[WIP]My Flag (c:)

[~*McMuffn*~]

Happy?



What do you guys think of this peice of ART?

[Durnus]

First off, it needs 50 stars, not 16 moons. The stripes need to be evenly-spaced, and there need to be 13 horizontal stripes, starting with red and ending with red. Then we can start about it looking like a piece of photo paper.

Take a look at the specifications: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flag_of_the_United_States

[...]

EDIT: Removed possibly flammable remark.

[Jad]

Hey Durnus, what's up with that attitude? There surely must be a nicer way to deliver that critique. Well, this goes for McMuffin too, regarding the first post, but kudos for not giving up.

Also this here USA flag thing is extremely often simplified - especially with pixel art there is often no way of cram all 50 stars in there and make it look good, so mcmuffin sure shouldn't have to try to cram more in there. Although I can definitely recommend trying to study the flag's specifications closely.

The stars do look somewhat like moons, so you might wanna try to give them some more definition in some way.

[D~Dawg]

Your stars are WAY to fat and plumb looking. There should only be 4 pixels for each star. I'm not sure how to explain this without giving you a picture:



Placing pixels either way makes it look tiny little circles when it's zoomed out. You can add tiny shading to make it look even better, if you want, but that might make it look too detailed.

[Durnus]

Sorry, it's because of the earlier thread and McMuffn's remark:

Happy? What do you guys think of this peice of ART?

Having read the other thread, I considered this sort of rude, as if we forced McMuffn to switch to an American flag. I barely resisted posting in that thread, so I guess it was impossible here when I could also give critique. I did go a bit overboard though, I admit. Thinking back, I guess I didn't think the attempt was serious, with such a condescending message with it. (Not saying the flag's bad, just that the text around it ticked me off.)

Apologies for that, McMuffn. Getting more on-topic, I have a two little things to point out, easily fixed. The blue color surrounding the flag is different than that between the string and the flagpole. Also in my opinion you shouldn't use gray for the anti-aliasing for the stripes--instead use that light pink color. Other than that it's actually not that bad, and with time it should look very patriotic.

[gandhi420]

here's a quick edit i made with the correct specs.

[Atnas]

You know what's pretty cool? I see those single pixels as stars. Like, not when I'm leaning in towards my monitor because Chrome only supports bilinear filtering, it's when I'm at normal viewing distance, around two feet from my monitor, I actually see those pixels as stars because it's a familiar and iconic symbol.

I would reconsider such a bright highlight on cloth, which is not a very reflective material.

[D~Dawg]

you gotta learn about your textures and stuff. Cloth does not reflect much, but things like metal is HIGLY reflective. (Like you made your flag. )

Gandhi420's flag pole looks way better than yours. The ball needs to be bigger than the pole, not the other way around.

[Dusty]

You know what's pretty cool? I see those single pixels as stars. Like, not when I'm leaning in towards my monitor because Chrome only supports bilinear filtering, it's when I'm at normal viewing distance, around two feet from my monitor, I actually see those pixels as stars because it's a familiar and iconic symbol.

This is true. You don't always need to draw out the details on your pieces to be able to portray what they are... sometimes subtle arrangements can work just as well, and this sort of thing is one of the many unique parts of dealing with pixel art.

[~*McMuffn*~]

yes, i know that i wasn't forced to change my flag-But if i hadn't then i would not have gotten any critique, because they couldn't focus on my art. So, with that being said, i'm better off with an American flag. And also, i don't want to affend anyone-even though i did not mean anything by it.

The blue color surrounding the flag is different than that between the string and the flagpole.

HAHA!! I cant beleive that i didnt even notice the color was different. I was just in a hurry, so thats why it looked like, really crappy! LOL!  but i fixed it a little, and corrected my MOONS (not nice, but funny!)  there is still a whole lot of room for improvement.
real funny D~Dawg about my flag being reflective-but i'm new so...

P.S. gandhi420, i highly appriciate your edit. and anyone who would take the time to help me out. I'm not saying that nobody else is helping me-because they are, very much-its just that when people accually redo your art it takes a little more time and effort.

[Scribblette]

Happy?

- made me laugh XD. You can always stow away that Confederate flag in your own little gallery somewhere. Art is art - you're probably safest labelling anything controversial as not intended to be controversial.

Anyway - Gandhi made a lovely edit to the pole and to show how light and shadow would play on the flag - think about the shape the flag looks like from above, a bit like this: ~

Think about how the shadows will play in the tucked away areas and you can see why Gandhi did as he did, plus cloth isn't very reflective as Atnas said.

The anti-aliasing into the blue background is good on the blue part of the flag, but I don't think the red part would fade into light red before blue. Personally I'd give the flag a dark outline to help it stand out, but that's different to how a decent artist should be able to do it - selective outlining and all. Maybe someone can advise what colour you should be using there.

[D~Dawg]

plus cloth isn't very reflective as Atnas said.

I said that, too. 

Yeah, your not doing much work on the pole. Forget about the flag for a while, and work on the pole. It needs to be more shiny.

And notice how your shading goes to the left.

Your ligthing needs to be torward the right.

[Durnus]

I don't think it's just right vs. left, unless you mean inversion. Gandhi's edit makes it look right though, check that out. At the moment it looks like the light is coming from behind-lower-left of the image, but the flag looks otherwise.

[D~Dawg]

At the moment it looks like the light is coming from behind-lower-left of the image, but the flag looks otherwise.

Exactly.
And now that I've stared at it some more, it looks like the shading is just a hole in the pole. (that ryhmed)

[Jad]

Right now there's something funny about the middle of the highlight, where the flag suddenly turns back into a darker colour - make it a straight colour shift the whole way instead!

The top of the pole also looks a bit funny, spherical objects usually have a round highlight also, not the crescent you've going on right now. Anyhow, good progress, gogogo!

[~*McMuffn*~]

this is my new flag. i tried to fix the material problem, and i tried to meke the pole look more realistic.

but i was told that my flag now looks like metal, so...

[adcrusher524]

On the American flag, there are 7 red stripes and 6 white stripes. Yours only has 6 red and 5 white. Add 1 more white and red to it.

[gandhi420]

in your latest edit you've got the materials backwards. the flag has a lot of contrast and the pole doesn't have enough. take another look at my edit and compare it to yours. you should also try to establish a light source. the light is hitting the pole on the left but it doesn't look that way on the flag.

[Corsair]

I don't think that the dithering on the pole was really necessary.

[JosephSeraph]

I don't think that the dithering on the pole was really necessary.

Or good at all. It gave a weird, sponge - y texture. All in all, i think the colours are all wrong, the shadow casting is all wrong, besides other thing, but this seems to be a rude pool so i will shaddap.

[~*McMuffn*~]

Here yall go:


i know that it was "backwards"-but really it wasn't, because if you are standing on that side of the flag thats how it looks.
well, the dithering on the pole did look very weird-but that wasn't my idea. i chose not to use any lighter colors (p.s. JosephSeraph, you spell "colour" wrong.) because like some of you said, its not a reflective material. so yeah... 

(c=) BE_HAPPY!!~~

[gandhi420]

when i said you had the materials backwards i meant that the flag looked like metal and the pole looked more like cloth. in your new version the stars are really sporadic. try looking at some reference to see how they're placed.

[Corsair]

I don't think that the dithering on the pole was really necessary.

Or good at all. It gave a weird, sponge - y texture. All in all, i think the colours are all wrong, the shadow casting is all wrong, besides other thing, but this seems to be a rude pool so i will shaddap.

I think you misinterpreted my comment. Metal is smooth and dithering does not at all convey this.

Also, Muffin, "colour" is how people from the UK generally spell it. Keep in mind that we speak an offshoot of the queen's english.

[Halloween_Cloud]

Happy?



What do you guys think of this peice of ART?

Honestly, everyone is only commenting on your accuracy of the flag, not the pixel art. The art looks really good. I'm sorry that you had to switch to get another crit. but you know, some people are stubborn and think it's not patriotic. But I don't mind it, it looks great as your flag. Great work, my friend.

[~*McMuffn*~]

Well dude, I'm from America, and frankly I don't really give a rip about the queen's english-no offense. But If thats how
Yall spell it where your from, then go right ahead. I was just saying, if you look it up its: color. Oh and my name is McMuffn not Muffin or McMuffin!!

gandhi420,
 now I know what you was saying about it being backwords- but i just thought that when you flipped it, that thats what you meant. sorry! XD

Halloween__Cloud,
Thank You. (c=)

[ptoing]

McMuffn, you might want to consider that British English is what American English "evolved" from. You are coming across being rather ignorant.

[infinity+1]

the stars look randomly placed at this stage. especially at the lower right corner

also...
there are so many stereotypes (and disregard for other people) happening, that i can't help but question the legitimacy of this user.

[D~Dawg]

VERY randomly placed. But besides, your POLE needs work...

[~*McMuffn*~]

¿Cómo ignorante es una segunda lengua? No signifiqué lo que dije sobre los ingleses de las reinas que estoy apesadumbrado… pero es color, yo es refrán justo. Convengo sobre mis estrellas, pero mí cupe cincuenta de ellos. No veo cómo mis necesidades del poste todavía trabajan, aunque.

I couldn't have said it better in perfect freakin engish!! XD

[Panda]

That 'straight-out-of-an-online-translator' bit of Spanish is bullshit, so keep trying.

But enough, please try to keep this thread focused on the actual pixel art related bits.

[~*McMuffn*~]

That's so not nice, man.  Nobody went a'pullin your chain. I'm taking spanish class, thankyouverymuch. but yes i did translate this. I translated it back to english and it didn't make to much sense. my appologies. but dont say im talkin bull%#&t when you got a dancing booger as your sig. ( XD Just Playin) Now if nobody has anymore comments about all that crap, i'd appriciate it if i could get this thing finished.

[Sm.]

Maybe you could touch up the colors.

Not necessarily some pretentious retro-gasm of color, just more along the lines of white-to-blueish y'know (less saturated also, the flag is saturated, but in reality when light and environment come into play you get a more withered flag.)

So yeah I wish I had an edit but I don't .

P.S. Along the lines of drama, people are only trying to help you and most of them have incredible things to say. If your ears aren't open and you just plan to back-sass everyone you shouldn't be asking for help :/.

y'know?

Yeah.

Mmmm.

[Panda]

I don't think you are understanding your current position.
If you keep behaving the way you are doing right now, you will start getting strikes or get directly banned.

The Pixel Art forum is strictly for pixel art critique, all unnecessary off-topic (specially those sassy comments of yours) should be avoided or done through PMs.

So stop derailing the thread and keep focusing on the pixel art.
Or else action will be taken.


And for your information, it isn't a booger but a Green ChuChu.

[Sokota]

Hahaha. This whole topic makes me laugh. Specially the bits with Panda. Anyways, perhaps you should add another shade of blue so you can shade the blue field of stars a bit better, instead of having it flat against the rest of the flag?

Sokota

[~*McMuffn*~]

[ : ]

[ . ]

[The B.O.B.]

   On the previous subject of the Confederate flag: being a Southerner myself, I can understand how our influences can come across as ignorant. In reality, a bit of our culture really is. Be that as it may, we're not asking you to kill your personality. The main thing is we know you mean well, and that you are proud to be a Southerner. I'm proud too! The only problem is, we interact with so many people of so many walks of life, that our cultures tend to clash. In other words, be proud, but be mindful of other people's culture.
   In this case, the Confederate flag does have connotations involved with racism back in the days of American slavery, and Civil War. We know most Southerners who put this flag on their pick ups don't use it to offend people, but more so to display their symbol of pride for their home. However, to others, it is offensive to their culture. So please, be weary of these things for future reference, from one fellow user to another.

   Any hoo, hope this doesn't derail your stay here. I know that sometimes some artists on this site can come off as blunt, or straight jerkish(including myself), but we don't mean it an a mean way. It's just the way we've grown to communicate with each other, in being as honest as possible. Hope to see some more junk-funk in the near future!

The B.o.b.

[~*McMuffn*~]

Wow, strong words. The B.o.b., I dont think that you are jerkish in any way. I agree 100% with every word you said. But i gotta tell ya your avatar freaks me out a little.

<3 McMuffn PEACE!!

[Larwick]

I hope you don't mind TBOB, i put your animation into comic book format, just so it's easier to get the most out of it. 

[HughSpectrum]

That picture should be archived for future reference.  I has a ton of good info that can apply to many other pieces, such as the warning about dithering, blocking out colors, folds, and metalwork.

[Scribblette]

Now, when people start going on about the difference between decent pixel art and GREAT pixel art, that there image is what they should be comparing to. Saved!