AuthorTopic: rpg type sprites - match style  (Read 8300 times)

Offline sharprm

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rpg type sprites - match style

on: November 23, 2007, 11:37:48 am


The first two images are not mine. It relates to a RPG project in PAID section. Even though I'm too late for the job, I wanted to do some sprites as practice. I also wanted to try to match someone else's style, since that is what is necessary if you work on a big project. I didn't match in the end that well, I want to do it my way too much i think. But crit away please tell me how to improve them. I wanted to break away from using black outlines everywhere, do u think the current outline system works?

They are Mono-Cyclops, Hooker and Pirat.
« Last Edit: November 23, 2007, 11:41:05 am by sharprm »
Modern artists are told that they must create something totally original-or risk being called "derivative".They've been indoctrinated with the concept that bad=good.The effect is always the same: Meaningless primitivism
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Offline ndchristie

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Re: rpg type sprites - match style

Reply #1 on: November 23, 2007, 03:31:20 pm
do u think the current outline system works?

Nope!

In fact, it's the only real issue with your sprites, which are otherwise quite nice.

it's ok to break single-colored single-pixelled outlines as long as you continue to have contours.  Because your black is SO MUCH DARKER and your next darkest so much a midtone it's completely negligible, all you get is strange little spots of blacks and then blurry rest of things.

EDIT: why does the same palette work for them? it's local contrast.  they only use that midtone as a line color when it is butted up against by a color which is significantly brighter, so that the darkness of the midtone is still activated and it appears darker by comparison.
« Last Edit: November 23, 2007, 03:34:35 pm by Adarias »
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Offline Mirre

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Re: rpg type sprites - match style

Reply #2 on: November 23, 2007, 06:19:49 pm
OMG! Those are my sprites *rofl*

Offline sharprm

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Re: rpg type sprites - match style

Reply #3 on: November 23, 2007, 11:15:07 pm


Thanks for the crit Adarias - I changed the outlines to be a bit darker.

Mirre - would you still use those white squares if you had to do the sprites again?
Modern artists are told that they must create something totally original-or risk being called "derivative".They've been indoctrinated with the concept that bad=good.The effect is always the same: Meaningless primitivism
http://www.artrenewal.org/articles/Philosophy/phi

Offline Jad

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Re: rpg type sprites - match style

Reply #4 on: November 24, 2007, 12:16:37 am
Needs more space between eyes to match cuteness style.

You can't have a cute-eyes-style old man matched up with a close-eyes-westernish girl. It doesn't make sense in CUTE ANIME GRAPHICS WORLD D:!!
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Offline ndchristie

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Re: rpg type sprites - match style

Reply #5 on: November 24, 2007, 01:10:05 am
Quote
Mirre - would you still use those white squares if you had to do the sprites again?

considering how much better her sprites read than yours, largely because of the use of smart contrast and forms, id be surprised and annoyed if she didn't.

You and I have the same trouble sharp, trying to make good art (in the traditional sense, with anatomy, complex light, fine detail...) in pixel restrictions.  it doesn't work unless one is MUCH better than myself or you (and there are always compromises).  you have to make good pixel art in addition to good art-art and thats where it's falling short for these pieces.
A mistake is a mistake.
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Offline sharprm

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Re: rpg type sprites - match style

Reply #6 on: November 24, 2007, 02:22:04 am


Adarias - Yeah, I do think her sprites look good even if she rofl looking at them.  But having squares in pixel art seems like a bad idea to me. Its like drawing attention to the fact they are pixelled. Cyclops on bottom is a little more simplified, seems nicer to look at to me, so yeah, maybe should make
the small sprites more cartoony. Save the muscles for a big boss enemy.

Jad - the hooker on bottom row has eyes that match better i think - thanks for suggestion.

The new guy is flamethrower. think i need some more work and colors on the fire, that was a bit rushed. And he needs four fingers on his glove  :P

Dont know how the white square got screwed, I'm running deluxe paint animation in dosbox and then converting later. Its the converting program
doing it when i paste from new image.
« Last Edit: November 24, 2007, 02:57:48 am by sharprm »
Modern artists are told that they must create something totally original-or risk being called "derivative".They've been indoctrinated with the concept that bad=good.The effect is always the same: Meaningless primitivism
http://www.artrenewal.org/articles/Philosophy/phi

Offline Jad

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Re: rpg type sprites - match style

Reply #7 on: November 24, 2007, 03:15:10 am
Haha, the fireethrower at the bottom is totally my sprite with arms. Big lols :]

Bottom cyclops with some eyeball whiteness would be nice O: I don't think it'd be too cute, I think it'd be creepy = good.

Eyes are lots better with more spacing. It's not the SAME style as the dwarf (but that'd almost require you to use the dwarf's head as template.)

Anyways, looking better and better :] keep it up, bro!
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Offline sharprm

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Re: rpg type sprites - match style

Reply #8 on: November 24, 2007, 06:48:13 am


Jad - thanks for compliments. I know I said matching style - but I'd just feel dirty if I copied Mirre's way of drawing exactly becuase I like my own way too much.

I don't know, has anyone ever had to take over a project someone else started working on. Is making graphics to look like they were done by the same
person a good goal to have in that situation?

New guys- Santa Claws and Indianappleis.
Modern artists are told that they must create something totally original-or risk being called "derivative".They've been indoctrinated with the concept that bad=good.The effect is always the same: Meaningless primitivism
http://www.artrenewal.org/articles/Philosophy/phi

Offline eck

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Re: rpg type sprites - match style

Reply #9 on: November 24, 2007, 09:59:56 pm
i personally think that being able to streach out of your comfort zone is an important skill to have, irrelivent of the 'style'. 

as for critique, i must admit you havent really followed mirre's style at all.  some things to note are

1: the facial features (no white in eyes, noses are visible, ears are large, etc).  take note of which features are included and exagerated.  the dued with the hammer has large ears, nose, and 2-pixel eyes.  your girl has larger eyes, a fatter face, almost invisible ears, no nose, etc...

2: the shading.  mirre uses very few colors to shade. it seems to me as she generally uses a close-to-black tone + pure black to ouline, and only 1-2 shades to actually detail.  your santa has at least 6 colors on his stomach alone. 

3: the outline.  mirre uses sel-out, but at a lot lower of a degree then you are.  one thing that really doesnt appeal to me about your sprites is the contrasty inconsistancy of the outline because the selout forces it into forms, and then the forms loose shape when the outline gets to light (if im making any sence at all...)

there are other things too, im sure you can pinpoint them yourself. 
if i get bored enough, ill try an edit on your girl (she really sticks out [in a  bad way] to me)

hope i was some help.

untz untz untz?

Offline BG

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Re: rpg type sprites - match style

Reply #10 on: November 24, 2007, 11:11:22 pm
1: the facial features (no white in eyes, noses are visible, ears are large, etc).  take note of which features are included and exagerated.  the dued with the hammer has large ears, nose, and 2-pixel eyes.  your girl has larger eyes, a fatter face, almost invisible ears, no nose, etc...

It's true as you say about those differences, but there's also the fact that sharprm made an attractive young girl, and not an old man/dwarf blacksmith. Redusing noses and making eyes and ears smaller are common ways of increesing beuty and cuteness. You can't have a young girl look exactly like an old man.

Offline Mirre

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Re: rpg type sprites - match style

Reply #11 on: November 24, 2007, 11:19:34 pm
sharprm: What I was trying to do with the monster and character sprites - was to keep a consistent style throughout. Look at the characters' heads and the dwarves' heads for example. Most monsters with human features are based off the character bases. I would try and use the female base for the Hooker for example. Might help with matching over-all skin tones and facial features as well. The Pirat doesn't really match the style of the other rats either. Take a look at their legs, eyes, and nose.



Answering your question: I probably would have done it much the same, considering I would still have the same preferences from my employer to go from. He provided alot of style examples for what he wanted me to aim towards (screenshots from other games). I learnt a lot through working with the game of course. If I did it again I would have changed more things to do with the process itself. Is there anything bad with drawing attention to the fact that they are pixeled? All the graphics for this game are.

Here are some more examples of monsters from the game:

They are (from top left):
Boomerang Bat, Slime, Spawn of Lewis, Slime Boss,
Small Rat, Large Rat, Lieutenant Rat, Captain Rat,
Dwarf Rabbit, Rabid Dwarf, Dwarfed Giant, Phony Pony
Humangus, Minortaur, Majortaur, Bleak Dragon
« Last Edit: November 24, 2007, 11:32:55 pm by Mirre »

Offline sharprm

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Re: rpg type sprites - match style

Reply #12 on: November 25, 2007, 04:29:46 am
Eck - ill do some more sprites in a few weeks that follow your advice.

Thanks Mirre-  Thankyou for putting the enemies on one sheet, it helps me out alot since I'm using an old program and only have to convert one file. I like how you dithered the dragon, i think i will make a DRAGon QUEEN. hehehehe.

About the 2 by 2 squares, ill put a few in just to match. Yet, I think that by having those, you draw attention to the fact that its pixelled when the real aim is to have the player forget that they are playing a game with pixel art graphics but be emmersed in the game. I think its like the movie "the player", where in the beginnning you see that clapper thing they use when shooting a scene, its breaks the suspension of disbelief.
Modern artists are told that they must create something totally original-or risk being called "derivative".They've been indoctrinated with the concept that bad=good.The effect is always the same: Meaningless primitivism
http://www.artrenewal.org/articles/Philosophy/phi

Offline Mirre

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Re: rpg type sprites - match style

Reply #13 on: November 25, 2007, 08:26:37 am
If you look carefully, you can see that I have only used such white, squared, highlights on one tone; the skintone. There is no need for me (or you) to use such a bright highlight on any other colour.

Oh, and those are not all the enemies... just my favourites! (: I'm going to put the rest on a transparent bg too.

Offline sharprm

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Re: rpg type sprites - match style

Reply #14 on: November 30, 2007, 08:54:07 am
You've got a point about me using white highlights everywhere - thats a problem for hi-res games since it becomes harder to pick out the player.



Removed unrealistic bright spots and matched features of other rats. Guess broke convention in that he wears clothes.

I'm on a pc for the moment so no need to put all your gfx on a single image for me.

edit:



edit2: breaking style completely

« Last Edit: November 30, 2007, 10:55:59 am by sharprm »
Modern artists are told that they must create something totally original-or risk being called "derivative".They've been indoctrinated with the concept that bad=good.The effect is always the same: Meaningless primitivism
http://www.artrenewal.org/articles/Philosophy/phi

Offline Mirre

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Re: rpg type sprites - match style

Reply #15 on: December 02, 2007, 01:01:27 am
I really like the new edit of the Pirat and the stylebreak on the last edit there. Looks great! (: