So recently I discovered a huge problem I seem to have when trying to create pixel art pieces, and was more or less wondering if anyone else has this kind of problem. But before I talk about it more I want to mention 2 things:

1) I like to think I have a little bit of OCD. Maybe not a severe case, and maybe not something like a professional would diagnose you with, but I can spend many hours trying to get something relatively unimportant to be just right.

2) This problem probably stems from my lack of skill and experience, and (hopefully) will be remedied as I improve. But at the same time I can see the possibility of it not changing as I improve, as well.

Anyways, when I begin to work on pieces, and all throughout working on a pixel piece, I often spend much time placing pixels, and not knowing the 'optimal' spot to place them in. 'Do I place this pixel here? Or maybe it looks better here.. Let's try this spot. Compare it with the first spot again. (Ctrl-Z, Ctrl-Y x10). Rinse and repeat, for many, many pixels, for many many hours. (I should also mention most of the art I create is for use in games.) Does anyone else have this sort of problem? Should I worry less about individual pixel placement?

I feel like I lose many hours of work with this rigorous habit, but also feel like I learn less, and my piece is far from reaching it's 'maximum potential' if I do NOT do this kind of experimenting.

So I've been working on this for a while now, needless to say; I like it enough to be posting it here for comm'n'crits.








Here's the ref I used:
Link
And here's a less craptastic, more recent pic of myself:
Link

Please drop some critique, thanks.

So after reading the following, from AdamTierney's Freelancing document, I got to wondering..


"It should go without saying, but never lie about the hours you put into a project. Even if you're working hourly and finish up early, take advantage of that extra time and see if the developer has another project you can move on to. It's easiest to keep your integrity because the every time you lie on your hours for some extra cash, less will be holding you back the next time and if discovered, such practice can ruin your career."


So I feel kind of embarrassed asking this question, but I simply do not know how it works.

'How do employers keep track of the amount of time you're putting into your art?'

Working out of your home, supplying art for an employer is a fine thing, but when it comes to payment, I'm a little clueless. I understand one of the common methods is hourly pay. But even with legal documents, it seems there's no real way for anyone to know how much time you're putting into your work, unless you video-record it all, but that is highly ridiculous.

So, do you just tell them how many hours you worked, and they'll pay you based on an established hourly rate? Seems like it would be easy to lie. Not that I would, but my point is, it just doesn't seem secure enough.

If I were an employer, I wouldn't use this method of payment, if what I know is correct.

Can anyone who's worked this way, or even an employer, provide a little insight?

Is there not a more full-proof way to guarantee that the employer is handing out the proper amount of payment to the correct amount of hours of labor?
Will he not be concerned with his employees simply wasting their time doing other things after they're complete, and state they worked more hours than they really have, to drain more money out of him?

Hey everyone! 

I'd just like to start off by saying I'm new here, this is my first post, although I've been lurking for the last few days and studying/researching a lot.
I've recently became involved in a project which has no sprite artist, so I volunteered myself to attempt at it, since nobody on the rest of the team would/is able to. I as well am eager to improve my skill and get better at pixel art.

And the reason I made that statement above was because I have little to no artistic ability, at least compared to just about everyone else here.

I'd also like to say, I simply love this forum and it's members, and the helpfulness of everyone here, you guys even critique what seems like the best-of-the-best pieces, and I love that.

This is one of my first, although not exactly my first time working with pixels. I, before, have created a few items for another 2D RPG, whos name I won't mention, because I don't believe I'm allowed.. Anyways, if I am, or not, I'll just save us all the trouble. (But if you really would like to know about my current project or the one I've worked on before.. send me a PM!)

This is my first time working with tiles, or any kind of landscape art.

Anyways, to the point, I'm going to be creating a majority of the tiles, if not all of them. However I won't be doing sprites.. Thank goodness.

They will be in a 3/4 view.. Or top-down view, I don't know which term is correct to describe the view, but it's the same as most 2D grid-based RPG's such as Pokemon, or Seiken Densetsu 3.

I came here to receive some help and advice on how to proceed in creating tiles, as well as utilizing the advice I get to better my skills.
I didn't want to dive in without any knowledge, only to have to protract all of my work later. 

Here is a simple grass tile I came up with, as the first tile, and marking the beginning of the creation of the tileset. Also, the same tile, tessellated 3x in a 48x48 square, the size of the tile, as well as future tiles, is 16x16.

->

I don't think it's TOO bad, but it can certainly use improvement, right? And the color palette isn't something I'm worrying too much about right now either, I can always change it in the future.

I have been working on it rigorously, creating many different versions of it, however, my main problem is breaking the grid, without having strands of grass too cluttered, I realize I can fix this problem by creating multiple tiles, however I simply want to perfect this one tile as of now.. It can't be impossible, can it?

Here is the most recent fix I have attempted.. But as you can tell it's not much better than the original, if at all, and demonstrates the problems I stated above.

->

Other things I'd like to note.. I am foreseeing that our game will be more realistic rather than vibrant and cartoony, which is why I'm trying to use darker, more 'earthy' colors, as someone pointed out somewhere else on this forum.

Seiken Densetsu 3 is a big inspiration, by the way..

And I can already see that my weaknesses will be rocky surfaces, such as cliffs, and water. The amount of detail that will most likely need to go into those tiles are something that I believe myself incapable of doing. Perhaps I just lack a very vivid imagination.

I'm trying to stay away from that solid-color coloring stuff, like, for example, done in The Legend of Zelda: A Link To The Past. And I'm trying to include more detail. It's a longer and harder practice for an inexperienced newbie like myself, however I think it will pay off in the long run.

Again, I really would like some C&C although I don't have much to show at this point. I am all for self-betterment as well, although it may not be so apparent, I try hard, but.. I really struggle. Most of the time I have no idea how to even start a piece and most tutorials don't usually seem to help much, although a few have.