This is supposed to be a monster being preserved in a jar.
I'm going for a look similar to animals preserved in formaldehyde or some other chemical (If you want to get technical I know we don't use formaldehyde anymore)
(http://i.imgur.com/hNzu4Ak.png)
I tried experimenting with the yellow liquid, and how it changes the creature's colors.
It's important to the story that the creature has visible counter-shading, but I also want to capture that yellowish hue.
What do you guys think?
I think the jar is too squared. If you look up on Google Images for the terms Futurama+head+in+a+jar you will be met with a simplistic depiction of heads in a jar. Notice how in every scene they appear, the borders are rounded to imply the cylindrical shape.
Other than this, the purple look more witch/mage oriented while the yellowish look more mad bio scientist oriented.
Personal preference, but I'd bring that leg up some so it looks like he's floating. Preserved humanoids are often drawn in a fetal position.
Thanks for the tips guys.
I've added the rounded edges to make it seem more cylindrical. It added some good depth too!
Also it's a science setting, so yellow all the way.
I also curled it's leg up. I think it's a good change, but not quite fetal position. It's an interesting idea so I might redraw to see if it works better.
(http://i.imgur.com/szvSnl7.png)
(Layered over different backgrounds to show transparency
When it comes to the roundness of the jar, I would make the middle of the top and bottom of the jar have the longest horizontal line and shorten up the lines as you get to the outside of the jar. Kind of like the top of your picture. This is very minor, but the current look of the jars top and bottom (closest) to me make it look like the jar is diamond shaped instead of round. The top and bottom roundness looks about right on the back of the jar but not the front.
I would also move the creature up a bit so that it looks a bit more like it is floating.
Quote from: NickyNyce on Sun 13/08/2017 12:42:41
When it comes to the roundness of the jar, I would make the middle of the top and bottom of the jar have the longest horizontal line and shorten up the lines as you get to the outside of the jar. Kind of like the top of your picture. This is very minor, but the current look of the jars top and bottom (closest) to me make it look like the jar is diamond shaped instead of round. The top and bottom roundness looks about right on the back of the jar but not the front.
This, exactly this. (nod)
Also maybe it's just me, but whenever a creature is preserved in a jar, they always looks like they're too big for the jar. Either because they've expanded from absorbing liquid, or from the magnification of glass making it look like that. Just a thought.
I've fixed the rim of the jar. Such a small change made such a huge improvement!
(http://i.imgur.com/DByYBGD.png)
Something I should've pointed out is it's size.
I've raised it so the creature looks like it's floating. But this is a very heavy creature. Probably +300 pounds. Would it still float? I guess it depends on the fluid too.
I also tried distorting it using the liquify tool and other methods. It didn't work out too well because of it's pose.
i could try one or two things, is it possible for you to post a separate version with just the monster? also in original resolution. Are you working with a restricted pallet?
Here's the original unscaled.
(http://i.imgur.com/LQH3kX5.png)
No restricted pallet, but the color scheme is all there. Do whatever you think looks good. (nod)
Quote from: Glenjamin on Tue 15/08/2017 17:01:50
I've raised it so the creature looks like it's floating. But this is a very heavy creature. Probably +300 pounds. Would it still float? I guess it depends on the fluid too.
Weight does not affect buoyancy; density does.
My problem right now is that the creature doesn't look dead, which I assume it is. I think it'd look better if it was crouching more, maybe even in a fetal position, with eyes closed.
I coincidentally happened to see something similar on pixel joint (http://pixeljoint.com/pixelart/114562.htm) the other day:
[imgzoom]http://pixeljoint.com/files/icons/full/12.22.2016gremtube.gif[/imgzoom]
Maybe it's helpful as a reference piece.
I redrew it in the fetal position. Feels more natural and a bit more unsettling.
(http://i.imgur.com/qhwwk7d.png)
Definitely a huge improvement. (nod)
Uhm... now I'm having a hard time reading the head... is it just me, or does it look like it's got a helmet on?
Not just you, but it looked like a helmet, or at least goggles, before already. Now it looks like there's an empty helmet instead of the head.
My first thought is: the silhouette of the creature is not easy to read (the color of the liquid isn't helping either). The last version even less so. Also, if you make the jar itself a bit bigger, it'll give you more room to experiment with the creature's stance and shape.
The creature's head and eyes are based of the eyes of the Barrel eye fish. Look it up, it's wild!
Now we reach a design impasse.(at least for me) This is going to be in a horror game after all, so does not being able to make it out well make it creepier?
Quote from: Glenjamin on Sat 19/08/2017 16:55:26Now we reach a design impasse.(at least for me) This is going to be in a horror game after all, so does not being able to make it out well make it creepier?
Personally I would argue that especially for a horror game you want the silhouette to be strong, while details are much less interesting/relevant. You don't have to have able to recognize every every part of his/her anatomy, just the most story-telling parts (and yes, you will want to keep some mystery). But when you look at the fetal-version, the general shape is a blob...and blobs are rarely horrifying (though I really like the position and direction of his head).
I would probably draw most of his body in a (near)black shadow with some (as few as possible) light outlines when needed. With a nice bottom-front-light direction to focus on that head of his. Also, the Barrel eye fish-inspiration is weird and I find it really interesting.
Of course these are just some personal ideas to what I think you're trying to achieve. And as with everyone's advice: if it doesn't fit the story you want to tell, or if you feel you have a better solution...just ignore everything I just said and follow the direction you feel you need to go.
Here's a thought. How about you put the creature in a fetal position with a nice silhoutte and make it pretty dark. Perhaps just some glimpses of light to give off some detail of its most menacing features. This still leaves the player wondering what it might look like alive.
Edit : l just read what Misj' wrote. Exactly. I can't believe I basically copy pasted you...Lol
Really awesome feedback guys.
I'm gonna try darkening the silhouette,as well as making a new pose where it's crammed into a skinnier tube, making it stand upright.
yikes, i totally forgot to get back to you on this, alas I still haven't got anything done, but I do kinda like the reference example Hobo posted too, I think a combination of what you have with that could be interesting.
I put some work into making the creature more defined
Original>Darker outlines>Darkened image>Full black
(http://i.imgur.com/puWMDfJ.png)
Not commenting ont he sprites above but on the tank shading : it doesn't help that the glass color is almost the same everywhere, except for a very shy slightly lighter shading in the middle. Look at the other animated sprite that was posted earlier : there is a strong reflection on the tank's side, to make it look like glass AND to give it a 3D aspect rather than flat.
About the sprites :
1) I would suggest that you outline, well... only the outline. Not the inner lines (arms, etc.)
2) It doesn't matter if you choose sprite 1, 2 or 3, as long as there is at least one place on the sprite that catches the light, i.e. that's much lighter. Don't try to use too many colors (at the moment I count about 8 colors in your sprite), but use at least one bright color that you put where the object catches the light (on the helmet's front/top for example?)
I didn't put too much thought into the importance of lighting.
I'll give it another go with some new lighting effects.