Platform Game Graphics (Dumpish thing)

[ndchristie]

started this a few days ago before i saw rydin's edit so it's a bit superfluous now but anyway:



it's important to make metal shine.  forget about color and shape when doing metals, as long as it shines properly both of those things will be understood.

[infinitegames]

Thanks Adarias. That's a cool edit and good advice. It's interesting that you both picked such a similar palette. Any reason for that choice, because I honestly don't know if I would use it. The yellows in it are great, but the reddish tones seem weird.
I really like the way you made the coin look bent and worn, with the symbol carved in more naturally. It just looks so much more like a coin than mine did. You've really changed the way I look at just the way things appear and the way I pixel them. Any advice on the properties of other materials I've used?

[ndchristie]

i chose them because i wanted to have shading done with secondary colors (green, purple, orange), a yellow highlight (for the sun) and a red shadow (because hot shadows being an object forward)

other materials :

there is deviance within all materials, but in general:

metal, glass, water = high shine and reflection
leaves, polished stone, wet wood = some shine, little reflection
grass, rough stone, dry wood = little shine, little reflection

[infinitegames]

i chose them because i wanted to have shading done with secondary colors (green, purple, orange), a yellow highlight (for the sun) and a red shadow (because hot shadows being an object forward)

That's good to know. It's interesting because some people say shadows should use more blue, but you say use more red. I never would have thought to use red but it really grows on me after a few looks.

other materials :

there is deviance within all materials, but in general:

metal, glass, water = high shine and reflection
leaves, polished stone, wet wood = some shine, little reflection
grass, rough stone, dry wood = little shine, little reflection

Thanks for your edit. Do you think you could give me any more pointers? You can do anything and I'd love it, but I'd really like to see what you would do with the door. Any suggestions?

[Rydin]

I really just eyeballed my color choice...it's not really what I do when pixelling my own pieces, but it's usually how I do it for edits.  But really, you can apply all the color theory you want, and it still might end up bad; it's the end result that should be focused on.  I don't think you should be concerned so much about colors, but rather, shiny/not shiny, and high contrast/low contrast.

[ndchristie]

naturally, shadows tend towards the color of the light reflected into them, and the color of the air between your eye and the viewer.  typically, the color of the sky is the color of both, so blue is a natural favorite and works well for backgrounds.  characters and objects though need a little more pop, so i've been liking to give them warm shadows which will come forward against the cool background.

as for other advice, simple patterns applied randomly are your friend.  a series of squares and small circles (all between 2x2 and 7x7) can become moss if you let it.

rydin makes a good point, though i would tend to say that the reason the colors picked look good is because of a good--if unwitting--application of theory.  you can look good without following any "rules," but thinking about what you are doing is still not a bad idea.