Continuation of a Xenodrogen tileset *Updated many times*

[fil_razorback]

Since Xenodrogen allowed me to rip one of his tilesets for one of my game projects, I try adding tiles to it. Here is what I have by now :



All these tiles were done by him except the cliff, I wish I could have some C&C about it (the cliff). Thanks in advance !

[Turbo]

The shading on the whole cliff suggests it's a flat volume, while the shape of the grass at the top and the curve at the bottom suggest it's more of a cilindrical shape. I'd shade the rocks at the sides darker, and the ones in the middle lighter, to indicate that shape. Also, putting darker tones near the bottom of the cliff and lighter ones moving towards the top would convey less flatness.

I like the shading on the rocks, they look very "rocky". But i think it would help if you indicated more of a lightsource coming from above, right now it looks somewhat like it's coming from the front. Nice dithering and color usage though.

Maybe add another darker shade in between the rocks also, to make it pop a bit more.

[Xion]

Your dither doesn't match with the original tiles. The rocks on the cliff look randomly lit...the original tiles suggest a lightsource from directly above and, on that rock, slightly to the right. I can see a few rocks of yours that don't follow that lightsource. It'd be cool if you made some of the rocks have a little more pop-outage and cast shadows on the rocks beneath them.
Cool so far. You gonna make a whole set?

[Matriax]

Good colours.

The grass and the "top" gfx are well, but i think you need work the rocks, is a little rare.

[fil_razorback]

Edit :


I think it's much better, isn't it?
C&C about the trunk (I'll add leavage soon) is welcome too.

@Xion Night : Yes I plan making a whole set

[Matriax]

for me the rocks are at the same stile, yes are improved but if you view the quality of the top gfx are very well but the rocks not have the same quality.

About the trunk i think is a little pillow shaded, i will tree to make more details.

[fil_razorback]

Cliif update (completely redone...again) :

[Turbo]

I liked the second version better. I think you could add more diversity to the divisions on the rock, meaning there should be rocks with a greater area and others with a smaller one, more broken up, to indicate the randomness present in nature (which was more evi dent on your first version). Right now, it's a bit repetitive.
The texture on each individual rock could be changed to taper around the rock, it looks a bit random and flat now (referring to the lighter rock color).
But the fixes you did look good to me otherwise, namely the new shading style. I can't say i like the third one too much. Sorry

Regarding the tree, i think you should keep the lightsource from above as in the cliff. Right now it looks like light's coming from the side. Have the base of the tree look more cilindrical, it looks as if you're looking at it directly ahead rather than from above. Otherwise it's nice.

[vedsten]

it seems to me you have some problems with the basic structure of the stones. The 2. vers. is way better, but there are stil alot of issues.

I was bored so i did an edit



step 1: Split the suject you wanna dew into specific defined tiles, it'll help you ensuring they'll actually be tilable

step 2: The 4 left (and right) right tiles are special cause they have to be combinable with both them selves and the middle fraction. In this case, the easiest way to go about it, is to make sure they can be combined with itself. This can be a bit tricky, but you'll quickly get the hang of it. Also, when you draw the stones, start at the bottom and work your way up, it'll create a somewhat beliavable structure.

step 3: Repeat the step above on the right part

step: 4 I accidently deleted a step, but doing step 2 and 3, you have the lines on both sides of the middle part. Fill the middle tiles with stones and connecting the right and left part. The left and right tiles are now tileable with them selves as well as the middle.

step 5: Start shading the bastard (actually i fucked up here, it's better to block out the basic coloring), stay away from the extreme right and left stones! I advise you to try replicating the style of his stone on a much smaller scale. Don't stop tilll you confident you have it, and you'll saveyourself a LOT of trouble when you move on to the actuall cliff structure

step 6: Copy the 4 left and right stones to the places they'll have be when there tiled later on, now start shading the blank places away

step 7: Dew your final touchups

Notes: there are some issues with my edit that I don't bother change, but you should look into. The main prob. is the lack of vertical contrast between the bottom and and top of the stones (like this http://www.inventiveminds.dk/vedsten/temp/mockup3.gif) I tried fixing it in step 7 (with low succes), but really, it would've been much easier doing it in step 5 (blocking out colors)

[ndchristie]

vedsten's edit is a beaut', wish i could just whip out that kinda stuff. tiles are not my thing >.<

[fil_razorback]

Wooooow...This is pure awesomeness.
It's very instructive for me and the result is just beautiful. Thank you very much for this. I think I won't edit it because I would only screw it up
Do you allow me to use it?


Anyway, I'll (re)start workingon the tree now

[fil_razorback]

I tried doing a tree but it ended up really really bad. I'm afraid there will be many many versions of it :

[Ryumaru]

i think you should try and learn from it before you just use his, even if the basic lineart is the same but you shade it yourself will help you learn a great deal

[fil_razorback]

I surely will but not today...I'm sick of this cliff >_<

[Crazy Asian Gamer]

Yeah, vedsten's edit is very very sexy (which reminds me, will you have my tiled babies?)

fil: Please do try and edit. Though vedsten's edit is great, it surely isn't complete, as vedsten himself mentions. Study the example he's given you, work on it yourself as well. It'd be a great learning experience, even if you don't finish an edit. Vertical contrast, yes, but something else as well: the grass doesn't seem to match with the cliff. It seems to be below the jutting rocks, which shouldn't be completely true. An edit on that would be crucial as well.

As for the tree, do what vedsten said: break it up. Break the leaves up into bunches of leaves, and compose the trunk one internode at a time. It'd be better than trying to do it all at once.

Best of luck.

[Dhaos]

Hmm seems your edit of my tileset is becomming quite an experience. Glad to see you working so hard. Might want to use some tree references, and see how they're laid out and shaded. Right now you're trying to shade to evently from all directions (which is bad). With the tree, the trunk should be all 'dark' because the leaves above it are blocking out the light. The top most of the tree should be significantly brighter than the rest. Anways good luck with the tiles.

@Vedsten: Awesome job on the tutorial, kinda looks like my rock had bebies though XD.

[fil_razorback]

I gave a first try at editing vedsten's cliff but it was...horrible. I'll try coloring it by myself in a few days, when I'll have forgotten a bit the exact shading he did. (Actually I could redraw it pixel per pixel without any difference xD ).

I started a new tree, here's the actual progression :


I'm not trying to make a tutorial of this (because tutorial<=> good) but I think it makes the crits easier. Also, I have no idea about what I should do next. Draw each leaf's lineart?

[Gil]

Almost everything you do is pillow shaded. Grab a light source. The light source on your reference is pretty obvious. Oh, and don't draw individual leaves. Just copy the style of the reference...

[ndchristie]

the reference though is sideview where the tiles are topdown, id suggest shading it as more or less a sphere.  i have a step-by-step of my coloring of it that i will post once im on a computer that can handle uploads (hosting services are banned on this network)

[fil_razorback]

News :
Xenodrogen gave my a complete "trunk lesson", then I tried to do a new one by myself, it was not perfect either so he corrected it too. Obviously, I'll use on of his xD
I planned the shading of the tree (which is not done), this is some kind of sketch about the lighsource and all :

Will it be ok if I proceed this way?