[WIP] What am I missing??

[Rargh!]

So, what am I missing? I keep looking at other people's work and there's something 'extra', even in some of the real rough starts. Something that I don't feel I'm capturing. What am I not seeing/don't understand?

Am I grasping any of this properly? Am I doing anything right with this?

The image above is being sent off tomorrow morning (Australian time) to go into a metro newspaper article, in a kids section. It's basically designed to be a very simple example of what can be done with the template and "normal" palette in the DS game Drawn to Life. The brief I was given was simply 'a monster' or 'an alien'. I kind of blended the two. The final files will be a 100% version and a much larger version that includes the grid so that if kids want to, they can transfer it directly into the game.

I can't even begin to pretend I know what I'm doing compared to 99% of you, so I won't. But over the next 12 weeks I have to to design another 12 characters (all different types). So any help or guidance would be greatly appreciated.

Even some ideas about how you would approach something like this from the initial concept through to completion would be great.

[Elk]

i know what the template looks like but maybe you should post it ^^
i think this ok for drawn to life but you use alot of colors =x!

[Rargh!]

This is the template (or, at least my version of it). White outline is the frame, bright green dots are the rotator points where the game 'breaks' the image for animation purposes. As you can see there are some distinct 'head', 'body', 'arms' and 'legs' containers.

Apologies if it was confusing, but the colour palette in the top left corner is the full palette. I've used only 14 colours. I know around here (and in general for pixel art) the least number of colours is best (often due to memory constraints, or, at least that's what it used to be in the past, right?), but a) there aren't any such constraints in DTL (aside from having to use colours from the palette provided) and b) this was to be for a kids section and from my past experience in that field, bright, colourful, and bursts of contrasting and complementary colours are good. (The toys for my 11 month old triplets are great examples).

If it helps, here is the image 'to copy from':

[Helm]

So, what am I missing? I keep looking at other people's work and there's something 'extra', even in some of the real rough starts. Something that I don't feel I'm capturing. What am I not seeing/don't understand?

I don't think you're missing anything really, but I'd like to see art that isn't for DTL before I can tell you if you have any fundamental errors in your perception or aplication of the arts.

[sharprm]

You can add more contrast to the piece but as it is its fine, especially since kids wouldn't want to do something too complicated.

[Rargh!]

Unfortunately, Helm, this will be my beginning place. As I mentioned before, with 11 month old triplets (and a full time job that involves travel), I don't get nearly as much time as I would like. So, for now, it will be the 'must completes' before I get to work on some of the wider pixel art ideas buzzing around my head.

DTL was what finally pushed me to come and join and learn. I'd always liked the work of Gary Lucken and eboy when I had come across them, and I interviewed/showcased Sedgemonkey for the first issue of a magazine called JumpButton which focused on the art and substance of videogame culture. These are my first steps at getting my feet wet.

Perhaps what you're saying is to not bother posting these here, until I have something different/something else to show? If so, then I'm a little confused, because my understanding of pixel art is all about working to restrictions. A NES palette, a 32x32 grid, four frames of animation... I would have thought starting off like this was good practice; to squeeze the most I can out of a restricted template, colour palette and animation 'bones'. And that's how I'm seeing these pieces I'm working on. My hope is to get to the end of these commitments with art much closer to the quality of this: http://www.wayofthepixel.net/pixelation/index.php?topic=4661.0 ...Monsoon and Rynen's work being what blew me away right at the start... and a contributing factor as to why I'm here.


Sharp: Your post just popped up. Thanks, man. That's exactly the type of thing I'm missing. Love the claws, and it's that extra contrast I still haven't nabbed. I like how you've used the green for the teeth (and the extra row is great along with gums). Highlights on the arms, mouth, everything... I realise just how flat my piece was seeing this. And I think that's what I need help with. Your mouth has depth. I think my problem is that my background has been mostly flat 2D art. Jon Burgerman, etc. being my influences.

I'm tending to see on a lot of pixel art pieces around here, that shadowing (and larger expanses of shadows) help define a piece more. Or is it simply the percentage of shadows vs mid range vs highlights that's important?

[Helm]

This piece belongs here, absolutely. I am just saying given how the restrictions of DTL are, I cannot ascertain from this piece whether you're 'missing something'.

[Rargh!]

Seeing Sharp's post, I think part of it is my lack of understanding regarding volume. Also the way he reused the greens for the teeth; I was being much too literal with some of the palette. Edits like his are a great help. I've seen on other threads 4... 5... 6... different people editing the same image, just in the way they would do it. Studying those has been helpful. From my observations, seeing other people's edits on your own pieces I think goes some of the way to help show you what you're missing...

I mean, in Sharps edit, look at the way the highlight and the shadows at the bottom on the right arm makes the dots in the middle of his arm 'pop' so much more. This is what I want to learn to 'see' for myself.

[sharprm]

I was looking at monsoon2D entry and it looks like the right arm should have the light souce coming from below. I wish there was a quick way to
test these things out. Looking at Rynen10K's entry, there is alot of scaling going on, maybe less detail is better (ie lose bottom teeth).

[Rargh!]

So, after studying Sharprm's edit, and then trying to make the differences my own (which, I must admit, for someone just learning is bloody hard. I mean, how can I not want to put claws and a second row of teeth now! Or how do you shade something differently to the way someone else has, but keep the same lighting?)... here is my edit.

Original ---->        New edit ----->   

This took me several hours (what probably takes many of you minutes), but I think I learned some valuable things about substance. Interestingly, though, it's amazing just how much adding volume (mostly through shadows) adds reality, but kills a lot of cuteness.

Would love some feedback/thoughts/chocolate.

Oh, and yeah, minor edit on the left arm for the purposes of matching the in-game animation cycles. And changed legs to blue to decrease number of colours used.