The Resource WIP Thread

[Aceri]

@Lunarea:

Ah okay, so I use the pencil tool for sprites and brush for tiles then, I was doing it backwards using pencil for tiles and brush for sprites haha.

@Celianna:

Alright, just making sure. .

Edit:

Here is something I am attempting using the pencil tool instead of the brush. I'm not quite sure if I should add/subtract anything or how to go about the shadows properly:



I'm going to remove the black outline when I'm finished, it's just there for myself to see where I am working in.

 

[cosmickitty]

@ausops - the eyes on your template look like theyre a px too high to meon the front view, more frames do make a smoother animation but xp wasnt done that way, the idle was just repeated. Tiny tip, but on the idle if you put one arm a tiny bit forward then flip for the other you get more animation without adding frames. Only other thing i see is your banding, break up the outline, lighter outline on the lighter sections darker on the darker etc

oh, on the breasts, a. Breasta move so you might think aboit animating them, b. I think in the sideview if you pull the neck back another px it might look better

@aceri- same banding comment, for the eye id try to add some darker grey to the top edge, even if he doesnt have eyelids therw should be some shadow cast from eyebrow, forehead, etc

just saw ur new one, my tablets weird. Blood tends to be done wrong, look up tutorials on how blood pools and flows ive seen a few good ones on DA. Best one ive seen was a tutorial on drawing blood and semen... But im not linking to it for obv reasons. Besides that, look at how they do character outlines on vx, they use them but its not a solid color

 

[monkeynohito]

@Aceri - Pixel style relies more on dot scatter and alternating checker patterns etc. to suggest shading and highlights whereas painterly style makes better use of actual gradients and shape. That's the end result whichever way you try to achieve it, it's not a brush vs. pen thing.

 

[Ausops]

@cosmickitty

I'm not sure what you mean by meon the front view but I appreciate the tips and I'll look into them, thanks.

 

[Lunarea]

Pixel style relies more on dot scatter and alternating checker patterns etc. to suggest shading and highlights whereas painterly style makes better use of actual gradients and shape. That's the end result whichever way you try to achieve it, it's not a brush vs. pen thing.

Well, actually, the tools play a huge part in how the objects are created - and a different technique is used depending on the tool. You use a pen brush for a painterly style and a pencil for a purely pixel style. Trying to use a pencil for a painterly style or a pen brush for pixel art is needlessly complicated and time-consuming. Not all pixel style uses dithering, nor are you limited to just gradients within a painterly style. Knowing how to use one does not mean you'll necessarily know how to use the other.

It's like the difference between drawing and painting. Yea, they're both art, but the right tools matter and they shape what techniques you use them in to get the best results.

 

[Aceri]

Well, actually, the tools play a huge part in how the objects are created - and a different technique is used depending on the tool. You use a pen brush for a painterly style and a pencil for a purely pixel style. Trying to use a pencil for a painterly style or a pen brush for pixel art is needlessly complicated and time-consuming. Not all pixel style uses dithering, nor are you limited to just gradients within a painterly style. Knowing how to use one does not mean you'll necessarily know how to use the other.

It's like the difference between drawing and painting. Yea, they're both art, but the right tools matter and they shape what techniques you use them in to get the best results.

So is there anything particularly wrong with using a paint style for my custom graphics, so long as I am consistent with that style? I understand the conflict if I have characters that are painted and characters who are penciled, but if everything is a painted style, is that necessarily bad? Like here are a couple versions of the same thing I am working on, doing one in pencil and another with brush:

Penciled:



Painted:



I like the pencil style and the crisp, clean look of it, but I feel like I am better with the brush. I mean granted the painted one looks rather grotesque, they are both by no means a finished product as can obviously be seen. The brush just seems a lot easier for me to use than the pencil(I use a laptop, I don't have a mouse or a tablet with a stylist).

So I guess my question reverts back to the top, is it bad to use a brush style, so long as the theme is consistent throughout all the characters/tilesets in the project?

 

[cosmickitty]

i assume the reason RM's characters are done pixel art style is that heavy AA can make a small character look really blurry.  I prefer a pixelated style personally, but technically.... they're you're graphics you can do them however you'd like.  But since your tiles are pretty pixelated I'd stick with that style, I think your characters will look blurry otherwise.

 

[EvilEagles]

It's easier to animate things in pixel style as well so, if you're not planning to animate it then go for the painted style. Just keep consistency in mind.

 

[Aceri]

Well if pixelling is the way to go, then I will adhere to the advice of my betters and stick with getting better at pixelling rather than painting. I think my biggest problem is not understanding fully why a particular pixel is placed where. Like I get the highlights/shading aspect and the shape, but the random scattered pixel that doesn't look like it belongs anywhere, I don't understand it's purpose.

 

[Ascension]

I'm quite new to this, could used tips on the shading, it was created in gale so its in .gal format, and after converting it to .jpeg i think it looks better but still criticize me please. Note, I plan to animate this in the future so look forward to that as well

 

[Hollow]

Hey, guys! I'm working on giving some of the RTP cliffs more rounded edges, and I'd like to get some feedback on how it looks so far:

 

[Aceri]

I'm quite new to this, could used tips on the shading, it was created in gale so its in .gal format, and after converting it to .jpeg i think it looks better but still criticize me please. Note, I plan to animate this in the future so look forward to that as well

Well as for the shading, pick a light source first, then go from there. For example if your light source is directly above the creature, have the shading be darkest around the belly, and the lightest on it's back. Basically look at it and try to imagine what the shadows would look like if you were to shine a light at the object/character at the particular angle you want it to be.

Also, always try to do your work in .PNGs as .jpegs distort the pixels and will mess up what you made.

 

[cosmickitty]

never save files as jpg, can't really give you any help because your colors are all distorted

as for the curves, the right side seems more rounded than the left to me, but thats all i see as an issue

 

[Ascension]

updated with better shading and as .png, light source on the left

@cosmickitty i can't see it myself you're gonna have to be clear on that one (oh and i nvr mentioned i'm adeng4893@gmail.com, just an offtopic mention)

 

[cosmickitty]

the curve comment wasn't meant for you, your shading is kinda all over the place.  you need to pick where your light source is.  Also make sure your shading is based on your light source instead of banding like it is there.

 

[Ascension]

another try, keep criticizing, again light source is on the left

 

[cosmickitty]

I think maybe your contrast is too low, when I zoom in I can see the colors you used, but it looks incredibly flat when I look at it at 100%

 

[Ascension]

any tips on what contrast to set？ i think my color scale is at intervals of 30/40, i'm thinking to aim for a darker look so where do i go from there

 

[Archeia]

When picking colors, you need to take into account, Hue/Value/Saturation.

I recommend reading the following tutorials.

Pixeljoint

Final Boss Blues

Studio Purloux

 

[Ascension]

tried to put a bit more contrast, i think this is as good as it gets at my current level, took a look at the links and tried a higher contrast with shift in R value to give it that extra darkness.