AuthorTopic: [WIP] Another pixeled portrait  (Read 20786 times)

Offline Jad

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Re: [WIP] Another pixeled portrait

Reply #10 on: October 26, 2009, 01:49:02 am
Ditch it I say, the head-only version feels like a portrait, also implies a less awkward stance, more majestic somehow. Like it lots.
' _ '

Offline EvilEye

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Re: [WIP] Another pixeled portrait

Reply #11 on: October 26, 2009, 05:38:54 am
Well I am glad some people like it without the hand because I just cannot get the hand to work. Not enough room or something.



Next update should be a lot cleaner.
« Last Edit: December 15, 2009, 04:05:15 am by EvilEye »

Offline Mathias

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Re: [WIP] Another pixeled portrait

Reply #12 on: October 26, 2009, 04:00:43 pm
(Good lord elk, that WIP is loco, essay. You chose to debut it here? Sure woud like to see it finished!)

Beautiful and catchy work as usual, evileye. I prefer no hand as well. I liked it, but it was too awkward; didn't work yet. Like the lightened/glowy eyes as well. I think the facial features are well-done. Hair and garb certainly await polish, black outline ixnay.
On a different observational note: I don't think this portrait objectively expresses this character as either "good" or "bad", in reference to your game, could be antagonist or protagonist material - neutral. Though if anything it might make more sense he's good, due to all the light coloring, seems more benevolent than malevolent.
My biggest complaint/wonder is the consistent use of muted pastelish colors for this game project of yours. I never have preferred them, and though you use them well, in an appropriate sort of painterly style, I can't help but wish you'd pull in some stronger more vibrants shades. Just a little survey data for ya, you should definitely stick with what floats your boat, not mine or anyone else's.

Keep up the great work.

Offline EvilEye

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Re: [WIP] Another pixeled portrait

Reply #13 on: October 29, 2009, 08:46:46 pm
Thought I might as well do an update, in case anyone has some advice.




My biggest complaint/wonder is the consistent use of muted pastelish colors for this game project of yours. I never have preferred them, and though you use them well, in an appropriate sort of painterly style, I can't help but wish you'd pull in some stronger more vibrants shades. Just a little survey data for ya, you should definitely stick with what floats your boat, not mine or anyone else's.

Keep up the great work.



I am open to any color edits if you want to show me what you mean by pastelish colors. Most of the time my colors are highly saturated.
« Last Edit: December 15, 2009, 04:05:32 am by EvilEye »

Offline politopo

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Re: [WIP] Another pixeled portrait

Reply #14 on: October 30, 2009, 06:19:13 am
yoo hoo, color edit, my fvourite!  :)

I just add that in my imagination, Odin is cold colors... and perhaps try reducing them, it's like you use one and half times the ones you need.
I liked the version with the hand, but maybe this way it is more clear.

Offline alkaline

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Re: [WIP] Another pixeled portrait

Reply #15 on: November 02, 2009, 07:44:17 pm


edits on edits homie. i feel like while your colors are saturated, they become too saturated in places and redundant. for example your second darkest purple doesn't add much in terms of volume and is only more saturated than the darker tone. i also don't like the outlines but yeah i didn't feel like figuring it out right now so i evened out the surrounding colors a bit

Offline EvilEye

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Re: [WIP] Another pixeled portrait

Reply #16 on: November 05, 2009, 08:09:19 am
Had a lot of real world stuff taking up my time lately and got a little side-tracked.

The color edits don't do it for me guys, both of them seem to deaden the colors too much. Thanks for the input though.

Not sure what it is about the armor, but it doesn't look right to me, so I am going this direction:



It just looks a little less awkward to me.
« Last Edit: December 15, 2009, 04:05:43 am by EvilEye »

Offline dpixel

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Re: [WIP] Another pixeled portrait

Reply #17 on: November 05, 2009, 02:39:20 pm
I kind of liked the hand.  It kind of added some more depth, interest or something.  Also I'm not sure about the current hair.  To much bangs...kind of like a pretty boy.  That's just my taste though.  Nice work overall.

Offline Helm

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Re: [WIP] Another pixeled portrait

Reply #18 on: November 05, 2009, 03:36:38 pm
Here's a few things I see about your art that seem to come up every time.

1. From the value range that you have available, from 0,0,0 black to 255,255,255 white, you seem to work in the middle upper register. You have very many near white colors and usually just black, a close to black and then huge jump to middle shades. I think the human eye is more used to see hue variations in low middle shades, which is where most master painters worked too, with strong and defining hue jumps towards highlights, and shadows the melted towards a grainy gray. I don't follow this idea to the letter (I have a propensity for saturated near-blacks, personally) but it's a valuable thing to consider, how you're effectively *straining the eyesight* if your viewer with all the near colors in the higher middle/highlight range.

2. At the same time, on your lower values where black lineart turns into a sculptured object, there end up remaining single pixel or two pixel clusters of black or near black that make the lower end of your image look EXTREMELY SHARP. This effect couple with 1. above makes your art have this unpleasant - to me at least - effect of a botched photoshop levels/curves middle point pass. It misses the valuable middle-low register in the values but yet the black is punching and sharp and there's a multitude of whites. Are you aware you're doing this? Is this a conscious choice?

3. On a straight pixelling related point, single pixel clusters or two pixel clusters, when used so much and so prominently (because your black and near black is so far away from the next shade) they read as specks, blemishes and/or noise. This is something to consider regardless of the color and value thoughts above.


Your latest.

Contrast & color photoshop pass

Careful pixel level edits and manual color calibration pass.


I don't know if you do this, but I suggest you look into the edit in your paint program, flip between the two frames (this is why I put up animation flips usually) because there's lots of suggestions on the nitpickery level as far as facial features and shading go.

Offline Ben2theEdge

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Re: [WIP] Another pixeled portrait

Reply #19 on: November 05, 2009, 04:06:53 pm
Here's a quick NPA edit, I didn't have time to properly pixel it but the general ideas should still come across.
.


Basically there's big issues with volumes and hues. You're trying too hard to preserve the lineart, so in the colring there's very little flow in terms of light/dark, everything is very washed out and consequently the only thing that jumps out are the outlines. Balance and flow are something that should be present in the value and hue of the piece as well as the general composition.

Positive and negative space are present in your lineart but you've colored it in such a way that there is none, it's all very flat. If you were to take out the linework this piece would be nearly indecipherable. Hue and value can and should be used to help communicate the space that you are trying to portray. After the initial sketch I believe this is the most important step in any finished work and should really be taken care of first, before you even start thinking about detailing. Look how much the picture pops when you add a bit of variety, without making any drastic changes to your character design.
« Last Edit: November 05, 2009, 04:10:54 pm by Ben2theEdge »
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