Outsider Art for Bad Moon Rising

[doofus-01]

Facial features troublingly resemble some of the previous ports..hmm funny.

Yeah, I recycled the head from an older version of Athanta. I figured it was OK to do that since that portrait is not part of the campaign anymore.

Here is someone who is not recycled. He's the other outlaw and is something like a pirate or corsair.

[JackBarber]

Hey, I was just playing part II and I notice Officer Cantwell looks like a bobble-head... Just thought I'd let you know.

[StDrake]

I'm just wondering what's with the greenish skin tones, i mean - they're humans aren't they?

[kitty]

I've been neglecting your thread for far too long and I've been meaning to say that for a long time now:

I've really enjoyed watching you struggle and grow as an artist over the last two years! It's astonishing to see at what level you are now considering your beginnings.
I have stopped to crit your work quite a while ago - not because there are no "mistakes" anymore, there are still quite a couple of things "wrong" with each of your portraits anatomically or perspective-wise, but because I see another quality in them. There are a ton of bad anime artists out there trying to disguise their mistakes as a matter of style, but that is not the case in your artworks. What you are doing in all its faultiness and awkward stylisations has developed its very own charm. It reminds me of certain kinds of art brut and outsider art - naive and untainted by conventional artistic education and institutions. I really hope you'll manage to cultivate that!
I'm curious how you'll develop your visual vocabulary over the course of the next months!

[doofus-01]

kitty: Thanks! I hadn't thought of it like that before, but I guess the shoe fits. Non impediti ratione cogitationis.

StDrake: They are supposed to be human, I didn't realize they were green. I made her a little redder.

Not quite finished, but close enough to post for possibly the last time:

[StDrake]

right hand pretty much human now indeed, left hand hard to tell, seems ok since when looking at it you cant avoid seeing the definitely green clothing which gives enough contrast to the skin tone not to notice any possible greenyness, face still a bit in the olive tones rather than brownish (i suppose that was the intention), but that's kinda stylish even, goes fun with the blooded eyes

Hey maybe you could start experimenting on some more hues on clothing to push your craft even higher, kindof like on kittys and lordbobs ports? well alright maybe not on bmr+ series ports, don't want to break the neat style xD

[doofus-01]

More varied hues could be a good idea, but I'm colorblind so it's probably best if I keep it simple. "Fortunately", there are plenty of other things I can work on.

This isn't so much for critiquing of quality as much as it is a trial balloon to see if the idea is too silly. These would be one unit line for the shipwrecked sailors/outlaws. They can move around in the water, hence the interesting costumes. I should note that they look a little bit better TC'd, when they don't have pink underwear.

[Girgistian]

Looks pretty good to me, even though you could add a few arm or head bands for the lower level ones to get some more detail and tc. The idea seems okay, and the quality's more than decent as well.

[Skizzaltix]

I rather like the idea, actually--this sort of semi fourth-wall breaking humor floats my boat, as it were
Then again, I liked Melon's innertube-fairy, and equipped my own cavalrymen with hobby-horses, so I might not be the most balanced judge on this matter.

On the portrait...something feels strange about the way she's holding the pick. From the way her fingers curl around it, I would think it should be going behind her leg, not in front

Anyway, great work, as always!

[doofus-01]

Thanks. I guess armbands or something could work for the level 1 sprites. The pick in the portrait was supposed to be resting on her thigh, but it doesn't look like that at all, so maybe just putting it behind will work.

I think I've finished the mage line for the "outlaws" (named them "south-seas" faction), so I thought I'd post them before futzing with magic halos for the ones with outstretched arms. The TC things in the lower one's hair are supposed to be feathers. And yes, I used a few parts from mainline mages and necromancers.

sstree.png

I know the guys on the left need work. I'm hoping to make them holding oars, but it hasn't worked so far so they may just end up with spears.

[thespaceinvader]

The ones on the right are really, really good. You're coming on in leaps and bounds, fantastic work =)

[Mefisto]

The sprites on the right look better. Probably because of using more colours and greater contrast between darkest and brightest spots. Something I'm learning now. And I noticed that the sprites look better when the colours are more saturated.

[A-Red]

The L3 that looks like the Necromancer...well, it looks like the Necromancer. It would be nice to see more of a continuation of the L2 concept, which looks really nice (I think it's my favorite of the whole bunch). I'm liking all the others a lot.

I think you'll also want to spend some more time on weapon blades...they're tricky to do, but they really do need outlines pretty much all the way around, and they should have a nice metallic shine to them. With blade outlines, I often find it works best to use multiple outline colors--the thicker, unedged part of the blade can have the darkest outline color, and the much lighter edge of the blade can have a lighter outline color.

[thespaceinvader]

As regards blades: take a look at what I did with the Dwarf Scout line's blades. They worked out really well, and I was pleased with the effect, but I couldn't describe the technique I used, so you'll have to check it out for yourself

[StDrake]

I sees and i likes
those spear blades not so bad, looking wee bit primitive
the pixel above right leg of the left guys looks more off than like a strip of the pants
i'd agree with saying that the necro-like lady could use to look more like continuance of the lv2, maybe substitute something instead of the necro shoulderpads and let the upper dress half remain TC?
oh right, since im into tc - right upmost - those 7? standalone tc pixels will hardly be visible in practice, would be good to think of something to add