AuthorTopic: [WIP]first Pixel art.  (Read 6135 times)

Offline Darrinr

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[WIP]first Pixel art.

on: April 02, 2008, 03:54:06 am
Hi everyone (:

Im new to the board, the names Darrin as you can see.

This happens to be my second day doing pixel art, I only experimented, well goofed off yesterday trying to
make somthing in photoshop, then I found a better software to use and started doing my first pixel art ever.




Ok I learned some contrast, for the crystal from a friend :P but there still happens to be alot missing like maybe shading
and whatnot, hopefully I can get some advice on how to make these swords look alittle more like uhmmm,  swords!

C+C all the goodies welcome, thankkkzz
« Last Edit: April 02, 2008, 09:10:39 pm by Darrinr »
When you forget your dreams, your life is not what it should have been~ www.Distantstudios.com

Offline sharprm

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Re: [WIP] My first Pixel art.

Reply #1 on: April 02, 2008, 04:14:09 am
Search the forum for sword threads. Here is a nice edit by Restrike that should help you shade:

http://www.wayofthepixel.net/pixelation/index.php?topic=5973.msg70148#msg70148
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 Darrinr

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Re: [WIP] My first Pixel art.

Reply #2 on: April 02, 2008, 04:20:53 pm
I would love to lead by example, but I don't actually know how to shade my piece. I could look at those swords all day and wouldn't understand where to start with mine since its different dimensions. I already had that thread bookmarked in my browser before you sent me a reply. Overall I need to know what the whole process is.  ;D
When you forget your dreams, your life is not what it should have been~ www.Distantstudios.com

Offline Darrinr

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Re: [WIP] My first Pixel arts.

Reply #3 on: April 02, 2008, 06:03:27 pm
Heres somemore things I did today, nothing speical, but still pointing out I dont know where to start when shading.

By darrinr

When you forget your dreams, your life is not what it should have been~ www.Distantstudios.com

Offline Kcilc

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Re: [WIP] My first Pixel art.

Reply #4 on: April 02, 2008, 06:44:14 pm
As of your update the swords are little bit on the muddy side. Usually you should be able to make out all of the shades at first glance,
but I had to stare at it for a few seconds before I could make out all of the colors.

Heres somemore things I did today, nothing speical, but still pointing out I dont know where to start when shading.
I explained this in a thread a little bit like this one. I don't know if it's clear enough, so it my or my not help very much.

Also, welcome to the wonderful world of pixel art!

Offline Darrinr

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Re: [WIP] first Pixel art.

Reply #5 on: April 02, 2008, 09:10:23 pm
I was bored, so in the meantime I decided to work on a little avatar one might call it >.<
Just a simple chinese symbol meaning "spirit"


By darrinr

I didnt do the best job on it, but atleast I tried  :blind:
When you forget your dreams, your life is not what it should have been~ www.Distantstudios.com

Offline JonathanOfDrain

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Re: [WIP]first Pixel art.

Reply #6 on: April 03, 2008, 01:12:28 am
Doesn't look like pixel art. Seems like you drew it in MSpaint, not at a pixel level. If you want to stay with two colors play with dithering, or you can practice your AA.

I also did a little research and that's a REALLY sloppy symbol. I might be wrong but isn't chinese calligraphy all about clean letters?



I also made a sloppy edit of your piece to show you what some AA would look like.

Offline Rydin

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Re: [WIP]first Pixel art.

Reply #7 on: April 03, 2008, 01:14:30 am
First, just something little something--it seems like a truckload of pixel artists are almost confused about shading, when they should actually be concerned about the lighting, the illumination of their pieces.  Anyways.

So okay, when you're doing something metallic, it's almost more important where to highlight than where to shade.  But, all materials aside, when lighting, you just have to think: where is the light source, and how will it hit the object?
Metal, well in most cases, is pretty shiny and reflective, especially when compared to something like wood or carpet that will absorb most of the light.

Based on the little globes, the source of light seems to be the top left.


Just something basic to maybe push you in the right direction.  Your best bet would be some real-world examples of swords, because you can simplify from them as you see artistically fit.

Good luck! ;)
Man cannot remake himself without suffering for he is both the marble and the sculptor.

Offline Darrinr

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Re: [WIP]first Pixel art.

Reply #8 on: April 03, 2008, 01:33:34 am
Doesn't look like pixel art. Seems like you drew it in MSpaint, not at a pixel level. If you want to stay with two colors play with dithering, or you can practice your AA.

I also did a little research and that's a REALLY sloppy symbol. I might be wrong but isn't chinese calligraphy all about clean letters?



I also made a sloppy edit of your piece to show you what some AA would look like.


Sorry it doesn't look like pixel art lol >.< and it wasn't made in mspaint, It was made in IDraw3, thanks for the info though, I don't even know what AA stands for or what dithering is... I'm very new to all of this. I was reading a San shou kuai jiao chinese wrestling book and I saw the symbol. then I looked it up and found a pic of it and used it as reference, from what I see now the pic represented the calligraphy way off! >.< I see how you edited it, it ends up way better that way. thanks for the help. I am going to give it another try ^_^
When you forget your dreams, your life is not what it should have been~ www.Distantstudios.com

Offline Darrinr

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Re: [WIP]first Pixel art.

Reply #9 on: April 03, 2008, 04:25:07 am
Well heres my next attempt at my little avatar, just for practice purposes only, after this I am going to work on my swords again.
I tried to do AA? whatever that stands for? I switched the colors around alittle bit, and this is what I came up with




Hope its better, C+C my noobness  ;D
When you forget your dreams, your life is not what it should have been~ www.Distantstudios.com