WIP robot

[infinity+1]

just a small project for color palette practice. i'm not sure if i'm happy with where the arms are, and some opinions on maybe the height and leg placement would be helpful...

old --><-- new

[Helm]

The posture and construction is fine. The volumetrics are not. Take out all the detail and dithering and try to see the torso as a 3d object, define a clear lightsource and think which 'polygons' on it would grab the most light, which less, and so on. Once you have a solid volumetric representation, putting detail on the various faces will make this super-good, instead of being just good as it is right now by masking odd volume with detail.

[infinity+1]

you're right about my piece not having a well (or any) truly defined light source, so i'll put some work into that the next time i find a little time to work on it.
but for the sake of progression, here's an update on the version i liked more, the one of it sitting down.

i did some work on the stomach and legs. although, i'm not really that happy with anything above the ankles.

[infinity+1]

i guess this is my last update on this. nobody really has anything to say about it. 

[Helm]

I think it's quite good, and I enjoy the sort of feeling I get from it. Perhaps you shouldn't dither from that shade to the darker one on the upper legs, unless you really need the rough texture. I'd add another shade between the two, personally, and do some dithering tricks. You might want to pull the chair thing a bit to the left as he seems out of balance right now.

The volumetric objection persists.

[Arachne]

I tried to fix the volumetrics a little, probably making it a bit shinier than you were going for, but that's just a matter of adding a bit of texture to it. I'd try to fix the things Helm commented on instead of leaving it for later, since later can easily become never. It's good practice, and you might save yourself some work on your next piece.

[infinity+1]

i always hate seeing better versions of my work, but i have to admit that it helps me see how i can make my work better. so thanks for the edit.
i was having trouble visualizing the shine you added to it, and upon further reflection, some of the random bits of dithering were odd and look kind of dumb to me.

also, thanks helm, and don't take my ignoring your volumetrics critique as me not willing to change it. i was just having a hard time getting it right, and i was putting it off.
i'm all about getting better and progressing as an artist.



this is just mainly some work on the body to see if i'm getting it right

edit: oh yeah, and i really like the stool in your edit, arachne

[Helm]

Actually this is pretty bad and I should do more volume studies myself. I hope we had arne around for this sort of thing, but perhaps it'll help you.

[Sherman Gill]

Yours -> <- Mine
Most of what I did was shade according to the apparent lightsource.
The torso was pretty much based off of Helm's drawling.
Can't think of much to say.
Lighting shouldn't be hitting all of the the leg, the way it curves:

The sprite's legs are actually too small for ambient (reflected from various unseen places) light, though...
Edit: That is, on the side of the leg my drawling has little arrows pointing it out on.
The blue light on my sprite is some very... uncontrasting ambient lighting

[ndchristie]

dithering over a relatively small area with the intention of describing a smooth surface makes small children cry at night!

[Helm]

only an issue if the value jumps are big between the two dithered colors. Malone in Bitmap Brothers makes super-smooth stuff with dithering.

[ndchristie]

only an issue if the value jumps are big between the two dithered colors.

Such is not the case?  Appears extremely rough to me here, but I have not really set my new monitor up for best contrast yet.

[Helm]

Yes it is, but I am saying that dithering isn't a bad idea, the value jumps are in relation to it. Dithering can work fine for metal or smooth surfaces generally.

[ndchristie]

typically i would say avoid unnecessary/false texturing where you can, but I see your point here.

Regardless, i think the best course for this is to switch to AA'ed regions instead of dithering, the jumps are rather intense and it does no favors for the piece.