artisticdude's Art

[artisticdude]

Hate to sound like a bit of a [censored], but the dino-soar.png looks like you've simply reduced a picture in size. And on further inspection so does the portal

If you're worried about it, I didn't break any rules or steal anything. I created the bases for these using my 3d program and edited them using photoshop. I thought I said that somewhere... no, I guess not. Sorry, I thought I'd said that when I first posted the images.

[Zerovirus]

...3d program and then photoshop?

...

I don't think that's how you make units around here. Besides, we're not 3d experts, we can't really give good advice on that kind of art.

[Issyl]

I for one personally think that's a totally legit way of making sprites, if you want to do it that way.

Your only problem is that if you don't change things correspondingly, like light style and shading of the sprites (which is significantly more different in pixel art than large-scale drawings), you'll get units that have no outline and are rather dark (in this case), like the dinosaur you posted.

[Quietus]

Hate to sound like a bit of a [censored], but the dino-soar.png looks like you've simply reduced a picture in size. And on further inspection so does the portal

If you're worried about it, I didn't break any rules or steal anything. I created the bases for these using my 3d program and edited them using photoshop. I thought I said that somewhere... no, I guess not. Sorry, I thought I'd said that when I first posted the images.

You're not breaking any rules unless the image you're using isn't GPL'd. The problem is, it isn't pixel art, and it wont really improve spriting skills.

[artisticdude]

Hmm, yeah, I get the point. Still, 3d can be a good way to visualize the angle, shading and form. But I guess I'll have to rely a little more on photoshop and less on Vue in the future.

[Zarel]

Well, it's not a bad way to go, if you just use the 3D base as a reference, and pixel over it.

Just scaling a 3D render isn't pixel art, of course (and looks kind of ugly at pixel art sizes, which is the bigger problem).

[thespaceinvader]

...3d program and then photoshop?

...

I don't think that's how you make units around here. Besides, we're not 3d experts, we can't really give good advice on that kind of art.

Generally not, for units. But a number of our villages have been made in this way.

[artisticdude]

Okay, well, all 3d aside, here's an effort on my part to update the wagon, as it's always bugged me the way the perspective seemed to be off towards the back. There's something wrong with the wheels. though... maybe too thick?

[Telaron]

For one the wheels wouldn't all be pointing the same way. Even when stationary.

[artisticdude]

For one the wheels wouldn't all be pointing the same way. Even when stationary.

Why not? You can't drive a car if three wheels are pointing forward and a third is pointing to the side.

Here are a couple sprites I made up in like five minutes.

[Captain_Wrathbow]

For one the wheels wouldn't all be pointing the same way. Even when stationary.

He means the dark lines on both wheels are vertical. (and I agree) It would look better if one were slightly off vertical and the other were at a diagonal slope, for example. Does my rephrasing make any more sense?

[Issyl]

Your carts' canvas hood needs to be enlarged by making it stick out forward some more.
The wheel directions look fine to me - just make them 1 px thinner, and give them spokes instead of being solid.
Your serpent is really short - either lengthen or narrow his body.
The dustmite looks good, but a little pillowy. Try using a darker tone on the left side of the three parts of his body.

[Telaron]

He means the dark lines on both wheels are vertical.

I understood what I meant, but I guess Captain Wrathbow understood it better. Yeah, that's the exact idea. Thanks!

[thespaceinvader]

Honestly, the cart needs more than a simple perspective fiddle - the horse needs to match the latest revision of our mainline horses, and the cart needs serious updating. It may have to wind up as a slightly hex-breaking unit, i suspect.

[artisticdude]

I'll start over from scratch then. I honestly can't expect it to wind up being mainline quality, but who knows? To the specifics though, what kind of sprite should this end up being? Should it be a covered wagon? Should it have one or two horses? What does the driver look like? What is the driver... human or dwarf? What (if any) attacks would this unit have? Would the wheels have spokes?

If you want to leave this up to my artistic (um, yeah, maybe not so much) perspective, fine, but if possible I'd like to know what is mandatory and what is open to development in this sprite.