. I need help choosing colors, for instance.
What do you think about it?

Original:
(http://img224.imageshack.us/img224/969/imagen3xr5.gif)

Last edit:
(http://img219.imageshack.us/img219/7598/jiskullrun2ad4.gif)

Thank you in advance :)
Title: Re: [WIP] small ninja-like sprite
Post by: Ryona on September 26, 2008, 04:36:18 am
I think you could go with a lighter tone for the outfit. It's too dark to read the lines. However, if you add contrast, lights & shadows, then you could keep the dark outfit and it would look good.

And a personal preferance... I think you should give him a propor ninja sword so that he reads better as a ninja rather than some ghoulish monster with a huge knife.
I personally have never been a fan of the "penis-sword" <=(swords that are as large as or larger than the person weilding it). It always looks silly and it makes it look like the character is compensating for something else...
There's enough anime with penis-swords already. lol
Title: Re: [WIP] small ninja-like sprite
Post by: JaViS on September 26, 2008, 07:47:42 pm
Thanks Ryona!

I've updated a little bit the color as you proposed. the result is the following:

(http://img218.imageshack.us/img218/8420/imagen3zn0.gif)

I'm not  sure about the color of skin of the character, should be white or have a real skin tone?

Regarding your freud-ish relation between the shords and penis, well, any sugestion is wellcome. do you have a good design in mind?

Thanks!
Title: Re: [WIP] small ninja-like sprite
Post by: Tremulant on September 26, 2008, 08:18:47 pm
The darker colour on the sword is so close to the lighter that it's nearly invisible now. It's funny, because the darker tone you've used on the face is better in terms of contrast. You might consider reusing it on the blade (that way you'd reduce your palette size as well). It's just a thought, but you might try playing around with the rest of your palette, too. True gray tends to leave the eye a little under stimulated.

As far as an alternative to the massive sword, why not do as Ryona suggested and give him the standard katana? Stylize it, make it interesting, but keep it slim, and more.. I dunno... believably manageable. If you do want to stick with the over-sized sword, I'd say try to steer clear of the now ubiquitous buster sword look. Again though, it's your sprite, so take it where ever you like.  :)
Title: Re: [WIP] small ninja-like sprite
Post by: Ryona on September 26, 2008, 08:52:23 pm
Just did a quick edit on the sword. I did away with some extra colors you had on the sword and used the greys and crimson from the little guy.

(http://img264.imageshack.us/img264/3894/imagen3zn0editlo3.png)

And Tremulant is right... Steer clear from the penis-swords such as what we see in Final Fantasy 7 and Bleach. Poor guys in those anime must be so "small". lol
Title: Re: [WIP] small ninja-like sprite
Post by: JaViS on September 26, 2008, 11:02:51 pm
Wow that catana is surely very good loking! :D

I wish I could be a good pixel artist like you ^_^

You were right about the sword size. What I thought when I've drew it in a paper was "it's a superdeformed character, if I draw a standard sword for him then it will be so small" but I think I was wrong :P

I'll continue playing with the colors, and then I'll do an animation of this sprite running :)

thanks! I'll keep you posted
Title: Re: [WIP] small ninja-like sprite
Post by: Tremulant on September 27, 2008, 03:30:51 am
(http://h1.ripway.com/tremulant/Edits/Jiskull.png)

I was just playing around with some stuff, and this is what came of it. The main thing that bothered me was the lower body. I found the pose kind of confusing, and had a hard time telling which leg was behind which. I darkened one of the feet and the attached leg in an attempt to make it more readable. Same goes for the arm wielding the sword. Also, I changed the angle of the front-most foot based on how I read the back foot. I figured at the angle we're seeing him from, the sole of his front foot would be visible, rather than the top.

The new sword is directly modeled off of (and crappier than) Ryona's, so if you decide to rework the sword, use her edit.

Colours you can leave or take. I was just  messing around for the hell of it.
Title: Re: [WIP] small ninja-like sprite
Post by: JaViS on September 27, 2008, 04:15:40 am
hehe great edit! I like the colors you have chosen. Althought, I wanted to see how your sprite looks in black, also I've made some little changes.

(http://img522.imageshack.us/img522/580/jiskullzm6.png)
Title: Re: [WIP] small ninja-like sprite
Post by: $ymbol on September 27, 2008, 09:01:00 pm
Aren't edits supposed to be for reference? :l
Title: Re: [WIP] small ninja-like sprite
Post by: JaViS on September 29, 2008, 12:31:11 am
Aren't edits supposed to be for reference? :l

Sorry, I don't understand :S
Title: Re: [WIP] small ninja-like sprite
Post by: Redshrike on September 29, 2008, 02:27:07 am
You're not supposed to work off of an edit, but to look at what was done, learn from it, any apply what you've learned.
Title: Re: [WIP] small ninja-like sprite
Post by: JaViS on September 29, 2008, 04:32:32 am
You're not supposed to work off of an edit, but to look at what was done, learn from it, any apply what you've learned.

oops I didn't know that's not allowed, I'm sorry. Tremulant, have I bothered you?
Title: Re: [WIP] small ninja-like sprite
Post by: Jad on September 29, 2008, 09:07:24 pm
You're not supposed to work off of an edit, but to look at what was done, learn from it, any apply what you've learned.

oops I didn't know that's not allowed, I'm sorry. Tremulant, have I bothered you?

Around here, people rarely take offense as long as you realize you screwed up, lol <3

Seriously though, I think using edits only for reference is a practice you should bring with you all the time. If you don't, your final pieces will always become collaborations, and that's not the same thing as making it yourself, you know? So yeah :D Glad you realized.
Title: Re: [WIP] small ninja-like sprite
Post by: Tremulant on October 01, 2008, 04:18:51 pm
Doesn't bother me. :)
I won't echo what others have already said, but I'd go with their advice.  :y:
Title: Re: [WIP] small ninja-like sprite
Post by: JaViS on November 05, 2008, 02:38:07 pm
Hi!!

It's me again. I've been working on the run animation this time, but I'm not happy with the result. It doesn't feels good, but I don't know what's the issue. What do you think?

(http://img219.imageshack.us/img219/4010/jiskullgc4.gif)


Thanks!
Title: Re: [WIP] small ninja-like sprite
Post by: Chris2balls on November 05, 2008, 08:54:32 pm
I don't see why his hand goes so high... Is he doing an offensive gesture? :P
His walking isn't right... he's doing an arc movement with his legs and he seems to slip.
Title: Re: [WIP] small ninja-like sprite
Post by: Yo-Yo-Master on November 05, 2008, 09:32:30 pm
Chris2...balls... is right.  And I know this is stylistic personal preference, but a ninja's run should have some kind of character to it as well...stealthy or graceful, etc.   But first, you should just work on a basic one and then go from there.  Just search run cycles on here, and you'll come up with loads.  Also, check out this nifty site: http://www.biomotionlab.ca/Demos/BMLwalker.html  I realie it is for walking, but it shows you how weight/etc can affect a person's gait, whatever.
Title: Re: [WIP] small ninja-like sprite
Post by: PypeBros on November 07, 2008, 01:58:12 pm
a first, obvious (imho) flaw in your animation is that you almost have half an animation that you play forth and back. Running does not look like that.
Title: Re: [WIP] small ninja-like sprite
Post by: JaViS on November 14, 2008, 05:41:25 pm
Ooooookey! :D

thanks for your comments guys! :)

So, based on what you've posted, I did a modification, what do you think now?:

(http://img219.imageshack.us/img219/7598/jiskullrun2ad4.gif)