Mech.

[Fool]

I guess it time for me to learn something about coloring.

Here is a dummy.



Colours looks boring enough, pretty generic, most likely way too many.. I'll appreciated any suggestions.=)

Update: Got fixed some noted issues in overall design. Thanks everyone=)

Take 1. Is it any better?

[AdamAtomic]

I dunno I think this looks pretty sweet - you could probably shave a few colors here and there but the detail and smoothness are pretty great.  The lineart has a few perspective issues it looks like, and the main thing I think you should work on is varying your colors on your far planes.  Right now the back arm and back leg are fighting with the front arm and front leg because all of the limbs are so excellently shaded - if you dull or darken the far limbs it should help this character read a lot better I think.  Awesome start!

[Pownatized]

Heh.  That's really cool.

I think a little more shine and highlighs would do him good, unless you're going for an old/battered look. Also, the thing in his head is a gear, right? It looks kind of soft, you should make it have more defined shapes- I mean, more like the gears on his legs.

[Kallock]

The perspective of his left foot (Our right) seems to be a tad-off.  The gear (assuming gears are to mostly be in the shape of a circle) in his head doesn't look very round, more like an oval.  But I love it, although not too big of a fan of the ski-like-feet.  Hope you dont mind the crit on your linework ^_^.

[rougewisp]

I think the gearhawk is pretty obviously that, although I guess halving the amount of teeth wouldn't be the end of the world.

Maybe the (robot's) left arm could be angled up a little more to distinguish it.

Also, is his crotch a wheel or a hose or something?

[Froli]

Maybe putting some thickness on the key would make the perspective better? The arm also seems to be bended in an awkward position. . <edit, ugh rougewisp is fast enough to point that out xD>

[AdamAtomic]

Also, is his crotch a wheel or a hose or something?

The way windup toys usually work is you turn a crank, which in turn tightens a coil of metal - when you let go of the crank/key, the coil gradually loosens as it pushes back against a series of gears, which enables the toy to walk/roll etc.  the wheel/hose is that coil of metal; i didn't have a problem noticing what it was but i'm kind of a nerd, so...

[Rydin]

I guess it time for me to learn something about coloring.

(got it from 19 to 13 colors...)

Here's my attempt to steer you towards more effective color use.  The most basic way you can experiment with color is by using hue shifting, and move each darker value slightly towards a purple or violet hue.  Messing around with this should get your creative juices flowing about color usage.

By the way, neat robot.  I love the gears and the wind key.  My only critique would be the 45 degree lines on the claws--but an otherwise nice piece.  Keep pixelling, and good luck with your journey through proper color usage!   

[Fool]

I dunno I think this looks pretty sweet - you could probably shave a few colors here and there but the detail and smoothness are pretty great.  The lineart has a few perspective issues it looks like, and the main thing I think you should work on is varying your colors on your far planes.  Right now the back arm and back leg are fighting with the front arm and front leg because all of the limbs are so excellently shaded - if you dull or darken the far limbs it should help this character read a lot better I think.  Awesome start!

Yes, that  make sense, I'll take detailing  down.=)Thanks

.

Heh.  That's really cool.

I think a little more shine and highlighs would do him good, unless you're going for an old/battered look. Also, the thing in his head is a gear, right? It looks kind of soft, you should make it have more defined shapes- I mean, more like the gears on his legs.

That gear wheel is meant to be a bronze, looks like i need to work on that too untill it becomes one . Thanks .

I think the gearhawk is pretty obviously that, although I guess halving the amount of teeth wouldn't be the end of the world.

Maybe the (robot's) left arm could be angled up a little more to distinguish it.

Also, is his crotch a wheel or a hose or something?

Yes, that is a coil, since that piece would be animated i do not worry to much on it's readability - it'll be obvious, I hope.

The perspective of his left foot (Our right) seems to be a tad-off.  The gear (assuming gears are to mostly be in the shape of a circle) in his head doesn't look very round, more like an oval.  But I love it, although not too big of a fan of the ski-like-feet.  Hope you dont mind the crit on your linework ^_^.

That leg is lifted up, i should put a shadow to state it.=) Gear would be round if it showing from side view i guess.
Perhaps you could crit anything, and though colours are my main concern why not to fix all other thing along the way.=)
The feet are simply sewing mashine's feeders.=)

I guess it time for me to learn something about coloring.

(got it from 19 to 13 colors...)

Here's my attempt to steer you towards more effective color use.  The most basic way you can experiment with color is by using hue shifting, and move each darker value slightly towards a purple or violet hue.  Messing around with this should get your creative juices flowing about color usage.

By the way, neat robot.  I love the gears and the wind key.  My only critique would be the 45 degree lines on the claws--but an otherwise nice piece.  Keep pixelling, and good luck with your journey through proper color usage!   

Thanks for taking you time for edit, it just...  looks a bit too aggressive. Well, a lot.=) I've read hue shifting thread, just can't make it work=) Thanks=)

[Squirrelsquid]

this looks pretty awesome already! I'd agree on the readability of the claw-thingies... also, for the foots, I think a "V" -form stance is commonly used in Mech drawings, and would suit your robot best, IMO.(like in this gundam artwork http://www.mahq.net/MECHA/gundam/zz/msz-010.jpg ) also, something seems of about the wind-key at it's back. There's a highlight on (lower)right, although the form suggests that it shouldn't be there...

still pretty impressive!

EDIT: dang... to late with my reply...

[Fool]

this looks pretty awesome already! I'd agree on the readability of the claw-thingies... also, for the foots, I think a "V" -form stance is commonly used in Mech drawings, and would suit your robot best, IMO.(like in this gundam artwork http://www.mahq.net/MECHA/gundam/zz/msz-010.jpg ) also, something seems of about the wind-key at it's back. There's a highlight on (lower)right, although the form suggests that it shouldn't be there...

still pretty impressive!

EDIT: dang... to late with my reply...

It's just mech toy - should just looks sort off funny.=)

[Sherman Gill]

Just because you haven't been able to get hue-shifting to work well doesn't mean you should give up on it.
Most programs besides paint have on-the-fly pallet editing, what I do is make a boring single hue color ramp and then tweak it till it looks nice and interesting.

But seriously, simply giving up because your first attempts haven't worked seems kinda lame to me.

[Fool]

Just because you haven't been able to get hue-shifting to work well doesn't mean you should give up on it.
Most programs besides paint have on-the-fly pallet editing, what I do is make a boring single hue color ramp and then tweak it till it looks nice and interesting.

But seriously, simply giving up because your first attempts haven't worked seems kinda lame to me.

I don't give up just yet=). That's why i post it here, hoping   finally to understand ( i am slow, i know=) how those hues work together.
Perhaps, I could tweak but thats more like testing my luck.=)

[Fool]

Take 1. Is it any better?

[Andy Tran]

That looks really awesome. For my edit, I changed the face of the head into a japanese style robot head. The face was kinda like those old school kitchen working type robots so I did mine that military type.

 

[Fool]

That looks really awesome. For my edit, I changed the face of the head into a japanese style robot head. The face was kinda like those old school kitchen working type robots so I did mine that military type.

Cool touch.=)
I'm not planing to change design though since this one and a dozen of others will be a part of earlytech, belt driven machine (based on dumb inventions) world.=)

[Helm]

Andy that's useless and awful. Edit to help someone make his art better, not to put a visor on a robot.

I think the hue shifting your tried yourself, fool, is excellent. Green works for it well, and it's a very nice sprite.

[Froli]

Woah, now that you placed a shadow underneath the robot's legs..the stance makes sense now. The new colors looks great too.

Okay one last thing, I think the other arm should be shortened and legs <like the one I edited with the blue line> by few pixels and put a little bump in the end <circular shoulder?>



Anyway, great job as always Fool.

-Edit-

Okay, from the original image that was posted, I notice that the right side of the robot's seems longer and bigger <arms and legs>. But it should be the other way around. The side facing us should be bigger in emphasis <from the 2 point perspective>

Now if you are using isometric view as a guideline they should at least have an equal length. This is just my observation. I hope somebody with more technical knowledge will explain this further or correct me if I'm wrong.

[Fool]

Thanks, Helm.=)
Lucky guess took away a chance to understand my choices. Oh, well...

Good points, Froli, thanks.=) I'll fix it up.

[ndchristie]

just lovely.  I really cannot offer critique on this, except to maybe smooth out some fo that dither to help the metal feel.....but even this is unnecessary and it might make it read bad were to to smooth that stuff out.

[Xion]

I don't know if anyone's brought this up yet, but the two claws look like they have different styles of outlining/shading in general. The far one has hard outlines and shading while the near one is the other way around. Just looks weird to me.
Aside from that I have nothing to say.
Beautiful, man. It just...brings a tear to my eye...
j/k but seriously, awesome.

[Turbo]

This is great, with or without hue shifts (although to me it seems like you've already used hue shifting, doing a grey ramp for the metal tinted yellow/brown). The design and metallic look are lovely!

Something that pops out at first glance is the perspective of the side cogs, which should follow the perspective of the coil (indicated by its highlight) instead of being perfectly horizontal. Also, to convey a more mechanic feel, which is usually associated with perfectly aligned parts, the feet should point in the same direction, or perhaps somewhat outward, instead of slightly inward as they are.

The hue shifted version is a nice alternative, although i don't think it's needed in this piece. But practice is practice!

[Fool]

I don't know if anyone's brought this up yet, but the two claws look like they have different styles of outlining/shading in general. The far one has hard outlines and shading while the near one is the other way around. Just looks weird to me.

I can explain this one. Ah...=)
I rotate that claw this morning, as a result not only that but a compairably smaller size. Got to fix it as well. Thanks=)

Turbo, thanks for the points.

I think I'll get busy - so many bugs.=) Thank you guys.

[Andy Tran]

Cool touch.=)
I'm not planing to change design though since this one and a dozen of others will be a part of earlytech, belt driven machine (based on dumb inventions) world.=)

 Ah, great idea. I think the gold/white version is a good suit. On a side note, I added the visor because I wanted  to show how I shade visors.

[Sherman Gill]

Ah, great idea. I think the gold/white version is a good suit. On a side note, I added the visor because I wanted  to show how I shade visors.

Then err... Make your own picture with a visor, rather than just makin' one for someone else's picture?

[Andy Tran]

 Oh that, I also wanted to show other visor shapes for robots. I hope it helps him know other kinds of robot heads can be used. You can make a mech warrior type mech if you like to use that type ^_^. You don't need to take my advice for it.   

[Rerg1]

I love you FOOL and your your work! 
But, I think a unnoticed feature in this sprite is its arm.
I dont think they are to dynamic looking.

[Fool]

Oh that, I also wanted to show other visor shapes for robots. I hope it helps him know other kinds of robot heads can be used. You can make a mech warrior type mech if you like to use that type ^_^. You don't need to take my advice for it.   

I've got some clue on robots, old fan of steampunk.=) Thanks anyway=)

I love you FOOL and your your work! 
But, I think a unnoticed feature in this sprite is its arm.
I dont think they are to dynamic looking.

Animation will take care of dynamic=) Thanks.

[Rerg1]

Can't wait for it Fool.

[NikkiPink]

You are animating this thing?!? That is going to be intense! Can't wait to see it! Is it for a game or something?

[Fry]

Your original work as well as your edits make my jaw drop.

Can't wait to see more.  And I agree, animating this guy would look most excellent. 

-Fry

[Fool]

Can't wait for it Fool.

It's not going to be any soon, I've got a lot of stuff to finish before it comes to that=)

You are animating this thing?!? That is going to be intense! Can't wait to see it! Is it for a game or something?

yeah, that's for a game. If it will ever happend=))

Thanks, Fry.

[mangust]

Vahh... I am missed a very lot )) I am shooked...  It's very cool!
About color - no comments.... Just about form and perspective this small edit:

I hope this some help you.
I will be waiting animation for this )))
И собственно рад снова встречи и на этом форуме! Это просто мега-пиксель в любом случае 

[Fool]

Vahh... I am missed a very lot )) I am shooked...  It's very cool!
About color - no comments.... Just about form and perspective this small edit:
I hope this some help you.
I will be waiting animation for this )))
И собственно рад снова встречи и на этом форуме! Это просто мега-пиксель в любом случае 

  Thanks, that a  good points, I just need a time now to fix all those.=)