AuthorTopic: forest mockup (Read 15477 times)

JWW · **on:** February 12, 2007, 05:06:19 am

been workin on this for the past couple of days, and i think its pretty much finished. It's for a game project on a pretty tight deadline, so more mockups soon. Thanks to badassbill and david for critiques.

Cow · **Reply #1 on:** February 12, 2007, 05:17:47 am

Woah, that's pretty pretty.

I dunno if you want critiques, since it's finished, but I think the tree is kind of... out of perspective. The leaves work, but the trunk seems to be, like, straight-on with the camera, almost. Besides that, the character is also super-tiny in comparison to the rest. If that's intentional, disregard that.

Yeah. Cool.

JWW · **Reply #2 on:** February 12, 2007, 05:22:47 am

thanks mccow. The character size won't change, but can you show me what you would do to fix the perspective of the trunk? it looks ok to me.

Cow · **Reply #3 on:** February 12, 2007, 05:39:04 am

Since I'm incredibly lazy, and the same issue has come up before, I'll just direct you toward's Jad's example:

from this topic: http://www.wayofthepixel.net/pixelation/index.php?topic=2623

Vale · **Reply #4 on:** February 12, 2007, 05:44:52 am

Your color choice is excellent. The are so vibrant. The only problem I can see is the tree perspective which has already been expressed.

JWW · **Reply #5 on:** February 12, 2007, 05:45:56 am

im shortening the trunk and making roots in the back to remedy this. Thanks for the comments =)

Joseph · **Reply #6 on:** February 12, 2007, 05:52:39 am

I agree with the trees but wow dude, you've really improved. i'm in love with this piece of art!
I love the rocks too, very "helm-ish" looking.

Fantastic work, can't wait to see this finished.

JWW · **Reply #7 on:** February 12, 2007, 06:09:02 am

thanks joseph =)

update, shrooms and tried to fix the tree. probably didn't work.

Joseph · **Reply #8 on:** February 12, 2007, 06:55:31 am

it helped, but needs more. I like the shrooms a lot too. you're becomming my next inspirational artist.

ZoSo · **Reply #9 on:** February 12, 2007, 07:05:12 am

freaking awesome... Kinda reminds me a bit of Secret of Mana 2, you should make the sprites more in that style to, would look wicked. Keep it up, rock on!

AlexHW · **Reply #10 on:** February 12, 2007, 07:47:08 am

wow, that is really hot!

about the presumed perspective issue on the tree, keep in mind that not all trees stick perfectly straight up, and many gnarly ones lean to the side, so there could be no perspective issue with it at all. I personally think it looks fine.
I do think the end of the log could use some work, at the moment it doesn't read as an end of a log.

Xion · **Reply #11 on:** February 12, 2007, 08:17:12 am

Yeah, the end of the log looks wierd. I think the roots should go up into the air instead of drooping like they're soggy.

Quote from: ZoSo on February 12, 2007, 07:05:12 am

freaking awesome... Kinda reminds me a bit of Secret of Mana 2, you should make the sprites more in that style to, would look wicked. Keep it up, rock on!

I completely disagree. The sprite as is has so much awesome it's massaging my eyecubes. 8 directions. Any less would be criminal.

You gonna add some other life? Not neccessarily enemies but maybe squirrels, birds, ambient life like that?
Ok, maybe one enemy.

I agree with alex about the tree, though. Looks fine as is.

Retro# · **Reply #12 on:** February 12, 2007, 01:42:14 pm

Very pretty, reminds me of Sword of Mana. Only critique is that the top left log, seems to be too bright? It makes it look just a little out of place in my eyes.

MadToaster · **Reply #13 on:** February 12, 2007, 06:16:29 pm

Wow, that's amazing looking.

I think the only thing that seems off is the tree. I'm not sure if it's a matter of texture or values but it doesn't seem to pop enough to feel like it's a separate mass from the ground behind it.

Nothing serious, keep up the good work!

AdamAtomic · **Reply #14 on:** February 12, 2007, 06:39:07 pm

hot! I think you could use one additional, darker shade to help pop out the tree and the fallen trunk. I think the fallen trunk opening looks crumpled, or weird - the roots on the top of the log seem to be falling downward, instead of sticking up? really great otherwise, inspirational - love the leaves!

Xion · **Reply #15 on:** February 12, 2007, 07:32:06 pm

The tree needs more bright leaves on top, I think.
Could be wrong.

JWW · **Reply #16 on:** February 12, 2007, 09:08:22 pm

thanks for the comments everyone

new version coming soon, ill try to address all the issues. New mockup wip on the way as well.

Ryumaru · **Reply #17 on:** February 12, 2007, 09:33:20 pm

hi im jww and i make amazing, beautiful stuff, then deny that im better than ryu :/

hah, lovin it man, the pallette really makes all the plant life look very lush and alive, the background has just as much character in it as the player.

JWW · **Reply #18 on:** February 13, 2007, 03:38:34 am

:F thanks ryu
new version

-saturated/brightened the tree to make it stand out more as madtoaster suggested
-messed with the end of the log
-added enemies(walking pots)

ZoSo · **Reply #19 on:** February 13, 2007, 01:11:09 pm

Tree is better now, this rocks man

.

Kame · **Reply #20 on:** February 13, 2007, 01:23:22 pm

Johnny Appleseed? Whatever it is, looks great, good luck with your game project.

Faceless · **Reply #21 on:** February 13, 2007, 01:51:35 pm

The top left pickaxe-like grass blade looks really odd to me, and is (imo) really hurting the piece.
The enemies also look a bit dodgy to me, and I think the clover like clumps of grass under the tree have highlights that are much to strong.
Otherwise it looks really nice.

Helm · **Reply #22 on:** February 13, 2007, 04:33:57 pm

Blue tree foliage, as nicely rendered as it is, due to being cool hued makes a hole into the warmer ground, seems to be less high than it. Basic color theory: warmer = closer, colder = further. I'd suggest a retinting of that part.

gliding · **Reply #23 on:** February 13, 2007, 11:13:04 pm

Quote from: Helm on February 13, 2007, 04:33:57 pm

Blue tree foliage, as nicely rendered as it is, due to being cool hued makes a hole into the warmer ground, seems to be less high than it. Basic color theory: warmer = closer, colder = further. I'd suggest a retinting of that part.

Technically, i concur; however, this piece doesn't really bother me in terms of th hues used bcause of the fact that it's pulled off so well. If someone were to wonder why the tree is blue, it wouldn't be because of colour theory gone astray- it'd be because trees aren't normally blue.

My point is, that the trees shouldn't change hue because of technicalities like that- no will really notice unless they're looking for it.

Ryumaru · **Reply #24 on:** February 13, 2007, 11:22:04 pm

no, helms crit is entirely valid. put your face 3 feet away from the screen. all but the highlights of the leaves will seem to come forward, the rest will seem to be behind the gjround.

JWW · **Reply #25 on:** February 13, 2007, 11:33:54 pm

but with a character of that size no one is going to have their face 3 ft from the screen

I see what you mean but my progger likes the blue trees and he's quite adamant on keeping them that way.

Ryumaru · **Reply #26 on:** February 13, 2007, 11:37:38 pm

dont worry, crits arent laws.

ndchristie · **Reply #27 on:** February 13, 2007, 11:42:05 pm

blue in itself is far from being cold, it will help to liven it up a lot by tilting it away from the current prussian brights into the ultramarines though. that way, the warm blues will com forwards, the neutral greens+reds will define the lighted path, and the cool greens+reds will define the shaded areas. The really warm colors are reserved for the characters and items.

vs

crab2selout.png · **Reply #28 on:** February 14, 2007, 03:12:28 am

Friggin' awesome. Great job on this. It reminds me alot of Alex Hanson White's stuff. Especially the tree trunks and grass.

gliding · **Reply #29 on:** February 14, 2007, 03:37:58 am

Quote from: Ryumaru on February 13, 2007, 11:22:04 pm

no, helms crit is entirely valid. put your face 3 feet away from the screen. all but the highlights of the leaves will seem to come forward, the rest will seem to be behind the gjround.

No one ever said that they weren't valid. I said that they were in the first line of my text, merely stating that due to the cercumstances, that specific crit didn't hold enough merit to change the piece.

BTW. I really like your solution, adarias; it makes sense to me.

Xion · **Reply #30 on:** February 14, 2007, 03:48:54 am

Quote from: Adarias on February 13, 2007, 11:42:05 pm

blue in itself is far from being cold, it will help to liven it up a lot by tilting it away from the current prussian brights into the ultramarines though. that way, the warm blues will com forwards, the neutral greens+reds will define the lighted path, and the cool greens+reds will define the shaded areas. The really warm colors are reserved for the characters and items.
vs

...Yours is on the left? To be honest I prefer the original. The tree has more contrast and more depth. Your edit makes it look a bit flat.

Why is the tree so shiny?

gliding · **Reply #31 on:** February 14, 2007, 03:57:41 am

It would be a lot harder to make an object look flat AND shiny.Highlights are meant to suggest form ( I don't know how else to say it)- the highlights might be a bit much, but they normally don't make an object look flat.

edited slightly*

ohhh, I think you confused which was which. The one with more contrast is by adarias. The slightly desat one is by JWW.

Xion · **Reply #32 on:** February 14, 2007, 03:58:45 am

I was saying the edit's leaves make it look flat.
The trunk was shiny in the original. I was just asking a general question.

gliding · **Reply #33 on:** February 14, 2007, 04:00:45 am

I think you confused which was original and which was edited. (see my previous post)

Xion · **Reply #34 on:** February 14, 2007, 07:51:47 am

Scrolling through the previous posts, I see none of JWW's that look like the one on the left (the purpler one for the dislexic). So I assume that Adarias' edit resulted in the one on the left, with JWW's being on the right.

So...I stand by my comment that the edit looks flatter, and that I preferred the original.

And so I ask JWW, in general, why is the tree so shiny? The fallen log has depth but it isn't so shiny as the standing one. Those hilights just plain seem odd, to me, being so bright and jarring among the rest of the treetrunk.

Is that a sign by the fallen log? If so, is it readable? If not what is it? If readable, the player could and would probably easily pass it up, seeing as how it doesn't stand out at all.

ndchristie · **Reply #35 on:** February 14, 2007, 11:46:47 am

there is a lot of depth lost in the tree itself of course because no longer is there much interplay of light and dark, that is on purpose. depth within a form is artistically desireable, but it is not in terms of graphics. in terms of game layers, the tree is in a single layer above the character and should be treated as such, else result in the issues previously discussed.

a much more extensive color and value edit that i dont think JWW would like but is where i would take it to capitalize on the layers idea and just in general make the image more readable.

another alternative used successfully by some games is to keep the trees and other unwalakble areas cold while making all of the walkable areas hot, but also to visually raise them and only use them as a frame/border. Since this tree must visually be placed before the character however, it looks as though he can walk right under it, i dont know that that is rreally a viable solution.

big brother · **Reply #36 on:** February 14, 2007, 04:02:48 pm

I've always loved how color theory can define playing fields, and this is an interesting discussion.

The tree trunks are a bit visually confusing to me. The one lying on the ground shares the same colors and shading as the upright one which flattens the image for me. Also, the tree's color ramp is very close to that used by the dirt tiles. It might be worth it to give the trunk more saturation and the ground less.

Beautiful work overall!

JWW · **Reply #37 on:** February 14, 2007, 08:59:39 pm

wow thanks for all the comments =)
@xion - to be honest i don't really know why. I didnt pay much attention to the trunk when i was making colour swaps.
@adarias - i really love the upped contrast. Unfortunately i havent put my tiles together in a tileset yet so its a total pain in the ass to go through swapping colours right now. Really appreciate the edits and input =)
@big brother - yea colours in the ground are used in the log and trunk. Ill revise the palette on the tree and log. And thank you!

p.s. call me Jake :3

Draco9898 · **Reply #38 on:** February 16, 2007, 10:36:29 pm

That's some crazy good work there. I can admit- I'm quite jealous

It makes me have an eye-gasm

The textures on the ground and everything are absolute

pixelaro · **Reply #39 on:** February 17, 2007, 10:33:09 pm

Really, really nice... SD3 like.
Almost everything has been said already, butI think the grass area looks busy right now, I'm not sure how well it would work if you have a lot of those tiles at the screen at once. Maybe add some flat grass tiles in between?

JWW · **Reply #40 on:** February 17, 2007, 10:44:06 pm

i do have flat grass tiles, they just arent abundant in this mockup.
New town screen coming in the next couple of days.

JJ · **Reply #41 on:** February 19, 2007, 03:40:36 am

I know I'm in no position to critique such awesome pixel art, being a newbie, but I have two little problems.
1. The highlights on the tree and log just don't work. Maybe you could use the dirt highlights some more?
2. Speaking of the log, it has the same shades as the tree trunk (in the shadow of the leaves), leading us to believe the log is in shadow. However, there is nothing casting a shadow on it.
I hope this helps.

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AuthorTopic: forest mockup (Read 15477 times)