AuthorTopic: This week I've been mostly pixelling stuff...  (Read 3718 times)

Offline ptepid

  • 0001
  • *
  • Posts: 31
  • Karma: +0/-0
  • Token Lurker
    • View Profile
    • ptepid's repository

This week I've been mostly pixelling stuff...

on: January 22, 2007, 02:33:42 am
... at least, thus far (today being Monday).

Started this a while back but have only just got it to look "right" as of today. I'm constantly tweaking the position/size/etc of the facial features, so I thought I'd better get some outside input before all tweaks cause its ruin.

EDIT: Simplifying this to show progress.
-> -> ->

Oh, and here's a bit of oddness I did a while back, just threw together a few different ideas I had into the one piece. Don't think I'll take it any further though, so just putting it in here for sheer randomness value.
« Last Edit: January 24, 2007, 06:32:55 am by ptepid »

Offline pkmays

  • 0010
  • *
  • Posts: 336
  • Karma: +0/-0
  • dawn patrole mole
    • View Profile

Re: This week I've been mostly pixelling stuff...

Reply #1 on: January 24, 2007, 04:24:33 am
I'm very fond of the background on the last piece, but not the character. Looks like something I'd want as a desktop image.

Offline Xion

  • 0100
  • ***
  • Posts: 1551
  • Karma: +0/-0
    • View Profile
    • FourbitFriday

Re: This week I've been mostly pixelling stuff...

Reply #2 on: January 24, 2007, 04:49:51 am
Yeah, the last pic is pretty cool, but I think it would be better if that big dude weren't blocking out the abstract background, which looks like some kind of really cool sky. If the whole image were just that bg with maybe a few birds or some abstract creature in the distance it would be pretty awesome.

In the portrait: It's really good, but the two things that stand out most to me are the fact that the eyes are completely flat - no kind of shine that eyes are usually known for - and the nearest cheek is pretty flat as well.
The green tint makes it look kind of sickly (I'm talking about the normal colors, here) and the palette's kind of boring. Everything is so desaturated.
Also, the hair looks like it has a corner. It goes from being just vertical lines on the side to just horizontal on top. If you fixed that and made it transition smoothly and roundly, then that would pretty much fix everything that I can see right now.
 :y: :y:

Offline ptepid

  • 0001
  • *
  • Posts: 31
  • Karma: +0/-0
  • Token Lurker
    • View Profile
    • ptepid's repository

Re: This week I've been mostly pixelling stuff...

Reply #3 on: January 24, 2007, 05:28:41 am
I'm very fond of the background on the last piece, but not the character. Looks like something I'd want as a desktop image.
Yeah, the last pic is pretty cool, but I think it would be better if that big dude weren't blocking out the abstract background, which looks like some kind of really cool sky. If the whole image were just that bg with maybe a few birds or some abstract creature in the distance it would be pretty awesome.
Cool, thanks. Yeah, the character was more an experiment in 'style' than in good design. Maybe I'll do something with the background though, if you both like it. :)

In the portrait: It's really good, but the two things that stand out most to me are the fact that the eyes are completely flat - no kind of shine that eyes are usually known for - and the nearest cheek is pretty flat as well.
The green tint makes it look kind of sickly (I'm talking about the normal colors, here) and the palette's kind of boring. Everything is so desaturated.
Also, the hair looks like it has a corner. It goes from being just vertical lines on the side to just horizontal on top. If you fixed that and made it transition smoothly and roundly, then that would pretty much fix everything that I can see right now.
 :y: :y:
Alrighty then, I'll see if I can't fix those issues. Cheers. :y:

So, no other problems with the facial structure/details? That's usually where I fail the most, though I did actually use a reference this time (mirror + my face) so guess that helped.

EDIT: Don't want to double-post, so here is my latest version:
« Last Edit: January 24, 2007, 06:34:58 am by ptepid »

Offline Helm

  • Moderator
  • 0110
  • *
  • Posts: 5159
  • Karma: +0/-0
    • View Profile
    • Asides-Bsides

Re: This week I've been mostly pixelling stuff...

Reply #4 on: January 24, 2007, 08:13:20 am
I also enjoy the background but not the character in second image.

Quote
I'm constantly tweaking the position/size/etc of the facial features,

That's a giveaway that you're not measuring properly. Seek guides to fine art measurement online. I can't help much more because I also suffer from this and have yet to look into means of rectifying, but if you find yourself moving stuff around on a face while you're in mid-shading, and changing sides etc whatever to achieve likeness, then you need training in measurment.

Offline ptepid

  • 0001
  • *
  • Posts: 31
  • Karma: +0/-0
  • Token Lurker
    • View Profile
    • ptepid's repository

Re: This week I've been mostly pixelling stuff...

Reply #5 on: January 24, 2007, 01:41:28 pm
That's a giveaway that you're not measuring properly. Seek guides to fine art measurement online. I can't help much more because I also suffer from this and have yet to look into means of rectifying, but if you find yourself moving stuff around on a face while you're in mid-shading, and changing sides etc whatever to achieve likeness, then you need training in measurment.
Do you mean having an understanding of anatomy/facial structure? Or are you talking about 'eyeballing' things, interpreting distance and reproducing it? From what little I've read on it, the fact that your brain compensates for things such as attenuation with distance, the colour of objects relative to its surroundings (etc, etc...) makes reproducing what you see quite difficult. I'm guessing that's what you mean, learning to interpret what you're seeing and being able to reproduce it accurately. I did a quick search on this just now, and so far I've come up with a bunch of links about knitting and painting gourds. I'll see how I go. ;)

I remember when I started doing isometric pixels of inanimate objects I'd actually measure the distances between key elements with a ruler, similar to how I would if drawing an engineering diagram or something. Obviously that's not always possible (i.e. animate objects).

Offline Helm

  • Moderator
  • 0110
  • *
  • Posts: 5159
  • Karma: +0/-0
    • View Profile
    • Asides-Bsides

Re: This week I've been mostly pixelling stuff...

Reply #6 on: January 24, 2007, 01:47:13 pm
Yeah I'm not talking about anatomy, I'm talking about reproduction. Fine art people get a lot of training with needles and such.