AuthorTopic: I want to improve (Cranky Jack WIP)  (Read 3546 times)

Offline denmen707

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I want to improve (Cranky Jack WIP)

on: February 04, 2010, 06:32:12 pm

This is cranky jack

i wan to improve my skills but i don't know where to start

Offline Olothontor

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Re: I want to improve (Cranky Jack WIP)

Reply #1 on: February 05, 2010, 03:33:40 pm
I presume you're going for a very cartoon-y style here. If that's the case, awesome.

If not, you've got a ways to go. That's okay, though.

One thing that immediately hits me very time I see poor Jack here is that left leg (right leg to us viewers) is utterly straight. Try bending it out more. Also, his face and skin lack a lot of definition; his head really just looks like a blob of flesh with two very beady eyes. While that may be what you're going for, there are far better ways to achieve that effect.
"In a mad world, only the mad are sane." - Akira Kurosawa

Offline denmen707

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Re: I want to improve (Cranky Jack WIP)

Reply #2 on: February 05, 2010, 03:48:03 pm
tried fixing it a little

Offline Shrub

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Re: I want to improve (Cranky Jack WIP)

Reply #3 on: February 05, 2010, 04:10:24 pm
Did you do that by hand?
There's a lot of different shades, even in the outlines, and it seems kinda random.
For such a small sprite, you really don't need that many shades - you're overcomplicating what should be a simple and readable sprite.

Try using one shadow colour, and one highlight colour, for each base colour.
Anyway, I made a quick edit to his face.
As Olothontor said, the face lacks definition and readability. I added some white near his eyes, a nose, and a mouth.

Not the best of edits, but you get the picture.

Offline Mathias

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Re: I want to improve (Cranky Jack WIP)

Reply #4 on: February 05, 2010, 06:30:45 pm
i wan to improve my skills but i don't know where to start

Good. Go here. Spend many hours learning.

Offline rustEdge

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Re: I want to improve (Cranky Jack WIP)

Reply #5 on: February 05, 2010, 07:36:19 pm
As Shrub and Olonthor have already mentioned, simplify.

Some people would disagree on this, but dithering is an advanced technique. A lot of newbies fall into the trap of thinking that dithering or anti-aliasing would automatically make their work look good. I've done an edit on your character, only using 5 colors. A little beefier than your original, but I hope you get the picture. There's almost no detail besides the chin and eyes, and there's absolutely no dithering. You MUST ensure that this stage is good before you start putting all the little things. Otherwise you'll find yourself putting all these pixels into your piece without knowing why it looks off.



Practice on the forms before working on details. In art and design work, roughly 90% of what makes a piece feel right is form. Detailing only accounts for %10, and you'll find yourself spending 90% of your total time on it. Sketches, doodles, things like that would definitely help in regard to this thing.

Offline denmen707

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Re: I want to improve (Cranky Jack WIP)

Reply #6 on: February 06, 2010, 08:29:10 am
i wan to improve my skills but i don't know where to start

Good. Go here. Spend many hours learning.
i did all those tutorials some time back, most of them are down now