new marauder axeman - aka turin's first scratch-built sprite
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new marauder axeman - aka turin's first scratch-built sprite
For a while I've been (slowly) tcolorizing and biggerizing the Marauder sprites (for the Marauder faction from the Imperial Era). Today, inspired by Shadowfarer's art tutorial, I decided to try my hand at making the new Marauder Axeman sprite from scratch, rather than "Extreme Frankensteining" (my usual method, in which I frankenstein the different body parts/weapons together but take great pains to make everything fit seamlessly).
Anyway, what I did was:
* draw an outline in pure black
* fill in the regions with the appropriate colors
* shade using three values for each region
* replace the black with appropriate really dark colors
* dodge and burn the hell out of it
The image in the lower-left is the original, which I used for reference only; the upper-right is the result of the above method.
So - Comments? Critiques? Should I return to extreme frankensteining?
Anyway, what I did was:
* draw an outline in pure black
* fill in the regions with the appropriate colors
* shade using three values for each region
* replace the black with appropriate really dark colors
* dodge and burn the hell out of it
The image in the lower-left is the original, which I used for reference only; the upper-right is the result of the above method.
So - Comments? Critiques? Should I return to extreme frankensteining?
- Attachments
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- axeman-new.png (5.57 KiB) Viewed 4488 times
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I like it.
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Not bad at all for a first scratch built sprite. If I remember mine was way worse - wait - yeah, here it is.
For some reason it looks a bit dark/blurry - maybe you wanted it to look that way, though. And the elbow - on the left side of the image, so his right elbow - looks weird. I can tell it's an elbow if I peer closely, but from first glance I don't know what it is...try removing that little dark bit you've put in the middle. Then again I haven't sprited in a long time, so don't take me too seriously - my best from-scratch work would probably be my avatar.
Generally good work.
For some reason it looks a bit dark/blurry - maybe you wanted it to look that way, though. And the elbow - on the left side of the image, so his right elbow - looks weird. I can tell it's an elbow if I peer closely, but from first glance I don't know what it is...try removing that little dark bit you've put in the middle. Then again I haven't sprited in a long time, so don't take me too seriously - my best from-scratch work would probably be my avatar.
Generally good work.
OK, I think I've fixed what Flametrooper was saying regarding the elbow.
And I've decided this guy looks too level 2-ish - so now he's the hunter, and this new sprite's the Axeman. I'm not really happy with the Axeman, though... he looks off, though I'm not sure why.
And I've decided this guy looks too level 2-ish - so now he's the hunter, and this new sprite's the Axeman. I'm not really happy with the Axeman, though... he looks off, though I'm not sure why.
- Attachments
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- axeman-new.png (2.95 KiB) Viewed 4440 times
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- hunter-new.png (6.43 KiB) Viewed 4439 times
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Your first scratch build sprite I feel offended.
What about his one?
Now serious. I like the direction. Cough perhaps I'm biased.
Though I also thing that the axe head could need a bit definition. Just do it the way you did it with you dwarf and don't forget the brushes they are sometimes more useful on smaller areas than the doge tool.
What about his one?
Now serious. I like the direction. Cough perhaps I'm biased.
Though I also thing that the axe head could need a bit definition. Just do it the way you did it with you dwarf and don't forget the brushes they are sometimes more useful on smaller areas than the doge tool.
Last edited by Shadow on December 8th, 2007, 10:03 am, edited 1 time in total.
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The axe blades come out of the handle at the wrong angle. They should be a little more foreshortened and come into the middle of the handle to avoid the impression that they're coming out downwards. The hunter's right leg is not long enough, nor is the axeman's left upper arm. His right lower arm is too narrow and spindly.
This is great work from scratch. A little tweaking and cleanup is needed to make it perfect, though. Also, dark/game background shots would be useful so we can actually see the axe blades. They look a little small, to me, but that could just be the light backgrounds.
This is great work from scratch. A little tweaking and cleanup is needed to make it perfect, though. Also, dark/game background shots would be useful so we can actually see the axe blades. They look a little small, to me, but that could just be the light backgrounds.
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Do these address your comments adequately?
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- axeman-new-w-bg.png (9.91 KiB) Viewed 4373 times
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- hunter-new-w-bg.png (10.02 KiB) Viewed 4361 times
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Whoa, looks like Davy Jones got ahold of a pickaxe.Shadow wrote:Your first scratch build sprite I feel offended.
What about his one?
turin: I think it would look better if the axe was...well, more impressive. It looks like a hatchet, at the moment. If you could stylize it a bit, such as curving the blade, perhaps, or giving it an explicit point, or even making it a double-headed axe, that would be good.
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The axeman looks funny, I think, because he is facing his enemy to the SE square on. It's like he's greeting him to say hello while carrying an axe. If he were in a battle stance he would be more sideways and would probably bend his knees a little bit - though this is exactly what you've done for the L2, so you don't want to give him the exact same stance. Still, it is this stance that helps make the L2 look so good in addition to just how well it is drawn.
ps, the L1 is also drawn well, it is just his stance that I am commenting on.
ps, the L1 is also drawn well, it is just his stance that I am commenting on.
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Looks better, but i'd still prefer more foreshortening on the blades. And a little more length on the leg i mentioned. The arms look better.
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It looks like he's about to say, "Hey there, mind if I Axe you a question?"JW wrote:The axeman looks funny, I think, because he is facing his enemy to the SE square on. It's like he's greeting him to say hello while carrying an axe.
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Elbow looks better.
I don't quite see much difference between the two (if one's a lvl-up of the other). It's there, definitely, but could be emphasized.
Those are both really good sprite work though. The level 2 especially.
Hmmm....what if the level 1 held his axe in a more relaxed pose, while the level 2 held his axe in the badass ready-to-chop pose you've got him in? That could work to differentiate them.
Example:
I don't quite see much difference between the two (if one's a lvl-up of the other). It's there, definitely, but could be emphasized.
Those are both really good sprite work though. The level 2 especially.
Hmmm....what if the level 1 held his axe in a more relaxed pose, while the level 2 held his axe in the badass ready-to-chop pose you've got him in? That could work to differentiate them.
Example:
- Attachments
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- This is a quick hack to show you what I meant. You would probably want to change the colors/shading/etc to fit your style.
- axeman_flame-edit.png (2.47 KiB) Viewed 4234 times
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- Your Axeman, next to the hunter. They look really similar.
- compare1.png (5.49 KiB) Viewed 4231 times
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- My edit, next to the hunter. You can really tell how much more badass the second one is...
- comparenew.png (5.13 KiB) Viewed 4222 times
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Try holding an axe like that. That's an impossible, not to mention horribly impractical, pose. No offence, but it does not look good. The ready stance of the current sprites is a good one. A good alternate would be axe on shoulder, or axe held at waist level.
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