AuthorTopic: Anatomy Break  (Read 25388 times)

Offline Atnas

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Re: Jake Bonfire crit discussion

Reply #20 on: June 30, 2009, 02:13:32 pm
I think you might have a much easier time if you were to draw your character on paper, then say, post it in the anatomy thread. While your pixel placement isn't the best, it's not what's hurting this. Even if these were silhouettes, they'd suffer from basic anatomical flaws. Once you get that in order I think it would be time to continue the pixel critique.

It's like painting a bridge that's halfway built and hoping that it will get the people in their cars somewhere. You need to build the bridge then paint it, and the beautiful thing is that you can paint it in whatever color you like. In other words, once you learn better anatomy and foundation skills you'll be able to apply the knowledge to any art form. It's very relevant to pixels.

Offline xhunterko

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Re: Jake Bonfire crit discussion

Reply #21 on: July 01, 2009, 06:47:27 pm
@atnas: I always draw on paper first, I just don't have a scanner to prove it. Anyways, thank you.

I thought I'd try something different. I have this level that is going to be a bridge area. So I thought it wouldn't hurt to try and draw a car or two. I picked this police car. This is also only my second attempt at a car. It was turning into a van so I needed a reference.


REF -> http://www.istockphoto.com/file_thumbview_approve/7476705/2/istockphoto_7476705-police-car-with-clipping-path.jpg

I was thinking that perhaps that I suck at anatomy only and might try something a little different for now. My main concern is not he outline or the general shape. I'm worried that it might be too small for the characters, or that I may have accidently pillow shaded it. I think the perspective's okay but I'm not sure what to do about it on the front hood. I'll be trying to work on a humvee next.

Your thoughts?
(CnC please, thanks)

Offline xhunterko

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Re: Jake Bonfire crit discussion

Reply #22 on: July 05, 2009, 02:09:29 am
Steps:
Found reference, found second reference
Drew sketch as shapes, finished up sketch
Pixeled reference, used sketch for backup
Result:



Your thoughts?
CnC please, thanks in advance :)

Offline 32

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Re: Jake Bonfire crit discussion

Reply #23 on: July 05, 2009, 04:03:43 am
Have you considered making it larger? going back and doing your other graphics might be a bitch, but it'll be much easier and look much better in the end. There's kind of a sweet spot for every sprite that seems to lend to it perfectly, where your clusters don't just look like noise, and you can fit in all the detail you want.

If not, crits on the current one. Arms way too long, hands and feet too big (one is bigger than the other?). (our) Left foot could be rotated towards us a little more. Head is neckless/chin too low. Still no outline on the headband, maybe get rid of it altogether? unless its really important the extra space could be useful for facial features. One of the legs is the wrong width, I'd suggest widening the right one. Arm connects to shoulder weirdly, move it back, rotate the shoulder. torso could maybe be a pixel longer. Stance seems impractical if he intends to start moving. Lighten the outline of the left knee pad. You should move the closest arm back a bit, seeing as the angle of the shoulders will distance the two arms.

I like the knee pads/shoulder pads, they're actually a useful design choice when trying to show the direction of the limbs.

The car. Firstly, the wheels aren't round. But I really have to ask, what's going on with those segmented grey bits along the top of it? There's banding around most of the outlines, now would be a good time to employ some AA.

Lastly, your ramps overall are quite straight and boring, play around with some hue shifting, read up on some colour theory (there's great thread here)

One more question, actually, do you start with line art, or a silhouette? try just drawing the silhouette in a few different colours for different parts, then go over with your tones, or if your uncomfortable with that, you can go over the silhouette with line art.  It's just a lot easier to play around with a few blobs of colour than with lines.

Offline xhunterko

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Re: Jake Bonfire crit discussion

Reply #24 on: July 05, 2009, 06:20:03 pm
Nice crit, I'll see what else I can work on later. However, one thing always bothered me whenever someone mentions rotation in pixel art. I know about 3d model rotation, I've played with a few of those. I just don't understand the concept of 'rotating' 2d though. Could someone give a quick explanation maybe? As for the sprite, I've fixed the skinny leg. The arms bothered me because I thought they were too short. I can fix that. I'll read through that excellent link a bit later though. (Someone actually explained the term Contrast! 'o'). About the car, the top I think that was supposed to be a perspective thing. I was thinking about getting rid of it but hadn't got that far. I do lineart first, and then fill in colors, then shade. It has to do with the way I draw I think.

So if anyone can give a quick explanation on that rotating thing, that'd be appreciated. I'll search it too, just in case there's a topic somewhere.
Thanks again!

Offline 32

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Re: Jake Bonfire crit discussion

Reply #25 on: July 06, 2009, 02:41:09 am
As far as I know its not a 2d art specific term. Just means moving to a different viewing point OR in the context I used it, just exactly what you would do if I told you to rotate your shoulder, just uh, think of the shoulder as a ball and socket, and the ball moving around in the socket would be rotating the shoulder, yeah? In purely drawing sense that would mean drawing the side of the shoulder (or pad) instead of the top.

Atnas is probably right though, you should work on your anatomy, if you don't have a scanner I'm sure you can at least ask yourself if you think the anatomy in your pencil drawings is good, if you think its not so hot, go read some anatomy stuff, and draw for a while. Obviously you're doing a SD style, but a basic understanding of how the body moves will help you a ton.

Definitely try starting with a silhouette.

Offline xhunterko

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Re: Jake Bonfire crit discussion

Reply #26 on: July 06, 2009, 04:46:32 am
I had changed a few things around before my previous post. I was going to post the results and then you had posted. I changed the head style to match the direction he was going in. I think I forgot about the hands but I do think I've fixed the general arm. I gave him some of a neck as well. For the arm I tried to think of how close the elbow is towards the body and went with that. I think I have the feet shifted around the right way. The foot facing towards us problem has always been a bugger for me. I erased the second hand entirely in favor of the handle. Tried to make the gun look more powerful. That's all from me. At first I wasn't sure what SD style meant then I remembered it being super deformed. What do you guys think?



CnC please?

Offline xhunterko

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Re: Jake Bonfire crit discussion: First Boss!

Reply #27 on: July 09, 2009, 06:38:09 am
I thought I'd post something. However, after thinnking a moment, I decided to try and design my first boss instead. First I did a mini, and a rough sketch on paper. It always looks better on paper. To see how I wanted it to turn out. The mech is only bipedal (not four like you'd think), and it has two large laser beam "hands". The design is sort of a prototype so it's kind of supposed to be awkward and unfinished. (I thought of making the hands circle, or giving it just one wheel, but thought against it.) There is also a green bottom turret that shoots some sort of phase energy at the player. There is an old terrorist sitting in the center pod having too much fun controlling it. It moves by walking and crawling up the walls. I was wanting to know a few things from you guys.

First off, do you have any suggestions on the design? I would also like to know how about to do those joints. I do not seem to be good at connecting them seamlessly. I tried to dither a small portion of the left arm. I don't think I have that correct. I also have the pilot sitting in a chair. Should I remove that and do something else with his arms?



Other then that, CnC please. :)

Offline xhunterko

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Re: Jake Bonfire crit discussion: First Boss!

Reply #28 on: July 09, 2009, 06:38:53 pm
I may have inadverntly offended someone whith one or more of my posts.

EDIT: I am not sure now.
« Last Edit: July 12, 2009, 06:55:25 am by xhunterko »

Offline Avocado

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Re: lock please, thanks

Reply #29 on: July 09, 2009, 11:00:19 pm
I don't think that you've offended anyone with anything that you've said, but it sort of seems to me like you aren't really absorbing the advice given to you.  I would say that there has been an improvement in the protagonist since the first rendition, but idk, personally I like the 3/4 face thing you had going on at the start.  Go with what you prefer though, thats just my preference.  I really think it would benefit if you ramped your colors, though.  I feel like it would soften your shading and make the overall sprite more pleasing to the eye.
In regards to the tank thing, you might want to ref some metal slug to see how they do their stuff.  In addition, ask yourself some questions about the use of the various parts: why do the laser beam cannons have to be on jointed arms? the way you have it right now it seems like theyre attached to the top of the arms and are immovable but the arms themselves can bend.  The chair is kind of hard to read and it might be more effective to make the glass more opaque.  He also doesn't have a control panel right now, i have no clue how the robot moves around.  im also kind of confused as to whether the robot is facing the player or the character because of the way the legs are positioned on it compared to the lasers and the evildoer inside. 

Oh, I just read the bit about how it's supposed to be a prototype: I guess that it kind of works then, but I think a better way to get the "prototype" feel across would be to make the weapons backfire occasionally rather than having a sort of messy design.

also, the way you're shading it right now, it doesn't really look metallic. You could probably look up some ref of metallic stuff.

My main concern right now with your stuff overall is the color.