Pixelation

Critique => Pixel Art => Topic started by: kirsis on January 23, 2010, 09:26:55 pm

Title: Prison in the cellar
Post by: kirsis on January 23, 2010, 09:26:55 pm
Hi everybody, I'm new here. I've recently decided to try and learn to create pixel art that I could use in games (I'm a programmer), and spent the whole day working on my first piece. I'd be grateful for any tips and advice regarding:

1) how to improve the piece
2) ideas for the piece (it's pretty plain at the moment and I'm not sure what I could add to it)
3) anything else that comes to mind, really. I'm open for any comments :)

What I'm trying to create is a dungeon-prison type of environment that some vampire could have created below his castle in Überwald.

(http://imgur.com/kZD4M.png)

I looked at the cobblestones from http://www.pixeljoint.com/pixelart/48487.htm (http://www.pixeljoint.com/pixelart/48487.htm) when drawing mine, so they're similar. I dunno if that's maybe frowned upon in this community, so I wanted to be upfront about it (I didn't copy or trace them, though. Just browsed the gallery for ideas). I used some random photos from Google for the wall bricks and wooden texture
Title: Re: Prison in the cellar
Post by: Salmeron on January 24, 2010, 02:28:06 am
Need more texture. Also a few spider webs and a skull may make it interesting. ::)
Title: Re: Prison in the cellar
Post by: Tourist on January 24, 2010, 02:55:20 am
The stones look very nice.  I like the rounded pattern to them, it emphasizes the age of the structure.

I think the wood texture on the door is good.

I think the door is too perfectly rectangular.  I think it needs just a hint of waviness in it's outline.  Not warped wood, but where some parts of the edge have grown soft and worn.  Google images old+door has some good reference images.

You could add some bolts to the hinges to hold them in the wood.

The stringy bits to the right of the door ... ?

The candle looks good.

Tourist
Title: Re: Prison in the cellar
Post by: r4c7 on January 24, 2010, 12:21:25 pm
The stringy bits to the right of the door ... ?
Those are bars like you would find in a jail cell. I recognized them right away.
Title: Re: Prison in the cellar
Post by: r1k on January 24, 2010, 01:48:21 pm
I was thinking the door might look more interesting if you rounded the top.  I did a quick edit to see how that would look
(http://img37.imageshack.us/img37/2219/kirsisedit.png)
Title: Re: Prison in the cellar
Post by: Jon on January 24, 2010, 03:40:27 pm
Überwald? Like in discworld?

Anyway, I think the rounded door is much nicer; it looks more ancient. I'm thinking maybe the rocks could use some more noise, though. Quick edit to show what I mean:
(http://idzr.org/bty9)
Title: Re: Prison in the cellar
Post by: rustEdge on January 25, 2010, 03:03:48 am
Adding an arch to act as a frame for the rounded door would also add definition to the door. It'll also keep the door from looking like it's just leaning on a solid wall. Most of older architecture don't have the luxury of having mortar and cement to keep openings from collapsing on themselves. Having either a single slab of stone or plank of wood on top of a square door should work as well.