Need help on shading dark sprites

[awh13]

As in the title, I'm having big trouble on spriting this guy, Spiderman Noir for my fanart. He wears all black and I just can't find a way to slip in those highlights. I was thinking about leaving him be as right now, but he felt saturated and out of place compared to the other spidermen I've made. I'd love some advices.


Here is a version I'm working with, I feel like the highlight color are too bright / contrasty? They're in a palette and I don't want to add more colors.

[Vinik]

Second version is obviously more readable because you added another shade. It is not too highlighted yet to me, quite the opposite but that kind of thing should be judged against the scene, and depending on the level of focus you want on him I guess.

If you want to show more volume like in the second piece without making him generally brighter, then I think some dramatic underlights would fit very well. Can't think of anything else, but I am sure others here will have different suggestions for him.

Ah, to keep him more Spidey I would change his tophat into a bowler hat, so his head keeps rounded and more easily indentifiable coupled with the spidey eyes. I didn't knew it was Spiderman until I read your description

[awh13]

Thank you, but I don't get what you mean by underlight. Did you mean adding thin shades of highlight to emphasize the folds of his clothes?

Some more working

Here's a pic of him with the intended background. I think he sticks out pretty well, I don't know if I should bring a brighter highlight to him?
On the other side, this guy pretty much doesn't look like Spidey himself, however he'd be recognizable with I put him along with other Spideys.

[pistachio]

Making him read as Spidey in b&w, difficult but not impossible. I took the cheap route, added red but you don't have to.

Changed proportions. Your arms here are too short.

You had this going in version #1,  added rimlight. Film noir has a lot of over the top lighting next to shadows. And I think you get that, but you're undermining that with these lit places in your last pic. This is if it's a standalone sprite, depends on context tho, if it has to be well lit, it sort of works but it's a compromise.

[awh13]

Making him read as Spidey in b&w, difficult but not impossible. I took the cheap route, added red but you don't have to.

Changed proportions. Your arms here are too short.

You had this going in version #1,  added rimlight. Film noir has a lot of over the top lighting next to shadows. And I think you get that, but you're undermining that with these lit places in your last pic. This is if it's a standalone sprite, depends on context tho, if it has to be well lit, it sort of works but it's a compromise.

So I went ahead and add another color to the palette, I think this turns out pretty well. The highlight you showed on the edge of the coat (that pops out the collar) really blew my mind. I keep trying to make it dark for some reason and it was unreadable. Big thanks on that one.
His arms are now also longer, I fix a few part for better read. I'm pretty ok with him now, the only thing that bugs me is that I'm using a premade palette so I don't wanna to add another color. Is it ok to do so?