AuthorTopic: Crazy Cat [WIP]  (Read 18274 times)

Offline Dr D

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Re: Simply Improving (WIPs)

Reply #10 on: July 28, 2009, 05:34:05 pm
I think you're using way too many colors, and it's not just in this piece, you do actually do it a lot.

If you can't shade and properly show form and volume using only 2 or 3 colors, then doing it with more will certainly not help you. Try shading using only 3 colors per element, it should be less of a hassle using less colors, would look more pixel-arty, clear and readable, and would allow us to help you more, as we can identify your problem areas easier.

Hopefully that'll get rid of some of the banding as well. Honestly, the way you're using the extra colors just seem to succeed in lowering the quality of the image.

Make sure you have clean lines, and readable / identifiable shapes.

Also, what adcrusher and LoTekK said.

Offline Tobe

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Re: Simply Improving (WIPs)

Reply #11 on: July 28, 2009, 05:41:43 pm
Frankly, I can't imagine why anyone would actually want to give you c&c, seeing as you tend to either ignore it, or worse, refute it, claiming you already know this. Yes, I CAN shade. Yes, I DO know how to do this. Yes, I DO know this. Yes, I CAN do this. Shortly after, you drop the thread, and start something else, occasionally not even showing anything before dropping it once again. Whatever critique is provided is ultimately wasted effort on the part of the people attempting to help. So yes, you /are/ being rather rude, and to people who are taking time out of their day in the hopeful assumption that you actually give a hoot.

Actually, the kid is only 11 years old (according to the profile), so it probably explains the way he post. It's still unacceptable, but I don't think he meant to be mean.

For the artwork, you're obviously new, so before you start making new things, try finding a reference and duplicate what they did. You can learn a lot by going through the same motion and understanding why they did things the way they did. If that is too boring, try editing some game character sprite to your own. All these are easier, and a lot to learn.

Hope that helps.

Offline snowsoft

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Re: Simply Improving (WIPs)

Reply #12 on: July 28, 2009, 06:27:30 pm
Dr D is right on the money with the shading thing. I remember when I first started I was using way too many colors, and most of them you could barely tell there was a difference at all.

I think you had like 7 or so different shades of each color which was really not necessary, and was barely noticeable until I went to do an edit on your piece.

A few things I did, were to clean up a few jaggies I noticed, and reduce/change some colors. Granted, I altered the piece itself a bit as well to something I thought looked a little better, but it may not be in line with the style you want. I gave the cat a few more facial features (nose, little hairs on his head, etc) and a little more of a mouth. Before, his entire lower half of his head was just teeth and looked strange to me. Also, it looked like you were giving him a fang on our left side, but there was a line through it (maybe an accident?) that made it seem like he had a weird lower tooth. I probably could've gotten a little more in depth on the edit, but this was just something quick I thought might help.

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Offline Ddawg

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Re: Simply Improving (WIPs)

Reply #13 on: July 28, 2009, 11:08:10 pm
Everyone: I'm sorry I always turned down my C&C, and on this thread, I'll start accepting it. And I'll start accepting it all the time. But I never meant to turn it down, or be mean to anybody, I simply thought the peice was finished and/or dumb. (which now I see was foolish) I truly apologize.

adcrusher524: I like what you said about the teeth and ears, but the neck might not come back. I just don't like it. You really gave me a big peice of advice on the shading and lighting, thanks. Also, I'll clean up the teeth.

snowsoft: I'll work on the big tooth. I'll try to make it stand out more.

I don't quite understand what you guys said about my lines being messy, but...I'll work on it.
I don\'t want to be a bad boy like I was in the *gulp* past...Please be patient with me.

Offline Scribblette

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Re: Simply Improving (WIPs)

Reply #14 on: July 28, 2009, 11:44:20 pm
*cheers for CommanderD growing up quick*

I think when people talk about messy lines they're talking about drawing lines and curves so they look cleaner. There are a few tutorials about that on the internet - the last one I saw was over on OpenGameArt by Les Forges: http://opengameart.org/content/chapter-2-lines-and-curves

It has a clear example of what could be considered messy, or full of 'jaggies', compared to a 'clean' line.



When you compare the edits people have given you with your own work, you might be able to spot them making similar changes to that!
Now reading: Animator's Survival Kit, Drawing On The Right Side Of The Brain, Fun With A Pencil. No time to pixel!
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Offline Ddawg

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Re: Simply Improving (WIPs)

Reply #15 on: July 29, 2009, 04:43:37 pm
Alrighty, new update:


Buffed out the tooth a little, redid all the teeth, took adcrusher524's advice on the ears. Redid the eyes, removed the tounge and cleaned up my lines a little. (I think)
« Last Edit: July 31, 2009, 01:11:40 am by CommanderD »
I don\'t want to be a bad boy like I was in the *gulp* past...Please be patient with me.

Offline ~*McMuffn*~

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Re: Simply Improving (WIPs)

Reply #16 on: July 29, 2009, 05:39:23 pm
the big tooth he has hangin out of his mouth looks freakin weird.
u need to sraiten up his teeth also. his ears dont have like holes in them,
if u know what im trying to say-the look like there on backwards.
but other than those things he looks good. =)
i dont even no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Offline Pizza Tom

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Re: Simply Improving (WIPs)

Reply #17 on: July 29, 2009, 07:18:25 pm
The problem with the big tooth is that it should be coming from his upper jaw. Popping out of his other tooth there doesn't make a whole lot of sense. If you don't know what I mean, take a look at the edit snowsoft already did for you.
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Offline Ddawg

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Re: Simply Improving (WIPs)

Reply #18 on: July 29, 2009, 09:27:00 pm
Regulus Awesome: I'm so stupid for putting it on the bottom. :huh: ...I'll fix that.

~*McMuffn*~: The ears aren't backwards. The holes in animals' ears always point away from their bodys. But, you are right about the teeth.

Adcrusher524, I tried to download 'Graphicsgale' and it said: "setup files are corrupted" or something like that. Where's the place you downloaded it? And do you have to have a specific version of windows for it?

PS: I think it's safe to change the thread name to "Crazy Cat", right?
« Last Edit: July 29, 2009, 09:35:30 pm by CommanderD »
I don\'t want to be a bad boy like I was in the *gulp* past...Please be patient with me.

Offline adcrusher524

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Re: Simply Improving (WIPs)

Reply #19 on: July 29, 2009, 10:13:19 pm
I'm not sure why it didn't download. I downloaded it from here http://www.humanbalance.net/gale/us/download.html