Rainy Pathway

[Serena]

Well, I don't feel this piece is going all that well, but I figure that instead of scrapping it completely, I'd post it here.  Maybe some of you can help me.


It's supposed to be a rainy old cobblestone path. What's bugging me is that everything just seems flat...
Current Version:

[ejay]

I like it, I think it will look great once animated. As for the flatness - I tried a couple of repaints which I won't post since they're very rushed , but did help me get a couple of ideas-
- Try shading the stones so that the center is lighter than the sides, and add strong reflections around the lit area (I used a bright bluish color on top of each stone and a slightly darker yellow on the bottom.)
- Try letting the water seep deeper in some areas , right into the dark outline of the stones, rather than to be completely blocked by it.

[Hawk]

If you want depth then what you have to do is add depth. Currently everything in this image has a 1 edge black border. Try making the apparent face's border a pixel larger, and try ditching black all together and use a dark brown. Next what you will need to do is actually put some depth into the water. Usually water just isn't some puddle that is bordered by grass, so you are going to have to fix that aspect. Then ontop of adding some color depth to the small puddles and removing the heavy white outline, your going to need to incorporate it to be seen through the grass blades etc. So finish uyp the grass, then the cobblestone path, and then work on additional props. such as the puddles. Lastly, you seem to be trying to incorporate rainfall into this image so what your going to need to do, is actually make it look like it's raining, and not just in those puddles. Try accenting certains areas, and add a bit of heavy mild-transparent gray contrast to do so.

[Serena]

If you want depth then what you have to do is add depth. Currently everything in this image has a 1 edge black border. Try making the apparent face's border a pixel larger, and try ditching black all together and use a dark brown. Next what you will need to do is actually put some depth into the water. Usually water just isn't some puddle that is bordered by grass, so you are going to have to fix that aspect. Then ontop of adding some color depth to the small puddles and removing the heavy white outline, your going to need to incorporate it to be seen through the grass blades etc. So finish uyp the grass, then the cobblestone path, and then work on additional props. such as the puddles. Lastly, you seem to be trying to incorporate rainfall into this image so what your going to need to do, is actually make it look like it's raining, and not just in those puddles. Try accenting certains areas, and add a bit of heavy mild-transparent gray contrast to do so.

Maybe your monitor is dark, but I did use dark brown... black was only used here and there.  Maybe the brown needs to be lightened up if it looks black, though.

[Hawk]

If you want depth then what you have to do is add depth. Currently everything in this image has a 1 edge black border. Try making the apparent face's border a pixel larger, and try ditching black all together and use a dark brown. Next what you will need to do is actually put some depth into the water. Usually water just isn't some puddle that is bordered by grass, so you are going to have to fix that aspect. Then ontop of adding some color depth to the small puddles and removing the heavy white outline, your going to need to incorporate it to be seen through the grass blades etc. So finish uyp the grass, then the cobblestone path, and then work on additional props. such as the puddles. Lastly, you seem to be trying to incorporate rainfall into this image so what your going to need to do, is actually make it look like it's raining, and not just in those puddles. Try accenting certains areas, and add a bit of heavy mild-transparent gray contrast to do so.

Maybe your monitor is dark, but I did use dark brown... black was only used here and there.  Maybe the brown needs to be lightened up if it looks black, though.

Ahh, well is hard to tell even when I enlightened my monitor screen. My apologies in that regard.

[philipptr]

actually I really like this piece, made a littel to show you the only things I think this piece needs to make a perfect bg (if you don't want to make it a bg only, I think you could add trees, which would make it look less flat with their shadows)



changes:
-cleaned up a little (seemed a bit rushed here and there, but as its not ment to be a finished piece thats okay)
-made more use of some shades (imo, with such a limited palette you should try to get the most of the colours you have)
I didn't change it everywhere on the piece but I think you get the idea

[AdamAtomic]

I don't see any blacks in there at all, maybe I am missing somethign though.  I think the main thing you have to do is push the perspective a little more.  You have what amounts to a little bit of pillowshading going on, and IMO that is what is hurting the piece the most.  If you get rid of the highlight line along the far edge of each stone I think that will make a tremendous difference.  I would also work on darkening the water when it gets thinner - as it is it looks almost more like concrete or ooze because it is so opaque.  Maybe you can show some of the ground detail below it showing through?

Jus tkeep thinking about the viewer's perspective on this scene and I think you will be able to work out the details that you are missing, this is a good piece already and it will be a great piece with just a few tweaks.

[Gil]

->

Notice the texture on the stones, the lighter outlines on the stones, higher contrast on the grass, and less contrast on the water

[Vale]

I don't like youredit Gil. The whole thing looks less damp. I think you made everything a little too bright.

[Ricco, the Pirate]

I liked the older colors better, they give a rainy feel to the scene, like the sky was still clouded.

[Serena]

Yeah, I picked the colors to make the scene damp and dark.  I think the less contrast on the water, and texture on the stones is a good idea though.

I have been working on this, and I'll post an updated version soon.

[Serena]

Okay, so I changed the stones up... they were just too simply colored for that resolution I think, which made them look flat.  I still haven't started on the grass, but I think now that the stones look so much bumpier and bigger, I will have to make the grass look really full of depth.  'Cause right now even though i like the cobbles, they look almost too rough to walk on.

>>

[AdamAtomic]

still pillowshaded!  I'll do an edit later today if I remember, but I don't think you'll need the extreme dark areas if you just avoid some of the concentric shading that is all over this piece currently

[Ben2theEdge]

Try adding some reflections in the puddles.

[Fry]

I did a quick section edit.

I think my biggest issue with this piece was the fact that it looked like there was just a storm (or currently is a storm) and that the cobblestone didn't really look all that wet.  I kinda changed the style up a little bit, but hopefully this helps you a little with some ideas. 

I love your pallette, has that perfect moody blustery day feel to it.  I can tell that this is going to be a very strong piece when finished.

-Fry

[Doppleganger]

That's a nice edit on the stones Fry. I think the water kind of looks like a simplified different colored version of the stones now though. Perhaps some brighter highlights and a glossier feel would help that out. Maybe the issues is that the water has some heavy shadows outlining parts of it.

[AdamAtomic]

ditto, excellent edit, now i don't have to make one!

[Fry]

Yeah, I agree with that for sure Doppleganger.

I've always had issues with water, something I really need to work on... I originally attempted to make it transparent (cobblestone underneith) but then it didn't read quite so much like liquid.  As far as reflections go, the environment around it is mainly low surfaces so I wasn't sure what to reflect. 

Then there is always the huge ongoing struggle of making tiles/bg's not stand out too much if sprites are going to be involved.

I can't get over how much i love the colours that you chose Serena, haha.  I can't wait to see the finished version.

-Fry


 

[Doppleganger]

I took a stab at the water aspect. I think in this case, less is more...or however the saying goes...more is less? Anyways, since you're right, there is little for the water to reflect I simply reflected the stones where they meet the water. I put in some browns slightly darker than the water in the water to give the illusion there are bricks underneath which gives the water some sort of substance rather than a flat plane. Although it still looks like the water is just a flat plane it also looks as detailed as the rest.

Edit: I realize now that the water is meant to be over the stones where I have shaded it to be below them. Which is a bit easier. With that being said, it is unnatural for puddles of water to collect on generally flat ground so that is probably where half the trouble is coming from, it's just not something we're used to seeing in a natural environment.

[JJ Naas]

I love the atmosphere in this piece.

Just throwing random ideas.. a big pool could reflect the clouds in the sky, unless it's such a heavy rain that the sky is totally monochromatic.. or you could make a scene where raining has ended and the scene has lightened up a bit and the puddle reflects the ske where clouds are parting and revealing some blue sky.

[Fry]

I like what you did with the water, it gives a better indication of the height of the cobblestone where it meets.  It was looking a little too busy and random with my edit.  It also suits the grass style more.

[Doppleganger]

Fry: Thanks!

JJ Naas: That's originally what I had thought, when I tried it it got rather busy rather quickly. Which is how I came to the conclusion that less is more. Given the small space that the water takes up you can't really give off the impression of clouds reflected upon it. Well, you could but, it'd take a fair amount of colors with shades very close to the water's base colors. Else it wouldn't be subtle enough. Given this piece's very nice and complete feeling palette more colors would only hurt it.

[Serena]

Thanks so much for the edits, Fry and Doppleganger... I did want to make the stones look wet, but I had no idea how to do it... the edits look great!

[The B.O.B.]

>>

minez:


   This is my measly attempt to use a nighttime, shady-type scene. Sure things are a little darker, but that doesn't mean there isn't some shine coming through, what with the moon and water. I'll admit, in my edit I added too much noise and activity in what seems to be a puddle of water, where that much ripples wouldn't make sense. You can dismiss that fact, or just pretend that after the rain fell, the crickets, and other night crawlers are hopping about furiously in the puddles, causing the ripples. I've seen it before, but I suppose it wouldn't really make sense in this pic. You can just mark that off as too much "fluff," in my opinion. It also wouldn't hurt to detail the bushes/trees/grass(I still don't know what it is) a little more. They are a little too plain in my opinion, and could use some lovin'.
   Your piece is pretty good, however, the depth part is kind of a valid statement. You should take note of Doppleganger, and Fry's edits as they are very helpful in that department. By "pillowshading," I believe AdamAtomic is mentioning the fact that you are using 1 highlight around the rim of each cobble stone. This is not necessary, in my opinion, and should be scrapped, to give it some better form of detail, and realism. Sure, you're probably not considering realism a factor, but moreover, a cartoony style. However, texture is still important none the less. I hope to see an update in the future!...

[Xion]

Mmmmh...Those cobbles look like shingles, The. The grass is real cool, though. I think just a bit of toning down around the edges would do it well.

As for the original piece, I haven't much to say that hasn't already been said. I think Doppleganger+Fry's edit combo was the best, but through the edits the whole thing seemed to be getting darker, which .B.O.B remedied. I think a more bluish hue would make it look like nughttime. Unless it's just cloudy, in which case I'd say you were on the right track in your very first one in terms of brightness.

[Pownatized]

I would add more shine to the rocks, as if they were wet. Also, try adding a shine effect on little spots of the grass to replicate water droplets?

[Squirrelsquid]

kinda reminds me of the SNES zelda...
I'd say doppleganger's/fry's edit show pretty well, how it would look best. though it might be a bit too dark in comparison to your initial shading.
I also think, that your 2. attempt has a bit too much depth to it, for floor/ground. A similar pattern would be nice a rocky wall of some sort, but for cobble floor it's a bit overshaded IMO.