AuthorTopic: [CC] An excercise in sea monster redesigns  (Read 2877 times)

Offline MysteryMeat

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[CC] An excercise in sea monster redesigns

on: September 22, 2016, 09:00:07 am
So today I decided to give a crack at redesigns, with the goal of making whatever I chose more horrific!
 this was the result:




This piece was based off this creature here, which according to what I was told isn't in fact supposed to be blue but instead the colors I put:


I'm looking for both mechanical and idea criticisms, I was hoping to keep the general idea of it (squishy chubby baby sea monster) but introduce just enough horrible to it to foster a sense of "yeah no I don't want to be around this thing" for lack of a better description.

EDIT: uploaded the wrong version! whoops!
« Last Edit: September 22, 2016, 09:54:01 am by MysteryMeat »
PSA: use imgur
http://pixelation.org/index.php?topic=19838.0 also go suggest on my quest, cmon
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Offline PixelPiledriver

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Re: [CC] An excercise in sea monster redesigns

Reply #1 on: September 22, 2016, 10:00:26 am
.
« Last Edit: December 08, 2019, 02:49:16 am by PixelPiledriver »
And knowing that it is, we seek what it is... ~ Aristotle, Posterior Analytics, Chapter 1

Offline MysteryMeat

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Re: [CC] An excercise in sea monster redesigns

Reply #2 on: September 22, 2016, 10:29:39 am
Understood! Will edit a tweak into this post Tomorrow night!
PSA: use imgur
http://pixelation.org/index.php?topic=19838.0 also go suggest on my quest, cmon
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Offline Rosier

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Re: [CC] An excercise in sea monster redesigns

Reply #3 on: September 23, 2016, 01:29:23 am
If you want it to look a bit more unsettling, maybe make the mouth a bit bigger with more teeth.  It's ear fin things also don't read amazing, and upping the contrast probably won't help.  I'd say make the part inbetween the spikes a lighter color.

Offline MysteryMeat

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Re: [CC] An excercise in sea monster redesigns

Reply #4 on: September 23, 2016, 03:12:14 am
I'm going to have to nix my previous intent to work on this further actually. The recipient of the piece did not like it (to put it midly) and it's kind of killed any motivation I had to work on it beyond where it's at now.
Blegh.
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Offline yaomon17

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Re: [CC] An excercise in sea monster redesigns

Reply #5 on: September 23, 2016, 04:14:07 am
Ahh, the only mistake you are making here is being discouraged by some person's opinion (not saying you shouldn't take what was said seriously, but that is not my role to judge). This is a great opportunity to improve and see to it that something like this won't happen again. After all, if you don't take this chance to brush up this piece, isn't it likely that something like this happens again? We wouldn't want that now.  :D
Now the thing I find that a majority of clients love most is clean, high contrast and 'crisp' looking art, so when in doubt, contrast slider all the way right and gamma all the way left (not literally, be reasonable  ::) I use to put specular highlights on everything, even fur and stuff). Shift a few hues so you won't have to hurt someone with the contrast while making it readable. The pose of the animal given to you doesn't give much character to work with, but often a super cool dynamic pose/silhouette with depth and some "built-in layers" as I call it (like some old fighting game sprites where there are limbs that are just shades entirely darker than their counterparts).



More notes after edit:
This is a lesson I learned from league, always tilt. Tilt the perspective a tiny bit, if it isn't the whole thing, at least some limbs or extremities. Even if the client requests you don't do it at all, do it slightly anyway. It makes things more interesting to look at. Just make sure the perspective isn't too off and no weird exorcist shit goes on.
Another one. Two tones, inspired by famous man in his industry of work, two tone malone. It is, as I have found pixeling over the years, extremely difficult to make something good looking with one ramp (or one ramp and <= half of another). You did quite an impressive job stretching out your palette. Free yourself with another color! Let it improve your clarity, make it easier to compose and make it easier to pose! Having a secondary trim color is so important!
That is about it. Sorry about the WIP gif, got into the 'zone' so there is a bit of a jump from the last 3 frames to the ones before, had to control z to the earliest stack to the the 3rd to last image :P Also the perspective of the head fin and several other things are slightly off.

Good luck!
« Last Edit: September 23, 2016, 04:16:13 am by yaomon17 »

Offline MysteryMeat

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Re: [CC] An excercise in sea monster redesigns

Reply #6 on: September 23, 2016, 07:08:43 am
It was more of an emotional thing, I accidentally killed a chance at rekindling a friendship with this because I didn't think they'd have a problem with my usual snarky way of describing things or for redesigning the character like I did, which I'd intended as a surprise.
It's uh, not great being called an asshole over gift-art, and it's not something I want to put any more of my effort into as a result.

That said, those are some excellent tweaks. I tend more towards soft pastels because of my colorblindness and use of basic math when I do color stuff, but I'll try to play around more with high-contrast work when I get a chance.
I don't quite know what you mean about perspective stuff here though, you repositioned the gut and leg some but I'm not seeing any real change in perspective? Granted I am a bit out of it now (it's late) so it's possible I'm just being oblivious, but a bit of further explanation might help.
PSA: use imgur
http://pixelation.org/index.php?topic=19838.0 also go suggest on my quest, cmon
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Offline yaomon17

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Re: [CC] An excercise in sea monster redesigns

Reply #7 on: September 23, 2016, 08:52:54 am
I was just talking about a bit of bend or kick in a limb contour to vary up the form and help shape the forms instead of following it all the way. My b   :crazy:

Offline MysteryMeat

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Re: [CC] An excercise in sea monster redesigns

Reply #8 on: September 23, 2016, 09:06:21 am
Oh, ok! Yeah, that will probably help with my static posing some too. Good idea!
PSA: use imgur
http://pixelation.org/index.php?topic=19838.0 also go suggest on my quest, cmon
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