Animated explosions

[9_6]

Hi, I'm trying on making explosions look right once again.
Here's what I got so far:




I tried to go for as few frames and colors as possible because they're fairly big and 20 frames would be a bit excessive.
The few colors is a stylistical choice, I just don't want ultradetailed explosions with 16 shading tones, this should be more shape-based.
I'm happy with the sideways-explosion, although if you know of ways to improve it, shoot, but that yellow one kind of fits more into a top-down viewed game (this is for sideview) and there's something very wrong with the blue one and I can't sort out what it is :/

Oh yeah, don't suggest that metal slugish white-circle-black-circle first 2 frames.
I'm aware of that, have seen it in action and don't really want that because, honestly, I think it's kind of dumb.

[Opacus]

I like em. Can't wait to see em worked out.

I think in the first explosion it should just wear out until there's nothing left if you know what I mean.
Right now it just kind of explodes and then implodes but explosions don't work like that.
It should just disintergrate.

The last one looks a bit vague to me. Like a combination of a nuclear explosion and a normal explosion?
As far as I know that mushroom effect is caused because it hits a surface. I don't think there would also be the same sort of effect in the sky.
Of course it would still rise upwards but not in the way it does right now.

[9_6]

Thanks.

I know I know, I should make it dissolve slowly but that would require a lot of frames and I'd like to stick with ~10, maybe 15. :/
Actually the blue one is supposed to come from an alien weapon which is kind of a nuke so I thought something like that might fit.
It never ever touches the ground though so maybe not that much. I guess I'll have to think of something else then.

[Souly]

I dunno if you meant for the blue one to be angled slightly to the right, but just pointing that out.
These are ace. 
Also the ending on the second one seems ummm, clumped?
Just seems a bit large still not sure the bubble is needed perhaps make that into smoke and have it curl kind of upwards?

Or just disregard anything I said, it make not make any sense.

[TrevoriuS]

The first one fall offs really weird. It's more imploding right now, there's no outwards burst. That's what it lacks and makes it feel unnatural.
The second one feels like a cannonfire in all it's motion, though I'd add more aftersmoke at the bulk that rises all the way to the left. Good job on this.
The third one is entirely cartoony and stylistic, that on itself already makes it acceptable as is, though it should not be used in an environment where the rest is of an other style.

[Nebopolassar]

You don't necessarily have to mimic reality. I think the stylized blue nuke explosion looks very cool.

[Willows]

I feel like there once was a discussion on Pixelation about explosions, and one of the biggest pieces of info I took from said discussion is that the core of an explosion, the hottest part, will push upward and forward, and everything outside the core will move slower and roll.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=26zL4JzvjDE&feature=related

Your blue explosion totally looks cool, but it is kinda crumpling up into itself, as opposed to rolling downward while drifting upward and dissapating. The side one also could use some rolling action, and the first one would probably be better if the smoke was drifting upward, as it looks unnatural for the explosion to converge back into its origin.

It may seem kinda backward, but it occurs to me that... you know when you're rowing in a canoe and your paddle makes those little swirly eddies from the force of the stroke? I believe the exact same thing applies for these explosions. A central force pushes through the middle and causes the stuff on the sides to "roll down" to fill the vacuum that central force left behind. Reason I'm mentioning that is because it's the way I understand it, and it's easier to drag your finger through a full bowl of water than it is to videotape fiery explosions in slow motion.

Also search pixelation for Tsugomo's "Mage Knight" thread if you haven't already. He's got a lot of effective spell animations in there that are bound to provide inspiration