Hey guys,

Haven't been on the forums for a little bit, busy working on the game with my SO - at the moment I'm working on 'simple' buttons for the Pause Menu, and I say 'simple' because they have been anything but. I've gone through a few variations, and this is the one I like the most so far:









This the button raised up, and I'm working on a "pressed down" version (trying to go for a rounded type button look) - have I hit it? Or far from the mark?

Also, any suggestions on how I'd go about getting the pushed down/indented look? Having some serious issues getting something that even looks remotely crap, let alone anything that looks decent enough to show.

The type face will certainly change to my own font for the game - suggestions there most welcome as well.

I think I've got a case of the jaggies too, trying to smooth them out as I speak.

Thanks r4c7 - I see what you mean with the edits, I'll keep refining this guy as I really, really like him a lot. I also fixed up the jaggies on his trunk & ears in another edit I done recently which helped a lot.

Thank you!

Hmm... I see what you all mean by the white markings look like blisters, I'd prefer to keep the markings if I could, seems to be a vital "characteristic" about the character, that is if I can get them to look right. I think the issue might be that the white 'spots' are sitting where the light source is hitting them (on the back, the top of the legs etc), so that might be working against me. I'll work around it, as I said, would like to keep them if I could.

I did a few more sketches for 'concepts' again, trying to add in the cuteness factor a lot more - shorter legs, heads a little bigger than the body, the body a little more oval/squared etc. Feel free to critique them - I'm going to try pixelling one or two of them up & make a few small  changes to them (the scared guy looking behind him for example needs his body position changed as I LOVE the head expression, but his body looks like he is about to fall over lol)

Hi Facet,

That helped a LOT - little things that just weren't standing out to me that made a lot of sense, thank you very much for the insight!

I did do a few of the changes mentioned below, and the difference really is great. He's still a "first pass" art I think but the overall character design I'm really liking.



The bigger "junk in the trunk" made a huge difference (with such a small change), and changed up the light source and shading which made a good improvement also.

Game Designer really liked the changes, which inspires me to keep working on them. (And they look GREAT in the game so far even though it's all first pass art so far).

Thank you so much everyone, I've appreciated all the help I've recieved so far! I'll certainly keep posting more "Effelants" as I work on them for more C&C to improve them as much as I can for the final game

Thank you very much for the detailed explanation, it helped out a lot.

Had a few more attempts at the overall 'character' and shading, and this was one that make it past outlining stage.

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Sorry for the multiple posts - done more work on the above guy and I think it's really changed him up nicely. The Game Designer said there was something "alien" about the face, so I tried to work on it a little more. Added other small details like toe nails, knee wrinkles, trunk wrinkles, shadowed front leg in the background, changed his eye and gave him a forelock/hair-do again. I think that's what was missing from him face which changed it a lot.

Please C&C again - I really appreciate the advice, it's helped a lot & I can really see the differences in each new piece I work on.