AuthorTopic: [WIP] Mushroom  (Read 5209 times)

Offline Sly

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[WIP] Mushroom

on: September 18, 2009, 11:53:28 pm
Well I have made this mushroom to use in my game but it feels like it lacking definition that I can't seem to achieve.  

Newest:


Second:


First:


Any critique it's slightly based on Mushroom Hill Zone from Sonic & Knuckles.


« Last Edit: September 21, 2009, 04:01:49 pm by Sly »
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Offline Mathias

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Re: [WIP] Mushroom

Reply #1 on: September 19, 2009, 12:28:59 am
What's up, Sly. Some observations: Your mushroom's cap is shaded as if a flat beveled shape, not round and puffy. Just refer more to your Knuckles screenshot. The stem is mirrored and gives no indication of lighting, but your cap does. The stem is quite flat. Seems like a much more significant shadow should be cast onto the stem by the cap.

Why not post some screenshots of your game in development so we can see this mushroom, and your cliff/grass tiles for that matter, in context. I'd like to see it.

Offline Sly

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Re: [WIP] Mushroom

Reply #2 on: September 19, 2009, 02:44:48 am


Thanks for the suggestions. I will try to add the round to it also try to free up some colors.

Also I'll work on the shading on the steam.

Well those are my ground tiles that need quite a bit of work.

 I just noticed the Mushroom doesn't fit the style because I was using Breeze tiles and it matched those.

So a palate switch and some shading changes are need.
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Offline Dex

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Re: [WIP] Mushroom

Reply #3 on: September 19, 2009, 02:51:10 am
Mathias is right in his flat statement. You need to apply your shading more volumetrically and try and apply form and shape before applying texture. I'll admit, it's sometimes hard to do, but in the end it'll look better.

You need to also set a lightsource and figure out where the light is coming from. Right now, on the stem, it looks as if it's coming from both directions, whereas on the cap it looks like it's coming from the left.

With this new screenshot, it seems as if you're going for a top down look, which the mushroom gave no indication of. You seem to have the same lightsource problem on the rocky cliff as well. It seems flat and doesn't have the rocky feeling one would expect from a cliff. The styles also clash- the mushroom has harsh, dark outlines, whereas the cliff seems to have lighter, soft outlines, and in some places, no outlines at all! I think you need to give the mushroom more shape and give it a more top-down appearance. It would also help to add some more volume onto the cliffs and try and apply a rocky texture.

Your grass tiles aren't bad, but I think they could use some differentiating. You can see lines in the patter in which one line of grass tiles meets another. If you made 3 or 4 individual, yet tileable, tiles, I think you could make the grass much more interesting! Also, try and throw in some flowers and such. Visual interest is quite important.

Anyways, looking forward to progress, I think you have it in you to make this a really nice pic. Good luck!~

Offline Kyuu

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Re: [WIP] Mushroom

Reply #4 on: September 20, 2009, 02:18:35 pm
Also concering your perspective; looking at the grass, the hill and the mushroom, none of the three seem to be viewed from the same angle. I think if you're aiming to set the entire area in the same view as that hill, you're in for a lot of headache. There's a reason why most top-down perspective games ignore the slight perspective distortions and use straight lines for all the landscape sides.

Basically, I'd suggest you slant your camera downwards a bit by straightening the sides of your hill and working from that perspective instead... It'll be loads easier for you.  :P

Offline STE 86

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Re: [WIP] Mushroom

Reply #5 on: September 21, 2009, 07:31:47 am
hi,

the shading on your mushroom must be handled in the the same manner as shading a sphere. as the cap on a mushroom as you have drawn it is basically a truncated (chopped off) sphere.

example


if u chop off the top 1/3 and reverse the highlight direction u have your mushroom, to which all the sphere shading rules apply. so if u draw and shade a sphere then chop off the top 1/3 to use u will have exactly what u want, which u can then overlay the other markings onto and edit their colours to follow the shading.

can i also suggest that your platform tile colours might look better if u used the darker green for ground and the lighter one for the platform top. as the eye "expects" the object which would be naturally closer to the lightsource (the sun?) to be lighter.

best of luck
Steve

Offline tocky

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Re: [WIP] Mushroom

Reply #6 on: September 21, 2009, 01:20:51 pm
here's a quick volume study:

gotta really emphasise the roundness, avoid hilights/shadows that just follow the 2d outline.

the aa to black really isn't helping against your bright green background. you should probably use full outlines, or no outlines, or aa to green.

hope this helps.
« Last Edit: September 21, 2009, 01:32:42 pm by tocky »

Offline Sly

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Re: [WIP] Mushroom

Reply #7 on: September 21, 2009, 04:00:19 pm
Thanks for all the feed back everyone! :D

Well I've changed a lot based on everyone's feedback.

Well before I saw Tocky's post I had worked on the mushroom on the left which is based on Mathias,  Dex, and Kyuu post.

Basically I shorted it and tried to put it into topdown view and I also changed the palate to fix the issues of it not fitting together.

Then after that I saw Tocky's edit and decided to try it and in the last hour or so I made the mushroom on the right.

I couldn't reproduce it. :\

I tried to create some rocky cliffs but it doesn't look right to me. The big green thing was me being bored so I did something else until I figured out what to do with the mushroom.

I'm not sure what I'm gonna do with it. Anyway longish post coming to an end.

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Offline Mathias

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Re: [WIP] Mushroom

Reply #8 on: September 21, 2009, 04:18:54 pm
I think the more reddish left mushy works best.


I was just popping in because I remembered Arne's drawing tutorial and thought I'd point you to it, if you haven't already seen it.

Here's the portion you're probably most conerned with right now: Light Stuff

If you actually take the time to patiently study direction it gives, you'll be on your way to big-time improvement. I suggest you give it some of your time.

Offline Sly

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Re: [WIP] Mushroom

Reply #9 on: September 21, 2009, 04:23:08 pm
Thanks Mathias.

Yeah I need to work on my light source and shading because right now it's really pillowshady.

I see what you are getting at. My light/shading doesn't fit the contours of the piece it is just sorta there.

I'll work on that right now. Also thanks for that tutorial it is very helpful.
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