Pixelation
Critique => Pixel Art => Topic started by: philipptr on January 07, 2009, 12:01:04 pm
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I didn't push any pixels for a long time, so I thought I might try it again.
(http://img253.imageshack.us/img253/2196/pixelpg1.png)
It's just a random scene with a moon, some mist and a forest.
It is supposed to be viewed at fullscreen, which explains why I chose so many dark shades.
I don't need help at anything specific, I just thought some input would be nice and you would most likely spot flaws I missed. Any kind of critique is welcome :)
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Wow, this is very good! Surprised no one's posted or commented yet.
Right now it's hard to make out all the details. I assume that'll be fleshed out later.
Nice colors and atmosphere. More detailed critique can come when you get farther along :D
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This looks very promising, I'm loving the colours. Composition wise I would have less symmetry and also avoid having the tree tops directly cut into the top corners of the picture.
Look forward to seeing it progress. :]
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this is looking really good thus far....i'd like to see where it heads
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Thanks for the comments and sorry for the late update.
TomF: yes, I thought about ways to create less symmetry after starting to add details too. Actually the scene seemed a bit boring so I tried adding a meteor.
(http://img258.imageshack.us/img258/5264/meteoriw0.gif)
At least the smoke-trails are not symmetric ;)
I will fix the tree tops in the corners when I reach these parts for refining.
Here's the current progress without the meteor if anyone cares:
(http://img258.imageshack.us/img258/8467/nometeorkc0.gif)
I didn't have too much time lately, hopefully the progress will speed up again in the next few days.
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This calls for an object in the middle but the meteor isn't doing it for me. A person or something living could give this some drama. The scene has a good atmosphere to begin with, so continuing on the same phase will make this an awesome piece.
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(http://img21.imageshack.us/img21/1236/random10.gif)
Sorry for not updating this thread, had some huge tests in the meantime and therefore didnt continue pixeling.
Seems like I am almost done. Tried adding a person which failed, because of the small size it would need to be.
c+c welcome ;D
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Mmmm..... I dont mind whatever colour palette you used, but I think a better bet for an object would be a tower (pos in silhouette with maybe a few lights?).
However I do like where this picture is going and its looking good so far....Keep at it! :)
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I have to say I prefer the old colours. This looks more like a sunrise. The old colours were dark and atmospheric. Otherwise this is coming along really nicely.
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I agree with Tuna. The old palette was just perfect, the new one is a bit all over the place. I can't quite read the object in the middle. What's the vertical line in the middle of it? A side of the pyramid (in which case the bottom looks too flat) or a lens flare effect of.. the moon?
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Old palette preferred, too. Though, I like the duotone effect in the latest. I'd just like to see it done more subtley. I like the new hints of cloud texture.
Not sure what was up with the asteroid in the old blue version, but the latest's focal point subject matter is better. It's funny, this scene mood and presentation reminded me of the opening story screen images seen in the intro to Zelda: A Link to the Past, on super NES, than I realized that triangle thing is almost the TRIFORCE. So, make it the triforce. Why the heck not. Make it levitate, too.
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If you ask me, the object in the middle should clearly be a dolmen (http://www.south-armagh.com/uploads/images/Ballykeel%20Dolmen1.jpg), because this moonlit forest clearing/path has such a strong Celtic feel to it.
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Hehe, not a bad suggestion. That may evoke Stonehenge. I didn't know about dolmens 'till now, thanks for the info. I've always seen them, I just didn't know their significance.
Whatever is chosen, it needs to be really simple in form. And I think it works well to imply the object has some sort of power. The scene is very mysterious and ethereal, so this makes sense.
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thanks for the comments.
I prefer the new colours, but I will try swaping palettes when its done once more. About the object: I dont think a tower would work, since the placing would be extremly random there. Maybe I will try a human once more and post my efforts here.
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(http://img408.imageshack.us/img408/4971/random15.gif)
So, no dolmen here, but except for the crappy rushed shadow, does this look better than the triangle?
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Except shadow, it's well done, but no, I don't think a typcial human figure does much for this scene. I was enjoying the mystery of an odd unknown object in the limelight. This is just some dude. Yeah, he has glowing eyes, but that's doesn't seem to count for much. Feels out of place. If you're bent on putting a figure of some sort there, make it the monstrous tree grove ogre you must get past to advance or something like that, with a little story to it.
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I agree, the man seems out of place. I actually liked the contrast between the angular triangle thingy and the organic trees/sky.
Also, like Mathias said, the triangle had some mystery to it - 'What is it? Why is it there?' But the human on the other hand just seems quite bland - 'Oh it's just some guy standing in a forest clearing.'
And just another possible colour alternative:
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v198/tumble_weed/random10--EDIT.png)
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skamocore's edit is beautiful, but pink make this more marvellous than mysterious.
maybe a perfect alignment of the moon with the pyramid would add mystic innuendo.
alignment of planets announce a mysterious and symbolic event.
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The pink is lacking. No hue shift makes it look cheaply monotone. Hugo, are you suggesting an eclipse instead of full moon? Hmmm, what a great idea, that would further the ethereal mystery element thing going on here.
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Eclypse ? it's a good idea Mathias. :y:
I rather think alignment of terrestral element (the pyramid) with astral element (the moon) would annouce a mystic evenment.
like alignment of stars or planets with archictectures (Stonehege and mayan temples). at Solstice happen a mysterious evenment.
This pyramid, here, sounds like monolith of Space Odyssey.
in this movie and The Fifth Element ( Luc Besson) there is alignment of planets with "terrestral element" which imply that something happen on a spiritual level.
Sorry for my very bad english...
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Thanks for the help guys.
Eclipse would have indeed been a nice thing, but to make it believable I would have to change huge parts of the sky, and to be honest I am too tired at the moment to continue on this piece, so I call it done.
(http://img60.imageshack.us/img60/5894/randomdone.gif)
Btw: I was thinking of the monolith of 2001 when placing that triangle there in the first place ;)
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This is beautiful.
But something's been bothering me the entire time..
The pyramid or whatever looks like a cut-out from a piece of paper.
Observe the following example:
(http://www.majhost.com/gallery/exendia/Misc/randomdonemyedit.gif)
Changes:
Added a lighter side to pyramid thing
put some lines of light in it
made it look three-dimensional
changed the grass in the shadow from the triangle
added some shading to the trees (Not sure I like it myself, but with more time it could look good.)
messed with clouds a bit
overall touch-up.
Color edit:
(http://www.majhost.com/gallery/exendia/Misc/randomdonemyeditcolor.gif)
EDIT:
reads:
the monolith of 2001
oh. Well, whatever. I might have helped anyways. Overlooked that, apparently. I think pyramids are more mystical anyways, but it's your choice.
Hope I could help!
Shrike
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Really nice work here :)
Howling werewolf would be nice too and moonlight could be a bit more blue than yellow, now it looks more like sunlight.
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I strongly agree with the small edit necessary to fix the awkward "paper flatness" of the obelisk thing. But Shrike, that blue color edit . . . ouch. You even colored the "widescreen" bands on top and bottom. Those should definitely be pure black, otherwise they draw the viewers eyeballs away. Imagine them as pure white, how tragic the composition would be then - making them anything but black starts to go towards that. Overall though, I appreciate your avant garde attempt.
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No no no no go paper flat all the way goddamnit, render like an eye, not like a 3d renderer @ ___ @ looking into a bright light does that - turning stuff into pure sillhouettes. I like it lots.
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I strongly agree with the small edit necessary to fix the awkward "paper flatness" of the obelisk thing. But Shrike, that blue color edit . . . ouch. You even colored the "widescreen" bands on top and bottom. Those should definitely be pure black, otherwise they draw the viewers eyeballs away. Imagine them as pure white, how tragic the composition would be then - making them anything but black starts to go towards that. Overall though, I appreciate your avant garde attempt.
Mathias:
Glad you liked my quick two-second Graphics-Gale color adjustment so much. I really appreciate the thoughtful admiration. !yus!
Sarcasm aside, it was, as stated, a Graphics Gale color adjustment, and mostly an afterthought. I know it would look better black, but I was really quite rushed and posted it anyway, assuming it would be at least considered. Now that I look at it again I realize it does hurt my eyes, though... It was stupid.
Jad, I think he meant the triangle, not the trees; even in strong light you would see the curve at the bottom. The trees, looking at it again, I like better flat.. I have a tendency to shade things whether they should be or not.
Maybe I'll make another color edit... At least, this could use some more contrast? Maybe not.. In shading the trees, the colors were pretty tough to shade without being too heavy on shading.
Shrike
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Hehe, sure Shrike. I'm a firm believer in the "brain dump" method - throw out every random thought you can come up with and see what becomes, QC as necessary.
Jad, uhhm, alrighty then.
Ha, I love how we beat things to death around here, even after the original artist has given it final completion. But that's ok, I also believe nothing is perfect and that it can always be made better. Though, it's just usually wiser to move on so your skills can grow by doing something new and different, can I get an amen.