AuthorTopic: I need some critique and advice for my new album cover  (Read 3607 times)

Offline teoacosta

  • 0001
  • *
  • Posts: 4
  • Karma: +0/-0
    • View Profile
Hey Way of the Pixel,

You may or may not know me, but I'm the artist "Abducted By Sharks" and I'm working on my new album cover and I was hoping I could get some brutally honest feedback. I'm fairly new to pixel art, but I want to get it right.

So be brutal :D


Offline Corinthian Baby

  • 0010
  • *
  • Posts: 223
  • Karma: +1/-0
  • Meditating Pixel Placement
    • View Profile

Re: I need some critique and advice for my new album cover

Reply #1 on: March 27, 2012, 06:11:11 pm
Thought this was missing some context, then I checked out your site, and this seems pretty rad.

But in terms of traditional pixel art there's some major issues. The mixed resolution can be jarring, ideally everything would be hand pixeled in the same res, for the sake of consistency.

Secondly, the gradient overlays and laser beam effects are considered not pixel art, for the same reason as above, but I understand its application in this collage type context. It depends what you're going for, true pixel art, or a hodge podge of resolutions/materials that imitates pixel art but isn't true to its core forms.

As for the shark himself, you have some strange pixel clusters and a lot of jaggies, not to mention inconsistent AA. I like the colors but your application of some of them, like the transitional grey between blue and light blue, is not used enough, or should be omitted completely. Also I really like the concept of a hammerhead floating threw space with laser beam eyes, so do it justice! Read up on some pixel tuts or get familiar with the lingo, hope this helps.

Offline yrizoud

  • 0010
  • *
  • Posts: 330
  • Karma: +0/-0
    • View Profile

Re: I need some critique and advice for my new album cover

Reply #2 on: March 27, 2012, 09:52:14 pm
The starfield is very grainy like a badly numerized VHS; maybe the print will hide some defects (flat stars!) but I wouldn't rely on it. I'm pretty sure a photographic-quality starfield is a better background for low-res pixel hammerhead shark.

The red title has character, but you'll probably want to even the spacing between characters : always 2 or always 1 pixels, not a mix of the two. The second M and the R also don't have the same size as the others (it's ok for Ms to be larger) Also, you may want to add high-resolution outline of very light color around the characters (or outer highlight), in order to make it stand out. Otherwise, I think the print will have a tendency to blend the dark red into the black, the title will seem to melt into the background instead of standing out.

The diagonal rays coming out of the eyes... I don't think they work. It seems the ultra-low resolution here is a hindrance instead of a strength. In order to keep the diagonal layout, you can try to pixel a rotated shark and then render it in high-res at 45°:

Offline ABC

  • 0001
  • *
  • Posts: 28
  • Karma: +0/-0
    • View Profile

Re: I need some critique and advice for my new album cover

Reply #3 on: March 27, 2012, 10:11:00 pm
I would personnally try doing it "for real". I think the result could be much more baddass.

If you made it look like a real sprite it would be alot more interesting.

Cool music.

Offline 9_6

  • 0010
  • *
  • Posts: 416
  • Karma: +0/-0
    • View Profile

Re: I need some critique and advice for my new album cover

Reply #4 on: March 28, 2012, 01:26:08 am
The starfield is a bit too noisy in the wrong places.
I would definitely clip it near the borders or something for the sake of composition. And maybe pixel it in the actual resolution of the shark.

This is also why this cover works, the focal point is pretty clear with little noise distracting from it.
The leayout holds everything together while the new one looks a bit too all over the place if that makes sense.

While we're at that one, the embossed title doesn't really work. I'd keep it flat like the other title if only for consistencies sake.
Keeping the colorcount low should also be considered. There are quite a few unnecessary colors in that hammerhead.
« Last Edit: March 28, 2012, 01:30:37 am by 9_6 »
Does scaling an image blur it?
Opera fix Firefox fix

Offline teoacosta

  • 0001
  • *
  • Posts: 4
  • Karma: +0/-0
    • View Profile

Re: I need some critique and advice for my new album cover

Reply #5 on: March 28, 2012, 08:39:52 pm
Thanks so much! I'm going to do all these things.

I really appreciate all the advice! :D
<3

Offline teoacosta

  • 0001
  • *
  • Posts: 4
  • Karma: +0/-0
    • View Profile

Re: I need some critique and advice for my new album cover

Reply #6 on: March 29, 2012, 04:42:01 pm
Just wanted to show my progress on the album cover! Thanks so much for taking the time to give me advice and critique!
I remade the shark, with a 1 pixel brush, then sized it up in photoshop. Using real stars was a brilliant idea! And I made my own font for the type.

Let me know what you think  :D

Offline teoacosta

  • 0001
  • *
  • Posts: 4
  • Karma: +0/-0
    • View Profile

Re: I need some critique and advice for my new album cover

Reply #7 on: March 30, 2012, 01:53:35 pm
The Album is now available, if anyone wanted to check it out!

http://teoacosta.bandcamp.com/album/hammerhead

Thanks again for all the critique and advice, I'll be posting here more often! I love making pixel art :D