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Messages - Scribblette
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161
Pixel Art Feature Chest / Re: [WIP] Tree / forest / canopy study (updated 24th)
« on: April 24, 2009, 02:56:55 pm »
Thank you for the constructive input, ndchristie.

I tried to set it so that the branches that were most prominent were the ones I developed twigs on, that I might have some idea where to start leaf clusters - and to keep it easy to distinguish between branches by avoiding overlaps on the front - but I get now that it's going to be a lot more complicated than that.

Maybe the horrible fundamental was the pillowshading - I think it got worse the more I did. I'm still not sure how to capture the light (lack of core knowledge maybe, so more sketch practice required), but will keep trying - I practiced with balls and cones, not gloops of concrete, unfortunately. It seems most tree pictures come with the light from up front and left, but I don't know if that makes them easier to shade.

Hoping I improve from here and can actually put the advice into action.

162
Pixel Art Feature Chest / Arf. Project Broccoli Phase II
« on: April 24, 2009, 10:01:51 am »
Sometimes I think I'm human. Then I remember that I'm like a dog with a bone. And. I won't. Let go. Of your trouser leg. Grrr. Dog don't care if not bone, dog just want CHEW.



Project Broccoli continues. This time I grabbed the palette and style from a tree in RPG Maker XP - I think it was an edit someone did. RMXP uses 2x2 squares and a cross for some of theirs, but I was curious how it'd look with 3x3.

A MARVELLOUS IDEA CAME TO ME! All I need to do is do the exact same thing with not 3x3 and not 2x2 but 1x1 squares and OMGS IT'LL BE PERFECTS!!  :noob: - yes, sarcasm.

The third and fourth phase of shading here were very rough and detracted a bit. However, I feel like I'm making some progress with my 'hidden fundamental something that is wrong'. Specifically, I think it can bypassed by cheating.  ::)

Edit: Updated, now has three rows of trees. Still battling with pillow shading.

163
General Discussion / Re: The Ongoing War
« on: April 24, 2009, 08:21:22 am »
Regarding Graphics Gale, you can create custom pens as detailed in the help file.

Create 32x32 black and white bitmaps with white representing the paint brush, then store them here:

C:\Documents and Settings\ (your user name) \Application Data\Humanbalance\GraphicsGale\pen

Pro Motion boggles me about the same as trying to use that map cad software, Campaign Cartographer. It took me several minutes in PM just to figure out how to PASTE an image in there! It's under 'paste frame' and then it asks me questions about color palette and whatnot - I don't want to revert to 256 colors necessarily, for example - and that threw me off.

It needs a thorough reading before it can be used properly, I guess. I don't know what magic tools in it I need yet over GG, but I'm still a complete nubface. :|

164
Commercial Critique / Re: Commercial Critique - Star Ocean: Blue Sphere
« on: April 24, 2009, 02:02:49 am »
This really is fantastically impressive. I'm left wondering how difficult it'd be to achieve the same results with the forests if the tiles were 32x32 instead of 8x8. On magnifying them to try and mimic the style, I get lost in giant blocks >.< some illusions seem more achievable with smaller tiles, let alone time spent drawing.

165
Pixel Art / Re: Trees
« on: April 23, 2009, 07:03:14 am »
Not to necro post (missed anything in the rules/FAQ about how far back one can resurrect a post), but I'd love to know more about your creation process for your 08 style, or how you would incorporate more detail to your leaves (or highlight) in your 09 style. Or about this blueprint post of Helms, if anyone knows where that is, especially if it's tree related.

I've been finding creating a tree at 3/4 perspective instead of flat-on somewhat difficult as well. Drew white lines at angles and circles about five units high by eight wide to try and capture the perspective properly (I just noted that's NOT 3/4, eesh). I've had to accentuate the trunk and draw branches fore and rear to try and get my brain to remember it while shading, and haven't yet been able to capture leaf clusters with light. Have started practicing drawing small leaf clusters in the hope it'll get somewhere.

Apologies if HulioG is no longer around or some such.

166
Pixel Art Feature Chest / Project Broccoli updated (again)
« on: April 23, 2009, 06:48:23 am »
Ow. My brain.

I've been studying the trees from Orcs! by Big Brother, but I can't get my head around the final highlighting stage where they complete the impression of leaves. I don't understand how he'd draw the leaf cluster (stem with one each side and maybe four before end point) in a colour and then remember the shape inside it to highlight properly... or something.

The WIP image of 'Project Broccoli' above has been updated.

I feel horribly like I'm missing out on some fundamentals somewhere, and I don't know what they are - as if to get this right I'd have to have been a painter or some such, as if others can just paint 'almost right' from the start, while I spend forever working from the ground up.

Not that I mean to give up - I'm just hopeful there's some advice out there on how to capture leaf clusters properly. Otherwise I'll have to consider a simpler cartoonish or cell-shaded type design to make progress at a decent pace. Advice on that is welcome too.

Edit: Updated, but no point making a new post/comment about it. I really don't know what I should be doing to improve and only seem to be going backwards, so I am stopping the foliage of that one there. It is not working out despite numerous different style attempts. As suggested I may return to the leaf by leaf approach, but I will start with weeds, radishes and small saplings instead. Maybe I will learn the 'missing something' in the process.

167
Pixel Art Feature Chest / Re: [WIP] Tree / forest / canopy study
« on: April 20, 2009, 05:48:13 am »
Quote from: Dusty on April 17, 2009, 09:48:14 pm
In your first post, in the sprite sheet the very first 'leafy' tree is the one I like the most. It has the form and a sort of 'puff' to it that really reads tree, in a beautiful way as well. What's wrong with it?

I was concerned I wasn't learning to draw a tree so much as learning to copy and paste, so wanted to try another approach. Plus I was worried it'd look too messy. I thought I'd practice with larger leaves first since they'd be quicker, but as is now clear that just wound up with a very different looking tree.

I accidentally saved over it too >_<

Edit - nevermind my color depth issues. Color depth can't be changed to x bit when it already IS x bit. I'm surprised I can put one pixel next to another...

Edit #2 - I don't mean to abandon the leaf by leaf approach, though. Will likely come back to it depending on progress with other styles.

168
General Discussion / Re: Ramblethread! A brainstorm approaches!
« on: April 17, 2009, 04:42:50 pm »
Monkey snort banana out nose at that. Funny people.

I expect it's not too difficult to set up a theory/tutorial board with posts such as these locked up nice and safe. I too think a wikipedia is a massive undertaking, disappears too easily, and would much rather that time be spent explaining WIPs, theory, etc. Once there's a critical mass of information it could always be formatted into a main page by someone with too much time on their hand, anyway.

Quote
I'll write more, I PROMISE. In the next couple of days.

Helm, I'm concerned for your safety. I've heard wonderful pixel artists promise to explain any part of the mystery that is dithering for textures, but they have always DISAPPEARED shortly thereafter. I didn't even find any banana peels as evidence of foul play. They would just silently poof - and they were gone. It frightens me to think the same fate might befall you. If strange things start to happen around you, please let us know so we can have at least some proof to better forewarn the next prospective victim.

169
Pixel Art Feature Chest / Re: [WIP] Tree / forest / canopy study
« on: April 17, 2009, 12:29:16 pm »
As I wasn't able to work out what was wrong with my bonsai attempt at the time (volume on the left but flat on the right and confused how to colour blot it out) I started from scratch again. With st0ven's advice I considered the tree branches better while working, knowing that parts of it would be on display. I have still color blotted it to start with, to be as close as possible to getting the basics right - form and lighting.

I think also perhaps the top of the tree skeleton doesn't obey the same perspective as the base of the trunk. I might try to improve the curve at the base of the canopy to match it too. Two brighter canopy highlights are available in the palette for later use, but all the darker ones are already in there. I suspect I use too many colours for a newbie.

I 'think' this is close enough for me to continue on properly. I'll update the image as I progress and note in the edits, but I doubt I'll get much done on the weekend. The hungry monster in the living room will be stealing most of it, I expect...



Edit: Updated. Hit ctrl-f5 if you can't see the giant yellow haybale on the lower right.

I feel like I started off on the right foot but screwed up when it came to lighting foliage. I feel like there's some core fundamental that just hasn't stuck in my head yet and do not know what it is. This looks like a hay bale. I don't know how to capture leaf clusters yet.

Sigh. I like the general design of the branches (haven't anti-aliased or shaded or anything to that yet - just the structure I like) so hopefully will come back to it when I'm more knowledgeable. For now I think I'll abandon trees and work on weeds and very small bushes instead. Maybe I'll learn the something I'm missing.

170
General Discussion / Re: Read the Rules, then introduce yourself here.
« on: April 17, 2009, 04:47:07 am »
Hullo all. I've been lurking in the shadows for a few years and only recently grew a brain which informed me I'd grow even more if I actually reached out and asked for input, rather than stare at a piece presuming it'll somehow just tell me what it is that is mysteriously wrong with it.

And so here I am.

Oh, right - I live in Australia.

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