tileset [WIP]

[Âme]

heyo everybody. I've been off the forms for probably over a year now (not that I really posted much) and kinda stoped doing any pixel art. This summer I decided to pick it up again cause I kind of needed a new hobbie. Anyway, I've been working on these on and off all day and it seems that I'm doing alright. I doubt I'll actually use them for anything, they're more of just practice but I'd like to know what you think.

 

just so you know the two brown ones in the middle are sopposed to be dirt. The second one (that looks like a bunch of scribbles) was my attempt at making it look less like rocks. There's no grass tile yet because I'm absolutly terrible at those. I did start to work on one but... bleh. Really hope you like the water, because I spent a ton of time trying to make the colors right. I might eventualy animate it but idk. By the way the shore is still very WIP because i have no clue how to do sand.

I will also probably make more than one tile of some of them and do some transition tiles later.

So my major questions are:

are the colors good (they feel a little desaturated to me but I kind of was going for that dreary feel sooo.... yah, I'm really bad at knowing what colors to use but I guess that practice makes perfect)

do they contrast enough

these are sopposed to be rpg perspective (I think this tutorial shows what I mean
 http://www.wayofthepixel.net/pixelation/index.php?topic=14148.0 ) but without any walls or objects its hard to tell so am I doing this right

does anyone have any good, fairly basic tutorials on pixel art and tiles that I may not have read (and tutorials in rpg perspective)

P.S. These were done on Paint because may computer went crazy and I have yet to re-install Graphics Gale

C+C
TEAR IT UP

there will be more tiles to come!!!

[Ashbad]

Not a bad start at all!  The tiles aren't really that desaturated, at least they don't look it on my iDevice right now plus, if the tiles aren't super flashy, bright, and contrasting, the character can stand out better (as long as he's made up of more contrasting colors) I like the purple color used in the wood planks, but I dislike the diagonal lines of purple you have that slice through the boards -- I think that you should make them a slight bit smaller.  The water seems to have a weird texture, but it's easily fixed: an intermediary shade between the bright crest parts of the waves and the dark troughs will makes the water look less like a blue sponge and more like churning sea water, also would look even better if you cleaned up the consistency of the crest shapes a bit.  Finally, the dirt reads as being very flat and boring, mostly because despite having 4 shades used, the brightest/darkest ones are used very conservatively.  I would at least use the darker one more to add depth to the cracks between the pseudo-tiles of dirt.  Perhaps also shifting that darker color to be more visible against the brown, with a smaller hue shift and a greater brightness shift between it and the darker brown.

Just some ramble thoughts of mine, I'm tired past when I should be doing an edit so perhaps I can explain my take on this better in the morning. 

[PypeBros]

the highlihgts on dirt and stones tiles seems a bit random to me, atm. Is there a light source ?

[Âme]

just a quick post right now. I'm still working on all these tiles but its taking me a bit to reajust to graphics gale.




The truck is obviously wip. I'm having a hard time shading it. I'm going for the rusty, banged up, super old kinda look, but first I want to make it sort of smooth and normal looking. I'll add the detail later. these are practice after all. Really i just want to know how to shade the metal and if the proportions are right. anyway, all c+c welcome!

P.S. If anyone knows how to save files in Graphicsgale so it keeps all the layers and frames and so you can also upload them without having to resave them to png please tell me!

edit: by the way I decided the light source is going to be in the upper left hand corner, ill edit the other tiles later once i get them onto graphics gale

edit 2: trying out some new colors. the wood is sopposed to look more aged and weathered, like its been siting out in the sun

[Corinthian Baby]

Here is an edit on your truck:

On the lineart level, there are some problems with the truck's anatomy, mainly, that the hood does not line up with the diagonal part that slopes over the driver/passanger seats, as every car mostly does.

Other than that, the main thing stifling this is lack of contrast, which makes it harder to render convincing volumes. Throw in some hue shifting, and the truck starts to build some visual interest.

This edit is very sloppy, and I'm using very broad brushstrokes, but I think it hits that beat-up rusty look that you're going for, especially with the use of some yellowish-orangey reds. Some more refined, sparse dithering may help sell the metal/rust texture.

[Âme]

alright, thanks for pointing out the thing with the hood. I think I fixed it but now Im having trouble with colors. I want them to contrast nicely but not so much that it looks like an entirely different color of paint. I don't really like using very much dithering either. It always turns out... i dont know how.. i just don't like how it looks. grr.I might use it here and there for the rust or where I want it to look like a bunch of paint have chiped off but that will be later anyway. right now I think i just need help with the colors being the right blend Oh and I changed the wood once again, befor it was blending in to much with the purple. I'll update the other tiles soon, I promise!

[jams0988]

these are sopposed to be rpg perspective (I think this tutorial shows what I mean
 http://www.wayofthepixel.net/pixelation/index.php?topic=14148.0 )

This one's probably a better example of what you mean: http://kiwinuptuo.deviantart.com/gallery/27054576 =P
It's polite to name your sources, even if they are tutorials...if you don't name them yourself, someone will just end up naming them for you anyway, hahah!
And don't worry, it's pretty obvious they're from a top-down perspective. You did a good job copying the water texture, too. The colors are indeed nice, though they just look like the tutorials colors shifted a bit closer to green, so I don't think you had much to worry about when choosing them.

Anyway, the tiles are looking good. Looks like you learned a lot, which is great! =D
The truck looks okay, but doesn't fit the highly detailed style of the other tiles you've made. Corinthian Baby's edit is the right direction to head, I think. =)
Good luck! ^ ^

[Âme]

  your right about that tutorial being one that I used for reference but what I ment when I posted that was the whole 3/4 perspective thing because my tiles sometimes look like there top down/birdseye view and then my sprites end up looking like they belong in a sidescroller. Plus I did'nt even know what the whole 3/4 perspective thing was called until a month ago when i stumbled apon that tutorial that Cyangmou made (which he needs to finish) hint hint
 
anyway, you should have seen the colors I had when I started that water tile. It took alot of fideling on paint to get them like that and I'm not even sure I like them all that much anymore!

srry I dont have any updates right now, been working on practicing portraits! Maybe I'll make a new topic later...

[jams0988]

I actually like the colors you picked for the water a lot. Of course, it depends on the rest of your tileset. If your tileset's palette doesn't match your water's palette, it won't look good. Make sure you draw tiles that are meant to go together together, so you'll know how they match each other.
I'm practicing portraits too right now, actually, because I suck at them, and I'm trying to get a main character done for my set. Good luck to both of us! ^ ^

[Âme]

just a quick update on everything Im doing. The only things Im really satisfied with are the wood floor and the bridge..and maybe the water. the grey tile is sopposed to be concrete but...

the blue and red Fruity Pebbles looking thing started out as a brick wall painted blue with all the paint chiping of and moss growing on it but again...

I need serious help shading the tent and the truck. I think Im afraid to even work on them anymore...

Ill also reattempt a grass and dirt tile... soon...ish
anyway... thoughts anyone

_{^{P.S. I'm very sorry for overusing the smiles in any past, present, or future posts. I realize that doing so could very well result in lawsuits and large fines from your crack team of lawyers. I take full responsibility for any angry posts by annoyed members of this fourm. And yes, I did read the fine print. Good day to my... fine friends and fellow... pixelators!}}