AuthorTopic: (WIP) Newbie Trying To Pixel An Island  (Read 32989 times)

Offline Wallie988

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(WIP) Newbie Trying To Pixel An Island

on: September 11, 2013, 11:56:33 pm
Hey everyone! I've recently started with my big flower island chain project (this is just one of the petal islands):
Newest version:
(I can't remove the background on my computer)
I'm hoping to fix the issues before it gets too difficult.
At this point in time, it's not looking very good - critique and advice would really be appreciated! >^.^<
« Last Edit: October 20, 2013, 03:04:34 pm by Wallie988 »

Offline tim

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Re: Newbie Trying To Pixel An Island

Reply #1 on: September 12, 2013, 01:07:45 pm
Actually the biggest issue is your shading. Montains, water, trunks, leaves, are all of different shapes in reality. Therefore they can't receive light in the same way. You have to "sculpt" how the light is hitting those surfaces. Take a look at Arne's tutorial here : http://androidarts.com/pixtut/pixelart.htm

Take a look at your image :



Try to sculpt instead of simply doing smooth gradients to fill shapes :





Don't do dithering now. First sculpt and paint everything. Dithering is a finishing touch, don't wate your time doing it now.
« Last Edit: September 12, 2013, 01:09:50 pm by tim »
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Offline r1k

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Re: Newbie Trying To Pixel An Island

Reply #2 on: September 12, 2013, 07:29:39 pm
heres your image without the background



I just used the magic wand tool in photoshop to select all the pixels of colors you used to draw with, then pasted it into a new document.

I would try working more painterly.  Like, first rough out the whole island.  For example, it seems wierd that you drew all the trees without first filling the island in a solid color.

Offline Wallie988

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Re: Newbie Trying To Pixel An Island

Reply #3 on: September 12, 2013, 09:30:45 pm
tim and r1k,
Thanks for the advice! I'm probably going to practice by redoing the trees and cave first... :3
*attempts to do some not so smooth shapes*
« Last Edit: September 13, 2013, 03:08:48 am by Wallie988 »

Offline Wallie988

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Re: Newbie Trying To Pixel An Island

Reply #4 on: September 13, 2013, 03:00:20 am

What do you all think of this? I know it's still terrible, but the texture looks a bit less smooth.
And would anyone happen to know how to draw large scale forests? My last island was VERY unporportionate - the trees were the same size as the mountain/stone structure. >^.^<
« Last Edit: September 13, 2013, 06:53:48 pm by Wallie988 »

Offline Sohei

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Re: Newbie Trying To Pixel An Island

Reply #5 on: September 15, 2013, 01:45:14 pm
I gave up on making maps, because I don't understand the logic behind landscape forming. It is not an easy thing to do, and I see mistakes in your picture that I used to make often.  A river does not appear from nowhere. It's headspring starts in a mountains, or in a lake, ok is formed by lots of streams, so there are definitely lot's of moist and green around. Water flows from high gound to low.
And this is just a tiny example.
So, before starting actual drawing, I'd suggest to think all ideas over and pack them using logic.

Offline Wallie988

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Re: Newbie Trying To Pixel An Island

Reply #6 on: September 16, 2013, 12:19:04 pm
Um, maybe it would work if I made the river come out from that pond that's forming around the mountain? >^.^<

Offline Zintendo

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Re: Newbie Trying To Pixel An Island

Reply #7 on: September 17, 2013, 12:40:47 pm
I think the problem with your rocks is the same I had with my sword; you got excited with your progress and posted it here before you could really finish it.  Those rocks look great so far! Just keep the bum in the seat until you distribute one or two more shades... Maybe that's not it though.  Putting more thought into it, your rocks may be suffering from the repeated pattern of, what looks like a boxing glove.  Unless those are million year old water rocks, Rocks tend to be randomly shat out by volcanoes.  You either have a subconscience interest in Fighting, or butts, hahaha(it's probably just me) !  Finding rocks with lines running down the middle would be like finding 4 leaf clovers... Anyways, expirment with shading misshapen trapezoids, penta deca octagons, instead of lines for rocks.  I hope that makes sense.

Back in my youth, I was obsessive with symmetry.  It showed in a number of ways: I would level my skills evenly in RPG's, Lego creations were symmetrical.  It's eased a bit with age, but it's still there.


I understand where your coming from, shading the trees evenly from left to right.   Unfortunately, only certain things in nature are naturally, uniformly shaded.


Tims reply is spot on when it comes to shading.  If you're still having trouble, try looking at how games in the past.did their trees.
« Last Edit: September 17, 2013, 01:14:14 pm by Zintendo »

Offline Wanyo

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Re: Newbie Trying To Pixel An Island

Reply #8 on: September 17, 2013, 06:54:50 pm


I had a little fun at work and had a few ideas so I did a little rough scribbling, I'm not sure how realistic you wanted things or if you wanted them more representative but I tossed a couple ideas in there if you wanted to go a bit more realistic and take in a few of the ideas others tossed in. I made the water flow a little less smooth and a bit more random, the mountains less like big rocks, and the trees more like a forest (though you might have wanted them to be giant trees), and added a little beach like area. I didn't want to go too much further because I didn't know what you had planned for the other land.

Don't be afraid to give your major elements a little more form instead of cutting them right off, let them feel their way into the land like real objects would. Also remember that water gets a lot of it's darker colors by depth especially from afar.
<3

Offline Wallie988

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Re: Newbie Trying To Pixel An Island

Reply #9 on: September 17, 2013, 09:36:22 pm
@Zintendo
Thanks! - I'll try to fix the boxing glove thingy! But I think it's going to take a while for me to figure out that not so smooth rock shading technique. xP

@Wanyo
O.o I love it! However, I do feel that I was very unclear about something... I'm actually looking for one of those huge stone cliff thingyings (not an actual mountain. >^.^<

Something like this but with a waterfall maybe?:

http://blog.remnantbride.com/wp-content/uploads/garden_of_gods.jpg
« Last Edit: September 17, 2013, 11:43:11 pm by Wallie988 »