AuthorTopic: [WIP] Small icons and game tileset - critque please  (Read 7877 times)

Offline Bkeegan

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Hey guys,

I've been working on some graphics for a game. I'm a pretty inexperience pixel artist so your input would be appreciated.









Cheers,

Bkeegan
« Last Edit: March 11, 2010, 12:28:20 pm by Bkeegan »
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Offline Bkeegan

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Re: [WIP] Small icons and game tileset - critque please

Reply #1 on: March 08, 2010, 04:12:46 pm
*deleted*
« Last Edit: March 11, 2010, 06:50:14 am by Bkeegan »
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Offline Shrub

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Re: [WIP] Small icons and game tileset - critque please

Reply #2 on: March 08, 2010, 05:23:11 pm
Hmm. Free C&C for art belonging to a games company, which earns actual money (or is trying/will try to) - and we get nothing for our advice which makes your game better.
Seems kind of like we're being used. Just my opinion.

Anyway, the magnet arm looks definitely non pixel art.
If it's done by hand, you've used FAR too many shades of grey. Metal needs to be hard and reflective, not a soft gradient.

Offline Bkeegan

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Re: [WIP] Small icons and game tileset - critque please

Reply #3 on: March 08, 2010, 09:28:42 pm
Thank you for your input  :)

I do not see how my planned use of the art has anything to do with it. I was under the impression that this forum was a place where pixel artist could improve. 
« Last Edit: March 11, 2010, 12:29:48 pm by Bkeegan »
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Offline Gil

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Re: [WIP] Small icons and game tileset - critque please

Reply #4 on: March 08, 2010, 10:38:59 pm
The problem is that your gradient is not going to get smoother by throwing more shades of gray at it. Try to follow a light source. Try thinking in terms of polygons and how light hits them.

Hmm. Free C&C for art belonging to a games company, which earns actual money (or is trying/will try to) - and we get nothing for our advice which makes your game better.
Seems kind of like we're being used. Just my opinion.

This is Pixelation, we offer C&C to anyone, even professionals. Why wouldn't we?

Offline Bkeegan

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Re: [WIP] Small icons and game tileset - critque please

Reply #5 on: March 08, 2010, 11:34:04 pm
Gil,

Thanks for some feedback. I originally envisioned the light source coming from the upper left.



« Last Edit: March 11, 2010, 12:31:15 pm by Bkeegan »
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Offline Helm

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Re: [WIP] Small icons and game tileset - critque please

Reply #6 on: March 11, 2010, 12:22:47 am


Yours is about 177 colors and utilizes an alpha layer for transparency. Mine is 16 colors and utilizes methods and techniques we've developed here over the last 6-7 years. If you want to move towards something like this you need to approach pixel art with a purer intention, even if at the end of that journey you are not a pixel purist.

Offline Rawsushi

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Re: [WIP] Small icons and game tileset - critque please

Reply #7 on: March 11, 2010, 12:43:38 am
Curses, Helm! You got yours in before mine, and it's a hell of a lot more complete/fun.



Regardless, here's the version I whipped up. It has MORE colors than Helm's and is very much incomplete. That said, it utilizes dithering in a way where it's not terribly noticeable. Meh.

Offline Bkeegan

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Re: [WIP] Small icons and game tileset - critque please

Reply #8 on: March 11, 2010, 01:00:29 am
Thanks for the input guys! (and the time to do those pieces)

I can see that by comparison mine looks pretty flat. I like what you have done with the shape of the magnet Helm. I also think the way you did the wire wrap was interesting. It's kind of exaggerated. I've noticed a lot of that in pixel art, sometimes you have to exaggerate stuff to really make them look good. I suppose it's a human perception thing.

I like what you handle the shading of the poll Rawsushi and yeah I didn't even realize you use dithering until I zoomed in. I'll take all of this into account and see what I can come up with.

Cheers,

Bkeegan


EDIT: In interest of not double posting. I have redone the magnet arm based on your input/examples. I'd love to hear everyone's input =)
I used 13 colors (including black). I dithered the hell out of it.


Honestly, most of my stuff doesn't use so many shades as the first magnet arm.
« Last Edit: March 11, 2010, 04:25:08 am by Bkeegan »
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Offline Rawsushi

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Re: [WIP] Small icons and game tileset - critque please

Reply #9 on: March 11, 2010, 05:01:28 am


Only touched up the upper-half. Didn't address the wires or the yellow/black striping. I'd suggest, for now, using as little dithering as possible. a) It's not the easiest thing to pull off and b) when creating shiny objects, dithering has a way of dulling shiny effects. I don't have the time at the moment to write up a response on the proper usage of dithering, but I'm sure that there's a tutorial on here somewhere.

Still, I'd suggest using it as little as possible for the time being (because it's just too easy to go overkill with it)--- regardless, you definitely took a step in the right direction.