Crits on my robosuit sprite guy

[Grindie]

Hey.

I used to rely on outlines when drawing sprites, but my chum has been nagging me to ditch the outlines for some time, so I'm giving it a try.

Here's the original sized sprite:


Here's it magnified by 10:


I'd be most grateful if you guys could give some crits and tips.

[Souly]

Uhh...
Well first off you don't need it zoomed at 10x.
This forum has a built in zoom feature.

Simply click on the image.

[Grindie]

Uhh...
Well first off you don't need it zoomed at 10x.
This forum has a built in zoom feature.

Simply click on the image.

Hah! Nifty! I'm just so used to other art forums where everyone says "Too small. can't see it", then leaves the thread.

[Helm]

Well this is pixelation. We like our pixels!

Contrast is an issue with your sprite. Too many shades per surface at this size is an issue also. Remember that in a small sprite where a leg is three pixels wide, if you use 3 different colors on it, every color is about one third of the leg size. Small pixel art pieces require extra simplification and contrast enhancement, even black outlines here and there to read well.

[Grindie]

Well this is pixelation. We like our pixels!

Contrast is an issue with your sprite. Too many shades per surface at this size is an issue also. Remember that in a small sprite where a leg is three pixels wide, if you use 3 different colors on it, every color is about one third of the leg size. Small pixel art pieces require extra simplification and contrast enhancement, even black outlines here and there to read well.

Right! So I'll simplify it to maybe 1 shade? I'll give it a shot.

[Helm]

here's an edit

[Grindie]

here's an edit

SNEStastic! Excellent.

[vellan]

great edit helm

i would venture even farther on the contrast path personally, but i think it still looks good.

[Doppleganger]

I decided to play devil's advocate here and say that outlines aren't necessarily bad. Especially on a sprite this size. Either you're going to want to use something like 3 colors with high contrast or use outlines. If you don't, you'll end up with a muddled mess. The former option is best reserved for nes sprites though.

Anyways, I used some high contrast high, high saturation colors, and the same general dark outline color. Although, I did outline some areas lighter than others to give it a less 2d look.

Please note that I butchered the perspective on his right arm since the original pose looked prety peculiar and confusing. But now his right arm is raised up a bit more and therefore kind of kills it. I didn't really realize it or else I might've pushed it down a bit. XD

[Grindie]

Okay, tips taken onboard and...

[Xion]

Whoa, man, tune down the saturation.
Make it higher than what you had but lower than what you have.
I'm not fond of the white outline.

[InvaderLupus]

step back and take a much closer look at Doppleganger and Helm's wonderful edits. Notice the good contrast, color conservation, and color choice. Especially note the desaturated colors. Saturation can look good in a few select situations, but for the most part it's really hard on the eyes. Right now yours looks a bit blob-ish. Up the contrast and make good use of your darker colors to help define the robot more.

[Joseph]

Lol im sorry, but immediately when I saw your updated version I seriously said "EW" out loud.  that update was more of a downgrade.  your older version was better  but work on your contrast and highlights.  also, your far shoulder doesnt go back as far as it should, theres a pixel between the shoulder thing (the gray piece) and the head which should be filled with gray.  also, looking at helms, you'll notice how little colors he used compared to yours, you can do a lot of a small palette and contrast, good luck.