WIP - A set of character faces for game?

[Andy]

Hello there, this is my first post here at Pixelation, what looks like a wonderful art community. I hope to maybe fit in, and more importantly gain knowledge in this art. Why? Because I like to develop freeware video games, and I really want to continue growing (graphics wise.) This is why I have arrived here, to you the experts – please critic my latest piece. I really would like the honest truth about this face set:

Thanks, and don’t worry – I will not be offended if you dislike them. I would rather know they are sloppy, than use them ignorantly.

[Meta|Fox]

Right, we'll firstly, Welcome to City 17 Pixelation, it' safer here. (Sorry, your portraits reminded me of HL2 for some reason )

Anyway! on to the art! Your portraits have a a great style to them, very dark. unfortunately there shaped more like potatoes then human heads! so i think a rework on that front may be needed. (nothing to drastic)

Your also using far to many colours per head, especially on the skin tones, try working with a minimal 4 colour grayscale palette just for the shading and adding colour later, that'll give you a good feel for concise and intelligent colour usage.

Lastly, your heads are a tad guilty of pillow shading, look at adding a sharper and more direct light source. Overall though, certainly not a bad effort for a first post!


Nice to have you here Andy!

[Andy]

Right, we'll firstly, Welcome to City 17 Pixelation, it' safer here. (Sorry, your portraits reminded me of HL2 for some reason )

Anyway! on to the art! Your portraits have a a great style to them, very dark. unfortunately there shaped more like potatoes then human heads! so i think a rework on that front may be needed. (nothing to drastic)

Your also using far to many colours per head, especially on the skin tones, try working with a minimal 4 colour grayscale palette just for the shading and adding colour later, that'll give you a good feel for concise and intelligent colour usage.

Lastly, your heads are a tad guilty of pillow shading, look at adding a sharper and more direct light source. Overall though, certainly not a bad effort for a first post!


Nice to have you here Andy!

Ok, I will practice with shaping and such. Here is an updated face, it’s not great – but maybe it has improved?

I am very happy you saw the HL influence. Yes, I did make some of the faces reminiscent of certain HL characters.

[sharprm]

I like them, but the necks are way too thick. Is the latest one wearing face paint?

[Andy]

I like them, but the necks are way too thick. Is the latest one wearing face paint?

Thanks, I agree the necks are way to jumbo sized. I will work on that, as for the face paint… …No.
He was not supposed to have his face painted. I guess that’s a sign I need to work on him some.

[Jacky-Boy]

Your last one is a definite improvement.
I really like the rusty pallette you've got (although it does need optimising),
it kinda reminds me of old skool 3d games like doom, and azraels tear.
It's quite hard to critique this, as some parts look awesome (colours, lighting in general, forehead, around the eye area),
while other parts are still a bit weak (the actual eyes themselves, the cheekbones, lower face, nose and neck).
But yeah I really like this, keep at it.   

[lilwing]

The five portraits on the top, something seems wrong. I think it is the alignment of the facial features with the shape of the head. Does anyone else notice that peculiarity?