AuthorTopic: [C + C] Basic Tileset  (Read 3089 times)

Offline miro42

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[C + C] Basic Tileset

on: August 06, 2014, 01:27:33 pm
I've never done a tileset before, so here's a mockup.  Any and all suggestions welcome. :D



The characters and tileset aren't really supposed to go together, I just threw them in to break up the monotony.

Offline astraldata

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Re: [C + C] Basic Tileset

Reply #1 on: August 06, 2014, 03:40:10 pm
I see that you're going for a more stylized look for the rock formations, but your rocks come across as chips or fragments of glass or something in the dirt.

You've got to be clear what your forms represent -- even abstract games like Kirby's Superstar and Super Mario World (or even Lttp Zelda and other RPG's w/fantasy worlds) make sure the forms clearly represent something three-dimensional, despite them being clearly abstract and nothing like what we see day to day in our world -- that is... with the exception of form or color.

Right now, your color is similar to real-world dirt/mud in your 'rocks', but your form doesn't represent any sense of three-dimensionality, whether or not your 'rocks' should eventually look, form-wise, like real rocks. I suggest adding at least another color to it to hint at three-dimensionality in the rocks. That's the only reason your grass works after all -- it has another color you can use to shape forms with.

If you don't want to add another color (which isn't usually the best option imo -- maybe even in this case too), you can make the lighting resemble the lighting on rocks/mud a little more by removing the straight/sharp edges and clear triangular features, essentially succumbing to the fact that you are simply making mud/rock and nothing more spectacular, otherworldly, or exotic.

That aside, you could consider weaving some grass or vines into the cracks in the forms along the edges if you'd like to add variation. Other than that, your hud should stand out a little better than it does (i.e. increase its brightness of the hearts, outline the hearts, add a panel behind the hearts, draw some decorative stuff around the edges of the hud like in The Illusion of Gaia/Time, etc. etc.)
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Offline miro42

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Re: [C + C] Basic Tileset

Reply #2 on: August 07, 2014, 11:11:41 am
First off I'd like to say:



I tried what I thought you were saying and produced this:



I think it looks better in some ways, but also worse.  But there it is. :)

I outlined the hearts, but honestly I'm not even worried about that right now.  I'm just focusing on how tilesets work.

Offline astraldata

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Re: [C + C] Basic Tileset

Reply #3 on: August 07, 2014, 06:43:25 pm


Sorry if I wasn't clear enough -- the above is more along the lines of what I was referring to. I showed the 3d form in the central tiles and suggestion on the stylization of tiles like those (to the far right of the image).

Regarding stylization -- Notice how I used squares and circles with somewhat 'extruded' edges to represent the rocks stylistically? This is because I know the general shape of a rock is either boxy or somewhat spherical, allowing me to iconify such details into simple shapes.

A 'style' without purpose is just noise.

It's never good to just jump in and try to emulate or create unique styles without first understanding the fundamentals leading to that 'style' -- and that requires a deeper understanding of the overall purpose of the thing it is you're trying to convey. That's why the squares work for the rocks for example -- it's because they share fundamental similarities.
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Offline miro42

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Re: [C + C] Basic Tileset

Reply #4 on: August 08, 2014, 07:46:56 am
Wow, that looks great.  And it makes much more sense now, in regards to style and use of the third color.  I appreciate the help!  :y::D

EDIT:

So here's my edit based upon your suggestions.



I think I made it too busy.  What do you think?
« Last Edit: August 09, 2014, 04:11:08 am by miro42 »

Offline astraldata

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Re: [C + C] Basic Tileset

Reply #5 on: August 10, 2014, 10:35:57 pm
Not a problem man. Glad I could help. :)

As for your new image, the roots don't look too bad, but the second color in the dirt is too close to the darkest color. You should make it closer to the highlight instead, but distinct enough contrast-wise to  be its own color. As an alternative, you could make your darkest color darker, but you should keep in mind that the intensity of your sky/dirt should be closer than it is to create more harmony (as it stands, due to your very light sky color, if you put it grayscale, you have almost a white/black look to your image value & contrast-wise). Your sky color is too desaturated as well imo. You could do with making it slightly darker as well so that you could add things like clouds to it if you'd like -- with a color as bright as that sky is value-wise, you'll have trouble adding shadows if you want the clouds to have more of a 3d-ish look to them.
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