[Final?] Platformer Mockup Themed Recipe Card (RC1 - 1/6/10)

[dreamisle]

Howdy everyone. I'm working on a recipe card that I want to make VG style. Here's what I have so far:


(Original vs Current)

Info:

• Full card size: 360x240px
• Intended print size: 5x3in, with 0.2in bleed and 0.3in margin, for print to 6x4in cardstock
• Background tile size: 24x24px
• Foreground tile size: 12x12px
• Recipe text size: 5px, 1px border and 1px shadow, total height 8px, 12px line height
• Roughly 24 colors, maybe more, maybe less when done

Inspired by graphics from Spelunky, not sure where I'm going with this other than that. I need to dig out my old Sega Genesis and do some "hardcore research" for inspiration.

I am hating my foreground tiles, so C+C and ideas much appreciated.

(PS: I'll be around for about 4 more hours today. After that, I may not have Internet access until next Monday, so I promise to post updates when I do return, even if it isn't soon. Thanks!)

[ndchristie]

it looks like you're trying to create a floor/abstract image ground, which I think would work better with the highlights on the closest (bottom) edge, :

-->

[dreamisle]

Actually, I was going for a rocky, cave-like background. The intended look I want to go for is that of a platform mockup, but not necessarily strict (strict as in with tiles for everything and sprites exactly 12x12 or 24x24). The idea is that there's a faint light source from above.

To give you a better idea of what I mean, here's a modded version of my WIP with floor tiles inserted over the background:

[Sinistral Erim]

The floor tiles don't seem like floor. It looks like some light brown grass growing on a rocky ground. You should highlight the step-on-able side of the floor tines so it looks like so.

Like this: http://www.vgmaps.com/Atlas/SuperNES/LionKing-Level09-Simba'sReturn.png

[dreamisle]

Thanks for the link. I get the idea, and I'll see if I can go more toward that. While away from the Internet, I tried my hand at an alternate tile style that I like a bit better, and also added in some of the other things that I wanted to do, at least to start out. Here's the last revisions versus the newest revision, and a link to the GIMP layered file (XCF) if anyone wants to use it instead of moving things by hand to show me an edit.



http://www.thegriddle.net/pixelation/recipe1.xcf

[Lizzrd]

the chef thing in the background needs to be more visible.

[dreamisle]

the chef thing in the background needs to be more visible.

How so? It's a background object so I don't want to use the foreground palette, and I don't want to add another lighter shade of the background palette, but I suppose I could. Could you give me an example of what you're thinking?

[Lizzrd]

I mean, i couldn't see it .

You could have the highlights on it be more circular, and not make him look like the bg rocks.

[Manupix]

the chef thing in the background needs to be more visible.

I hadn't even seen him yet. 
Either isolate him more with dark brown all around, or highlight him, or outline him with highlight, or all of these.

[dreamisle]

Alrighty, I redrew parts of the guy adding more highlights with another lighter shade of brown added, and also darkened the outline. In addition, added some extra sprites in a few places, more fire, and tidied up some lettering.



Updated the layered file too:
http://www.thegriddle.net/pixelation/recipe1.xcf