Pixelation
Critique => Pixel Art => Topic started by: boojiboy on April 07, 2009, 04:12:27 am
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This is a character for use in a game.
I want to get the design right before I start animating, obviously.
This is the one I'll probably go with (after it's improved a bit of course).
(http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3310/3420466528_fd2771e205_o.png)
Here is the design I did before this.
(http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3613/3420466546_e9102b4412_o.png)
And here's the original.
(http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3320/3420466580_bbeedbff12_o.png)
The first would be the easiest to animate. But let me know which one you think is best.
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I much prefer your
original 2nd design...
Here's where I'd start to take it - I made a WIP to help illustrate the points...
Main thoughts are you should stick with the original design as is has loads more character. But I suppose it may not be the right kind of character for your project.
I couldn't decided if the little guy on top was a turtle or cuddly toy - my edit doesn't do him justice.
Frame 1 is rescaling non proportionally using 'Nearest Neighbor'
(http://archive.willfaulds.com/2009/pixelation/UnderwaterCharacter_edit.gif)
EDIT/
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I didn't go with the second design because I didn't think I'd be able to scale it down well enough (the original design was the one on the bottom by the way).
I think I will go with that design. Coloring seems to be my problem right now, but I'll post another edit before I get on to that.
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(http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3606/3420915007_ff466fc8ef_o.png)
I'm glad I ended up going with that design.
willfaulds: I hope it's ok that I stole that chest belt thing, he really needed something like that.
So, colors and shading. As you can probably tell it's not my strong point.
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Hey, that's nice, but how will you make your left-moving sprite? I mean, you can't simply flip it, that'd be total resource-rape. Oh, and I'll start working on the engine tomorrow, because it's 20:12 where I live, and I'm just making my final forum-round.
Oh, and sorry, I don't know shit about this forum and it's rules, I'm really sorry if I broke some rules.
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(http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3559/3422558019_21603593e1_o.png)
I don't know if I like where there is going.
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Something you may want to think about as you choose your colors are the backgrounds of the game. Since an underwater background might contain quite a few blues and greens, you'll want the colors of the character able to be easily separated from the ambient tones. You may consider making a mockup of typical background, just to get a feel for how well the colors you choose fit in to everything around them.
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Fidsah : Yeah thanks. That's one of my problems. The backgrounds will, at this stage be have a lot of black and be fairly simple but I will have to change the colors of the character.
http://www.box.net/shared/ktniiq8mc9 (http://www.box.net/shared/ktniiq8mc9)
Sorry I don't have a program to loop this or play at a rate I want.
But before I clean it up, add the the rest of the costume, are there any fundamental problems with this run cycle.
Too many frames? Remember it's supposed to be underwater so he won't be running that quick.
EDIT: Ugh I don't even know how to upload an animation. Can someone tell me the best way to do that? In the mean time, if anyone can be bothered, there's a link to the file.
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Here's a looped animation for you:
(http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a303/fidsah/andyrun2.gif)
I'm not sure what program you use, but in GIMP, it's as easy as saying Loop Forever when saving the GIF. As for hosting, photobucket works well enough for me.
The run cycle looks pretty good to me, good shoulder and hip rotation. However, when the image loops, it looks like his lower body gets a lot bigger suddenly. Here's an animation of just the last frame moving into the first frame again, you should be able to see it:
(http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a303/fidsah/andyrun2frames.gif)
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Thanks for the tips Fidsah.
Here's an update
(http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n173/human_worm/Run.gif)
Just trying to get the animation right still.
But also cleaning up the head.
How is it?
EDIT: He moves his head to the right too soon, doesn't he? I'll fix that for the next update.
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Here's another character/villain
(http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n173/human_worm/flurmle.png?t=1239294088)
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Hmm not getting too much feedback. Never mind.
Here's an update. Cleaned up, anything wrong with it?
(http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n173/human_worm/andyrun3.gif)
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i like everything but his left arm.
it looks like it's contasntly in contact with his chest or something, which is an odd way to run.
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i like everything but his left arm.
it looks like it's contasntly in contact with his chest or something, which is an odd way to run.
I think a lot of that would be fixed if the forearm remained oriented to our right, like his other arm, rather than curving in towards our left like it does now. The two different directions of movement in succession combine in a weird effect.
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I think a lot of that would be fixed if the forearm remained oriented to our right, like his other arm, rather than curving in towards our left like it does now. The two different directions of movement in succession combine in a weird effect.
I think I know what you mean. Thanks guys, I'll work on it.
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Alright. I suck at coloring.
Is this any good?
(http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n173/human_worm/Andy-tan.png)
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Once again. Not confident with coloring at all.
(http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n173/human_worm/flurmle1.png)
(http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n173/human_worm/flurmle2.png)
(http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n173/human_worm/flurmle3.png)
Any feedback?
Which direction etc.
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I'd appreciate any critique you guys can give me on the last few updates.
For the sake of not wasting a post, here as an update on the run.
(http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n173/human_worm/andyrun4.gif)
I fixed (hopefully) the face area (eyes, goggles etc).
The arm thing you guys mentioned is bothering me.
I think a lot of that would be fixed if the forearm remained oriented to our right, like his other arm, rather than curving in towards our left like it does now. The two different directions of movement in succession combine in a weird effect.
His right arm does move towards his left shoulder but maybe it's a little hard to notice. His left arm probably hug his chest a little to much but I think it should turn towards his right shoulder a little instead of going straight ahead.
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(http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n173/human_worm/flurmle1.png)
What on earth is he supposed to be? Some kinda humanoid eel thing . . . person . . . guy?
Just as you yourself acknowledge, your coloring is quite poor, but that's ok. You're starting out and you'll improve. Forget animation, forget game art and tiles, designing graphics within unnecessary confining specs, just sit down and churn out some random crazy stuff so you can practice coloring. You need to. You can use this project as a means of practice, but if you value it, and you move ahead with it, and then get better at coloring, you'll look back on the art for this project with regret, thinking, 'why didn't I just do some practice so all this could have more continuity?' You don't want that.
Your latest running animation is pretty cool, though. Biggest complaint is how his legs seem to hyperextend at their most extended positions. You're pixelling in too much movement too quickly; it appears to speed up when his feet are kicked out. Otherwise it's nice 'n smooth-like.
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What on earth is he supposed to be? Some kinda humanoid eel thing . . . person . . . guy?
Ironic you should say what on earth. It's an alien.
Thanks for the advice, I'm actually using the entire process of creating a game as a means of practice. All I need is some constructive criticism on my coloring.
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Okay. Well, I persevere.
I want to make it a lower resolution.
I'm completely in the dark here because I've never done this before. So any light that anyone could shed would be GREATLY appreciated.
(http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n173/human_worm/Andypixel.png)
(http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n173/human_worm/flurmlepixel.png)
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Since the sprites are small, it'd be a good idea to push the contrast and saturation of the colors, that way they pop against most backgrounds.
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Thanks for the advice Big Brother, love your work.
(http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n173/human_worm/Andy-lowres.png)
I'm still considering sticking with the original resolution since I spent so much time on it.
Here is his latest incarnation.
(http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n173/human_worm/Andy-new.png)
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I prefered this with some outlining, nothing too fab im kinda rusty but I definately think you could use this palette more efficiently. Most likely over done it with the dithering considering its still such a small character but still wanted to add some more interest here and there.
(http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n173/human_worm/Andy-new.png) (http://img33.imageshack.us/img33/2973/underwaterguy.png)
love the turtle ;)
think you could have some improvements with the palette, but just thought I should show how you can make the most of what you have. If anything you could tweek values, hue and saturation to get it spot on.
Hope anything helps, looking forward to any updates.
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Thanks heaps Terley.
Your edit helps SO much! I'll have to work on some more.
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Taking much advice from Terley, how's it looking at the moment?
(http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n173/human_worm/Andy-new2.png)
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(http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n173/human_worm/flurmle4.png)
Is this getting better?
I'm really stumped on how to approach its mid-section.
Here's the original sketch, in case it's too ambiguous. The teeth in particular might not read as well.
(http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3623/3551429868_89211aeb42_o.jpg)
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boojiboy your latest rendering of your main character has some very pleasing aspects.
it looks almost like pastel/chalk (good colours in my opinion :y:)
the main character could, i think, still do will a little more made of his visor - either brighten the whole glass part of add a highlight.
your other character looks better but perhaps the colours are little less interesting - he feels monotone. also his eye really needs definition - i know its wip but eyes mean a lot in a character.
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(http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n173/human_worm/Andy2.png)
A bit better?
With the other character, I would really like to get his eye and mouth to look more like it does in the original drawing.
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(http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n173/human_worm/flurmle4.png)
Is this getting better?
I'm really stumped on how to approach its mid-section.
I think that it looks a little flat because it is all one color range, if you were to add another color to the mix, who knows what you'll achieve!
[a really bad example that I made in 5 seconds, but can you see the point I am trying to make?]
For the middle section, I think just dithered shading with a general indication of the bone and muscle positions will work.
(http://img29.imageshack.us/img29/4848/flurmle4copy.png)