[WIP][C&C] General pixel-art

[AshCrimson]

Hello!

Been pixeling for about a year or two, still learning alot about pixel-art and art in general so i guess you could say i am still relatively new to this.

I've been working on some character "classes" recently, and have recieved critique from places such as PixelJoint, Tigsource and somethingawful forums, but i feel that the more criticism i receive, the more i can hone and learn, in my personal experience at least.

I'm unsure of what i will do with them, my original idea was to maybe use them in a mock-up or game similar to Shining Force or Final Fantasy tactics and how they both have variations of classes, but at the moment that seems a bit beyond my capabilities.

At the very least it's good practise and experience as creating/pixeling characters isn't something im comfortable or good at.

So here they are:



The top four are "bases" on which the other characters originally come from.

All criticism and comments are more welcome.

[Fizzick]

opened it up in photoshop and had at it, only used 1/2px pencil brush and text. keep in mind i am no expert on anatomy, but that's some of what helps me sometimes. i didn't point out all you did right, but it's there. if anything is unclear please ask.

[AshCrimson]

opened it up in photoshop and had at it, only used 1/2px pencil brush and text. keep in mind i am no expert on anatomy, but that's some of what helps me sometimes. i didn't point out all you did right, but it's there. if anything is unclear please ask.

Thanks so much for the edit!

I was a bit wary of straight up copying what you did, so i tried to add some of my own interpretation whilst also adhering to your edit in terms of lighting and the way it faced.

For reference i included your edit and my original (my edit is in the middle):



Apologies if i got anything wrong or missed something.


Another update, tried doing the same with the other bases:



Not too confident about the others, they're probably less accurate this time around.


Had some more time today for another edit; tried adding the other arm, not sure if it looks right or even accurate. Mainly did it as it'll probably be needed eventually. Tried remaking two of the classes with the latest bases (Warrior and Priest) and kept originals beside for comparison. Also tried a few different poses:

[Fizzick]

I would say the overall sprite is starting to look pretty good, but the face/head looks pretty wrong bad. Look up some head refs and get the shape right

[AshCrimson]

I would say the overall sprite is starting to look pretty good, but the face/head looks pretty wrong bad. Look up some head refs and get the shape right

Is this any better? (Had some help from CELS on Pixeljoint, giving credit where credit is due)



Included my experimentation with other characters, not sure if i will keep them as they are.

For context, here's a rough timeline of how my character's have progressed (given i just joined Pixelation recently, most of it will not be present on this forum):

[Fizzick]

I liked the version of the pose where the back arm is more concealed behind the torso. Otherwise, 4 colors for hair and 3 for skin is slight overkill. I would use 2 of those skin colors per 'block' of skin, and only two or three for the hair. I would still make the heads a little thinner. Your armor looks like skintight shirts printed with a chain mail pattern. You would have similar shadows, but not as defined and it certainly adds some thickness/bagginess to the appropriate areas.  Most of your equipment (even the helmet) is skintight like hat and it makes it look fake. I would refrain from making so many characters before you have a solid base for them.

[AshCrimson]

I liked the version of the pose where the back arm is more concealed behind the torso. Otherwise, 4 colors for hair and 3 for skin is slight overkill. I would use 2 of those skin colors per 'block' of skin, and only two or three for the hair. I would still make the heads a little thinner. Your armor looks like skintight shirts printed with a chain mail pattern. You would have similar shadows, but not as defined and it certainly adds some thickness/bagginess to the appropriate areas.  Most of your equipment (even the helmet) is skintight like hat and it makes it look fake. I would refrain from making so many characters before you have a solid base for them.

Thanks for the critique! I'll make an edit with your words in mind. I appreciate the help so far, your edits have really made me reconsider what i should do.

I'll update and modify this post when i've completed the edit.

[Pix3M]

The shields might be confusing though since the general design leans closer to being more historically accurate than heavily stylized like a lot of Japanese games. The shields have different designs on them, which could be interpreted as some characters coming from different parts of the world and part of different armies. Might be helpful to keep shield designs consistent if you're going for designs that are less stylized and more 'accurate'.

[AshCrimson]

Here's my edit:



Column one has a thinner head, like Fizzick recommended, whilst column 2 does not, for comparison purposes.

I included the base with the arm slightly behind the chest, as Fizzick said it looked better and the current one in the second row for comparison. Not sure which one i prefer at the moment.

I also tried making the chainmail on one of the fighters look more baggy (row 1, row 2 is original) and reduced the definition of the shadows, as Fizzick said. I'm personally not sure how to do this, so im not sure if this is the right direction or if i have misinterpreted what i was told.

Pix3M:

I wasn't thinking of making them come from differing parts of the world or armies, but you've given me the idea that i should try that, to vary them up. Either that or keep them consistant as you said.

[Pix3M]

I wasn't thinking of making them come from differing parts of the world or armies, but you've given me the idea that i should try that, to vary them up. Either that or keep them consistant as you said.

Oh, just to be super clear, I might want to add that it's mostly the colors and shapes inside the shield and not the shape of the actual shield. (They'd vary in function for different classes anyways). Guys with the golden cross on an azure background design suggests belonging from a different army than the crossbowman with his diagonal stripes. (research I'm doing right now tells me that the cross shape is also known as the Nordic Cross flag. Who'd knew?)

I think they can be compared to today's national flags the more I look at heraldic designs and today's flags.