Bad art. Can someone please give suggestions?

[troodon]

Here is the "art" for a unit in my UMC that may never be on the campaign server until I learn how the campaign server works so I can fix the problem on my computer.

Forsaken and its attack animations:


I know the art is bad, that's why I posted it. I modified the Paladin images, so this is probably the best drawn new unit in my campaign that is not instantly recognizable as a modified mainline unit.

[Sapient]

I'm not really sure what you're trying to achieve. Is it supposed to be a mounted unit? Why the black specks?

[troodon]

Yes, it's a mounted unit. The forsaken kills his horse while a necromancer or lich tries to animate the horse's corpse. Since the binding takes place at the moment of death, the horse's spirit is the new mount, and it is not supposed to be as much of a horse as a beast. In the above drawings, it's just a bunch of scribbles. I don't remember if the specks were accidents or deliberate.

[ascendant]

What program do you use?

I don't know...there's something I like at the sword.

[zookeeper]

I don't know...there's something I like at the sword.

What is there not to like? It's clearly a lightsaber!

Although the pink outline is a bit funny.

[Jetrel]

In the above drawings, it's just a bunch of scribbles. I don't remember if the specks were accidents or deliberate.

Really, this is the crux of your problem. Have a reason for everything you do.

Furniture is not built by randomly taking boards and pounding nails through them, depictive drawings are the same way.

[nightcrawler]

Did you try to give the horse antlers? Antlers or ram's horns on an undead horse would be cool.

[troodon]

I use the Gimp, but I only know how to copy, paste, and draw with the pencil. The Forsaken is what the Dark Paladin becomes.
[unit_descriptions]

Code: Select all

unit_description= _ " It is a carefully kept secret that sometimes, a Paladin will forswear his vows and join the undead.  Although unable to become full undead, the Dark Paladins can attain great power.  In time, they become more powerful than a grand knight." + _ "

Special Notes: the Dark Paladin's charging lance attack doubles both damage dealt and received. This does not affect his defensive retaliation."

Code: Select all

unit_description="When a Paladin forswears his vows, his sword is taken away from him.  It is returned when he is initiated as a Forsaken.  To remove the holiness that taints his sword, the Dark Paladin must slay his horse and family with it while a powerful lich transforms the sword into ice.  This act of symbolic brutality serves several purposes.  It allows the horse to become a shadow being, proves that the forsaken will not flinch from any evil deed, and removes the holy taint of the sword.  It has the additional effect of making the man be forever cursed in the eyes of men."

[/unit_descriptions]

The shadow being was supposed to look sort of like a horse, but I couldn't blur it well enough, so I just scribbled. It looks like I tried to add horns to it. I drew this a couple of months ago. I think the specks were supposed to give an illusion of there being a halo, since I don't know how to make or use the halos.

[Jetrel]

since I don't know how to make or use the halos.

Fallacy #1: When something like this confronts you, whaddaya do? Many people just give up on being able to do it.

Try doing it, and try several times - one or two isn't going to cut it. On these different tries, try different things, and have each of these different things backed up by a theory you make up.

This is how I learned to draw - no one taught me. Well, that, and imitation tempered by "theories on why other people were doing something a certain way," but that was a huge part of it.


For example, you might think to yourself - gee, if I draw in an area around the outside of the unit, sort of an outline, but make it partly transparent, maybe that would work?

Of course, then you have to figure out how to draw transparently (hint - it's in a settings box related to the brush), but that's fairly easy. I'm not too familiar with the gimp (nor am I sure that's what you're using), someone else will have to clue you in.

[ascendant]

I don't know...there's something I like at the sword.

What is there not to like? It's clearly a lightsaber!

Although the pink outline is a bit funny.

I didn't say that there is something I don't like, I said there's something I like. I can't tell though. I might be able to work out what I liked(I have an idea what it is) if troodon tells me what he wanted to draw here.

[wayfarer]

I use the Gimp, but I only know how to copy, paste, and draw with the pencil.

....

For those who use the gimp for the first time.

For the start
http://www.gimp.org/tutorials/
and for advanced things like layers
http://www.gimp.org/tutorials/Draw_A_Paint_Brush/

Of course using gimp for sprites is like shooting with a cannon after sparrows. You will only need a few tools but at least this few ones should be known.
As a beginner I would start with simple copy and paste and later with the more tricky parts like doing things from scratch.

[troodon]

@ Jetryl: I use the gimp.
@ ascendant: It's an ethereal sword or something.
@ wayfarer: Thanks for the links. I'll look at them before I post a question on the art forum again.
For the most part, this is a paladin whose arm, head, and weapons were drawn by scratch. The armor was just coloured a bit differently.

[Casual User]

Can't say I have any advice to give, but I do have a question:

Do you still have some of the stuff you were smoking when you drew it?

Because it looks like it was good stuff.

[troodon]

It has only been 7 minutes, and I'm already posting another question.

Casual User wrote:
Can't say I have any advice to give, but I do have a question:

Do you still have some of the stuff you were smoking when you drew it?

Because it looks like it was good stuff. Razz

What does that quote mean?

[turin]

It's a joke that means he thinks you were on psychedelic drugs of some kind when you drew that.