[WIP][C+C] Mockup of 2D platformer

[Nirel]

Hi, I played with adjustment layer clipping mask in photoshop, maybe one of these could help you in some way.

[drunkenoodle]

Hi Nirel, thanks so much for doing some examples, great variation. Really hits home the importance of readability (as mentioned further up)!

Based on your examples, the advice above and a couple of other cases of trial and error, I ended up with something like this (still hovering around a sunny day / early evening approach), will probably fade the tiles out a little more on the next pass:


I basically ended up making the characters more of a vibrant colour, also changed the temperature and texture of the foreground tiles a bit.

Not sure if it works fully, but it works better at least.
Cheers guys

[RedSuinit]

Hi Nirel, thanks so much for doing some examples, great variation. Really hits home the importance of readability (as mentioned further up)!

Based on your examples, the advice above and a couple of other cases of trial and error, I ended up with something like this (still hovering around a sunny day / early evening approach), will probably fade the tiles out a little more on the next pass:


I basically ended up making the characters more of a vibrant colour, also changed the temperature and texture of the foreground tiles a bit.

Not sure if it works fully, but it works better at least.
Cheers guys

Honestly I think that nuking the saturation is going to be the best solution for you.




I also increased contrast in the characters a little. You want the focal point of the art to have the brightest colors and the most contrast. When doing this edit I noticed that some of your objects had a lot of contrast, pulling attention away from the characters. I darkened everything to make it seem a bit more like "night" since the moon is out.

[drunkenoodle]

Ah I see what you mean, thanks for the example Red. So if you wanted to change the tone to be more of a daylight image, I presume you'd just use a different hue but at the same sort of saturation level to make the characters still stand out? As a general rule anyway.

[RedSuinit]

Ah I see what you mean, thanks for the example Red. So if you wanted to change the tone to be more of a daylight image, I presume you'd just use a different hue but at the same sort of saturation level to make the characters still stand out? As a general rule anyway.

Essentially, but the hue would need to be carefully chosen. If you went with a color close to white (too little saturation), the hair on the old man (white) would become very difficult to read.  Let take a quick poke at it.



This is what I would shoot for. A bit more saturation than the night-time image had, but not much. Added a bit more green to the back hills, water and reflection as well, due to the increase in yellow from sunlight. That's it. But look at the image, even though the colors are the same for literally everything except what I just mentioned, the whole image looks like it increased in brightness. the tiles, the trees, everything.

[drunkenoodle]

That's a very cool trick.

This is exactly why I came here, because I would never have figured that out on my own any time soon. In any case, thanks a lot for all your help. I think I can go back to it with a fresh pair of eyes and make a number of adjustments. Might even be worth starting on something new instead and using it just as an example for moving ahead.

Thanks again everyone, hopefully will have this nailed soon enough. 

[Decroded]

is the old man a mage or just an old man?
either way maybe he should have a staff.

[drunkenoodle]

Some say he's just an old man. But some also say he's something else... 

[drunkenoodle]

(but yes he probably should have some sort of implement) >.>

[Decroded]

here's a few ideas