Face Study

[Obsidantion]

Hello, I've made a character portrait for a game and I'm in need of some pixelling tips. Please comment, I really value the help here.

Portrait:
       Original:                  Latest:


Sprite:
 Original:    Latest:


P.S. I need an idea for a generic background to go with any portrait, like a pattern or something that doesn't distract from the character.

[tocky]

 Nothing really seems to fit properly. It gives the impression is of a mask with a wig stuffed in, because there's no illusion of depth. The hat looks a bit slug-shaped, and doesn't seem to fit the head. All the anatomy's a bit off mark.


I say give him an ear to make him less maskey (not like mine, though, it's terrible. Actually look at a picture of an ear while you do it, like I didn't, and it'll shape up a lot better), change the shading to give him more depth, and change the shape of the hat to fit his head. At first I thought the eyes were placed wrong, but I haven't moved them. I did move the far side of his face in, though. I also changed the feather - I think it ought to be more round. If you want to make it fluffy, try to do do that with shading. Breaking up the edges compromises its featheryness.

[Obsidantion]

Hey, Excellent edit! Thank you so much.
I tried to answer all your crits in this update. Don't know if the feather looks any good though.



(Your character is much more attractive, I think because he has a thinner and more defined face. I would like to be able to pull that off)

[philipptr]

I just made this very very quick edit (in paint) to show you how some AA could further improve your piece (didnt touch shadin/anatomy/colors)

[Obsidantion]

Good stuff, AA. I made him slightly more heroic looking and added a bg.



Please comment =)

-Edit-
Moved the ear back to look more anatomically correct

[Arachne]

What sort of character is he? To me, he looks a bit too young to be a hero (if that's what you're going for) and more like a troubadour.

[Ryan Cordel]

What sort of character is he? To me, he looks a bit too young to be a hero (if that's what you're going for) and more like a troubadour.

Goku was very young and yet he was still a hero. o.o

[Obsidantion]

I guess he's like link from zelda (I'll think about who he's going to be).
Here's a sprite of him as part of an anim that is yet to be made, could use a lot of help.
(If you would like me to make the walking animation before, I will)

[Fizz]

Make his stance less stiff, arms looser and his shoulder lower, unless he likes to walk like a dinosaur.

[tocky]

You've got sort of a mechanical/geometric/symmetrical thing going, which, while common enough (especially in isometric pixels), is kind of wrong for drawing people. People should be organic, curvey, and asymmetrical - leaning more one one foot than the other, shoulders very slightly opposed to hips, and so on. He's too straight, basically, too precisely vertical. I'll see what I can do with an edit, though I'm on shakier ground here than with faces. I like this tutorial (well, the second page, mostly) for drawing bodies - though it's hard to pull off at this scale, in any case. I think this is why so many games use chibi/bloboid sprites.