AuthorTopic: [WIP] Tree  (Read 9014 times)

Offline dotodrymo

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Re: Tree

Reply #10 on: January 29, 2017, 07:48:43 pm
This is looking a lot better! I agree that the spiky fronds and triangular canopy make for an interesting silhouette, and I definitely understand not wanting to delete a bunch of texturing work. Maybe try repeating the shapes, like so?



Again, I probably went overboard with it, but giving the bottom of the tree a subtle u-shape should help give the sense that it's a big half-sphere of leaves.

I agree with skittlefuck about casting a heavier shadow on the trunk. My attempts to edit one in were terrible, but I think you could make it even more dramatic.

Edit: ninja'd! Aniki is right --- further trunk complexity (branches, big roots) is a definitely good idea.
« Last Edit: January 29, 2017, 07:51:49 pm by dotodrymo »

Offline jok

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Re: Tree

Reply #11 on: January 29, 2017, 08:13:11 pm
In short words - to much attention into local shading, detail - not enough focus on general shape and lighting

very good comments and edits by the way
and progress is impressive :)
keep it up

Offline Franrek

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Re: Tree

Reply #12 on: January 30, 2017, 08:47:38 pm
Worked on shape as you guys told me:

Offline tikitorches

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Re: Tree

Reply #13 on: January 30, 2017, 10:55:11 pm
The canopy still looks like kind of smushed onto the trunk. To fix this, try to think of the branches as the bones that hold up the leaves. Tree branches typically start thick and gradually taper to a point. What you have here is a very thick trunk and very short taper room. If you were to try to draw the branches underneath it would look odd:


I didn't draw that perfectly, but it looks a bit too cut-off. The trunk would either need to be thinner or the canopy larger so that it can accommodate the length of the branches.
The same trunk with a modified canopy:

I know that since you've worked on the texturing on the leaves, you probably don't want to alter the canopy that much, so you could always change the trunk and shift the canopy a little:

What I'm trying to get at is, try to think of the flow of the tree. The branches grew before the leaves, so the shape and number of the leaf clusters are dependent on the movement and placement of the branches.  :y:


I also have another suggestion, it's not super important because lots of trees are dense, but if you want to add more depth you can show some of the branches peeping through the leaf clusters (edit: I just realized another poster suggested this, oops) sort of like so:

That looks kind of weird but you get the point  :)
I like the color and texture so far, you seem to be great at the details but need a little help with the bigger shape
Keep it up!  ;D
« Last Edit: January 30, 2017, 11:01:27 pm by tikitorches »

Offline aamatniekss

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Re: Tree

Reply #14 on: January 31, 2017, 10:05:32 am
That's some great improvement overall!
One thing I could still suggest is, that the clumps of leaves you have there are shaded very individually, like each clump of leaves has a dark outline around them in the way of the shading(idk how to explain it, im not good with words :P), but that makes it look kind of flat imo, like it's put together from a bunch of round leaf clusters. You could try to blend them together a bit, making one bigger shape and a few smaller shapes instead of the tree consisting of a bunch of tiny leaf clusters shapes.

Here's an animated gif to try to illustrate my point.

Offline Franrek

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Re: Tree

Reply #15 on: January 31, 2017, 02:54:48 pm
^
Thx for all the info and support but I don't think I want to make such big changes since this sprite is only for training and I already spent a lot of time on and I'm not sure if I'll use it anywhere. I'll use your tips when I make my next tree for sure tho!
^
About that, I'm not sure if I will be able to make it good looking without flatening it too much. I'll give it a try for sure :)

Offline Runensucher

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Re: Tree

Reply #16 on: February 01, 2017, 10:39:13 am
There is something that I was thinking about from the very beginning. I'm not sure if this comes from lack of experience or if it is just a bad habit.

Please look at this:


I marked you some spots (the most obvious) of your image that have no form at all. Your sprite is very detailed and I'm a big fan of your endurance, but when you leave this parts as they are, it's no wonder that your tree looks flat.

Normaly, you do pixel art step by step. Having a base, adding a shade, adding a second shade, adding higlights, and so on. I think you missed these spots while stepping forward. Since they are everywhere they are really disillusioning.
- Make sure to give everything a form, even when it's further away. And cut out things you don't need. There are no such things as round blotches of green on a tree.
- Use your colours. Your darkest shade is only presented in such a small area. Why?
- Clean out the edge of your sprite. (This is maybe the easiest way to take your tree onto the next level.) Make sure it looks complete, as you did in the lower left corner of your foliage. And you don't need outlines in such a realistic sprite. They are disillusioning as well.

Once again, I want to encourage you to take everything step by step. Especially for training. Don't miss spots, take your time to finish things before you start with others. Take time to think and look. You have the endurance to do so. Use it in the right way.

I look forward to see more of your art. :)

Offline Franrek

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Re: Tree

Reply #17 on: February 01, 2017, 01:30:57 pm
First of all thank you for useful feedback and positive support! It really makes me more motivated somehow.
Use your colours. Your darkest shade is only presented in such a small area. Why?
Well, I'm kinda lost on it. I've been told there's too much dark colour between leaves and now you tell me I use it too few. I'm not sure how and where to use it properly.
. I'm not sure if this comes from lack of experience or if it is just a bad habit.
Some of the spots you marked are looking that way coz of the long breaks i had between texturing. I did few stacks of bushed and came back to it few days later. Then I realised that i can do next one better and did them with slighly diffrent technique/style (?). It's also certain most of it is just lack of experience since, I'm not doing pixelart or any art that long time. I'll fix spots you marked and look for more flaws like that.

Offline CFKaligula

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Re: Tree

Reply #18 on: February 01, 2017, 01:43:10 pm
 
Quote
Use your colours. Your darkest shade is only presented in such a small area. Why?
He isn't telling you to use more dark colours, he is telling you to make proper use of all your colours. He pointed out that your darkest shade is rarely used, so either you remove it completely or you use it more.

You get in the bowl

Offline Runensucher

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Re: Tree

Reply #19 on: February 01, 2017, 02:01:15 pm
Quote
Use your colours. Your darkest shade is only presented in such a small area. Why?
He isn't telling you to use more dark colours, he is telling you to make proper use of all your colours. He pointed out that your darkest shade is rarely used, so either you remove it completely or you use it more.

Thank you. ^^
Yeah, that's exactly what I ment.

To make it more clearly: You defined your "spheres of leaves" on the left side with up to five shades of green. On the right, the darker side, you only used three. That makes your tree look unfinished. And this happened, because you mainly focused on texture, but texture is the very last step you should work on. You need form in the first place, and form comes with good use of your colour palett.

Think of spaces where you can look through all the leaves right into the tree and add your darkest green there. You already've done it properly, just to sparingly.

Some of the spots you marked are looking that way coz of the long breaks i had between texturing. I did few stacks of bushed and came back to it few days later. Then I realised that i can do next one better and did them with slighly diffrent technique/style (?).
This is something you have to get rid of. You've drawn a very big sprite and you will never finish it, when you focus on details to early.
Be thankful you made this mistake. It will fasten your process for your next works. ^^
« Last Edit: February 01, 2017, 02:14:50 pm by Runensucher »