Creeping in the Shadows (optional C64 HiRes, triangles!)

[skw]

The idea popped up yesterday morning.  Sneaking ninja chick.  Great, but that sounds kinda overused, doesn't it?  Okay, maybe not that much, but still.  Triangles.  Two hundred.  Why not making a sneaking ninja chick out of two hundred triangles?  Okay. . .  Or wait.  Why not making a sneaking ninja chick out of two hundred traingles in two colors, say monochrome; say the C64 HiRes mode?  Anyone?  No?  Right on, I'll do it.  Let's hit it!

So basically I had this: and this: -- originally planning to use 100 of each type, then gone wild and forgotten about the rule (which would make the work a real PAIN in the ass, I guess!).  Nevermind.  It wasn't easy either -- because I wanted to electrify the character with an emotional charge.



Try zooming out.  It really looks like a tiptoeing woman.  If you don't get what's that all about (pixel-placement isn't random), check IT!!! out, as that may shed some light.

Here's the reference: CLICK!  Or maybe was it this: CLICK! ?

Yeah, I know I could use different colors and all that, but I didn't want to.  This is everything fresh I can pull out of the Ptoing & Helm's chunk style.  I'm still thinking of something more "revolutional" (probably there isn't much more to do with it, but still).

Please tell me what do you think!  *Any* comment or a word of critique is warmly welcomed!  I may do some minor fixes, but we'll see if there's anything to fix.  Ptoing, if you're reading this, might you maybe check how the thing works on the real C64?  Here's the compiled .PRG.  I'm curious if the shapes still will be easy to distinguish.


If you want to pick up the gaunlet, I may set a challenge.  Random canvas dimensions.  100 triangles.  50/50 smaller/bigger ratio (an 8x8 square counts as 2 big or 4 smaller ones) -- make whatever you want.  If you can't think of anything, let it be an exploding robot (give away the emotions!), or your favorite comic/cartoon hero.  Mine would be Ren from "Ren & Stimpy", or Bender from "Futurama".  Thas "Kiss my shiny metal ass!" dude, you know.

PS:  If you're able to count all the triangles found in my work, I owe you a bottle of some brand whisky!



Also, keep in mind. . .

NINJA CAT STRIKES FROM ABOVE!

[skw]

[Shrike]

Good.  I love it.  Thanks for the sexy ninja lady picture, by the way.  Just what I needed.   

So.
Critique.
I looks great, up until the upper chest.  I'd suggest showing the whole face, because right now it's just noise;  I can't tell if her head is exploding or just giving off weird triange light.  Now, as I write this, it becomes clear as to what the face is/what it's doing, but when I first looked at it it was totally unreadable.  So, forgo the bandanna, or at least try, and I think having the head look at you is weird; try for profile view of face instead.  Also, maybe highlight the hair instead of the sel-out weird white stuff going on on the outside of the hair.

And

Why is there a huge black space around the sword?  If it's because of the triangle limit I'd lose the triangle limit.  Black thing around the sword looks bad IMHO.

Sweet idea tho,
keep it up!

Shrike

[skw]

Thank you!  Fixed the sword outline (bad design), and her head (bandana retained, though) as well as hair.  Yeah, it probably looks better:



Alternatively:



What do you think?

[Joshua]

I like this, I think it has a lot of potential. It seems even with the stylistic jagginess, the anatomy is kinda wonky. Here's my edit:



I think she may look a little more stout in my edit, but I think it addresses some fundamental issues. Sorry, I didn't have time to include all the cool triangles

[skw]

Thanks for the edit, Josh!  I rechecked the anatomy, how about this:



?

[surt]

Given how low her right arm is, I imagine her right shoulder should be lower than her left and as a result her right titty should be lower than her left. At least that's how my titties are when I try mimicking her pose.

With the latest edit (which I saw first) I read her as looking to viewer left and wearing an eye mask, whereas in the earliest versions I read her as looking toward the viewer and wearing a ninja-style mouth/nose mask thing. Could perhaps do with some clarification.

[skw]

Good remark!  Thank you!  Here you go:



Hope you like the head more now!  She looks right, like behind her back -- searching for invisible enemies hidden in the shadows, and ready to swing the sword at any moment.

edit: I was just answering at the Polish forum, where another wip thread goes on, and if you haven't found any sense in the picture yet, here's what I was, more or less, aiming at:
Japan -->  ninja --> essence superior to the form (minimalism or, in case of Japan, haiku) --> this work <-- form superior to the essence (kitsch) <-- scantily clad chick <-- demoscene
(it's all based on simple associations and the stream of consciousness)

edit2: and prolly the final version:

[surt]

Face reads much clearer now. Jaw perhaps looks a little strong now though.

[skw]

Well, I can always get back to the previous solution and work on hair, like in the one below.



Maybe that's even better?

[ptoing]

If that is a katana, she is holding it with the sharp edge up. And I doubt anyone would be holding a katana like that while sneaking around anyway. Other than that, nice

[Ai]

If that is a katana, she is holding it with the sharp edge up. And I doubt anyone would be holding a katana like that while sneaking around anyway. Other than that, nice

Good point. Indeed, a wakizashi (per http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ninjatō) would be more appropriate here (at least for the practical value -- ninja cannot realistically use heavy, large weapons like katanas because they must be able to strike quickly and their weapon must not impede their combat maneuverability.) Of course as you suggest, it should be sheathed. It might be a challenge making it readable if it were sheathed -- since it would rest against her upper thigh

[surt]

I wouldn't really have thought the large-breasted, bikini-clad type of ninja would be too worried about technical accuracy. 

I though the something like the mask highlight you had a few edits back looked good:

[Ryumaru]

Sexy.
I liked the arm better before it was as broken up by triangles in the tricep area. Might just be a matter of preference but it's just a bit too choppy and doesn't really read as graduated values like it does on the legs( which are done very well imo btw)

[Ai]

I wouldn't really have thought the large-breasted, bikini-clad type of ninja would be too worried about technical accuracy. 

bikini-clad ninja are silly but within the realm of belief. Even large-breasted bikini-clad ninja. Ninja having a sword that they cannot possibly use to do ninja things is beyond the realm of belief. If you're going to do something like that, she may as well be a pirate. Then it would at least address the deplorable lack of female pirate characters compared to female ninja characters (lol)

Personally, I find it difficult to tell whether she has large breasts -- her chest area is not very readable IMO.
there's basically just a single curve (the left outline) which is unambiguous there.

[skamocore]

Personally, I find it a bit offputting having the whatever-kind-of-sword-it-is pointed at a different angle to the triangles in the background. To me it just seems a bit haphazardly placed.

Perhaps something along the lines of this:



Other than that, I really love this; the idea is great and I can't wait until it's finished. =)

[skw]

Thanks a lot, guys!

Ai,

ninja chick: Results 1 - 21 of about 279,000 (0.10 seconds)
pirate chick: Results 1 - 21 of about 440,000 (0.11 seconds)

Yeah, bare-ass (almost) ninja is kind of silly, it's like in this demotivational poster -- nobody would see, nobody would notice . . . yeah, right; heheh.

But again, I was going for a little idea behind that (which, of course, came to mind AFTER I got amped to draw a ninja girl, but still decided to develop it a bit). I wrote about it a few posts above.

The katana is basically a compositional choice,



so I really didn't check what kind of blade ninja would use.  It can be everything, but since you've drawn my attention to its weird placement, I left out those "aa triangles" to take away some weight, and set it with the sharp edge pointed at the viewer.

Surt, Ryu: Okay, I get back some former features.  I was doing everything I could to make the new arm less muscular, but now I see the prievious one looks good (if not better) as well.



Calling it quits.  Probably.

All that reminds me of ASCII art I was into 5 or 6 years ago.

[Joshua]

Really came together, man. Looks great. Um, one last thing; Her left hand seems to be wide open when her arm is positioned in a way that it would seem uncomfortable for her to be doing that. Final nitpick.

Again, it looks great, man.

[skw]

Heheh, thank you!  Glad to hear that you like it, buddy!  What about the arm, I really don't know.  I like that it's a bit ambiguous, and you can always think of this pose,



which, in case of a stealthing ninja, may or may not make sense. . .

(thanks for my little sis'! )

edit: http://pixeljoint.com/pixelart/40071.htm