CMI Style Backgrounds with a Graphics Tablet

James-- · Sat 07/07/2007 11:15:01

Hi,

I recently bought a WACOM graphics tablet (the A6 one on Amazon - about Â£40) and I'm using it with OpenCanvas. I find it very easy to draw characters with it, and there are plenty of tutorials for that online.

However I can't seem to get a good style for backgrounds. Does anyone have any tips on how to draw backgrounds with an interesting style or know of any tutorials online? I was trying to create some in a Curse of Monkey Island style but I guess I'm not using the right tools in OpenCanvas (all the tutorials online are for drawing characters so I don't know which tools I should be using).

I had a go at recreating part of the Blood Island map and this is the best I could come up with...

So if anyone has any advice it would be greatly appreciated

Darth Mandarb · Sat 07/07/2007 14:06:46

First thing I would recommend would be posting in the right forum (the Critics Lounge)

But don't worry, this'll be moved shortly!

As for developing a style ... I suggest just practice, practice, and practice. Just keep trying, experimenting, and eventually your own style will develope. The more you do, the more you'll develope. Don't expect greatness straight away ... this takes time. Just keep at it and you'll find your own style.

Good luck!

cobra79 · Sat 07/07/2007 14:09:08

As for Tutorials there are 2 sticky threads in the Critics Lounge too. You can also take a look here
Your mountain is pretty good btw.

James-- · Sat 07/07/2007 21:00:33

Quote from: Darth Mandarb on Sat 07/07/2007 14:06:46
First thing I would recommend would be posting in the right forum (the Critics Lounge) But don't worry, this'll be moved shortly!

As for developing a style ... I suggest just practice, practice, and practice. Just keep trying, experimenting, and eventually your own style will develope. The more you do, the more you'll develope. Don't expect greatness straight away ... this takes time. Just keep at it and you'll find your own style.

Good luck!

When I first posted the thread there wasn't any artwork in it, just the question... I only added it later when I got bored waiting for a reply

I guess it's just down to practice, it would be helpful to see a tutorial on backgrounds in OpenCanvas as I dont really know where to start (I'm not sure if I'm using the right tools etc.)

Quote from: cobra79 on Sat 07/07/2007 14:09:08
As for Tutorials there are 2 sticky threads in the Critics Lounge too. You can also take a look here
Your mountain is pretty good btw.

Thanks for the link and the compliment

James-- · Thu 12/07/2007 12:50:26

I had a go at recreating another one of the backgrounds... I think this one went a little better. It was a recreation of this picture of the SCUMM Bar in CMI style. I sketched it out and then drew using the original as a reference

I would have added more details but i got kind of bored towards the end

Please give as many comments/criticisms as you can!

Uku · Thu 12/07/2007 13:13:28

Well, i have a Trust tablet at home and i can say: drawing with tablet is god damn hard, i have had it for about 5 months but havent got the time to learn it.

so I admire you for learning it so quickly, and your drawings are quite good, also i suggest you to actually "develop" your own style. But no-one fobidds you to have influece from MI-s style

TerranRich · Thu 12/07/2007 15:26:04

James--, that is DAMNED good! I have a tablet and if you look at my thread in this forum, I'm kinda okay at it. You're awesome though! If you made a game with graphics like that, I'd gladly pay for it!

cobra79 · Thu 12/07/2007 18:01:26

:o
It looks really good but I guess you won't get much feedback. The picture is given so the only thing to criticize is your tablet technique, which at least for me is impossible.
Now show us one of your pictures.

OuchMyTentacle79 · Thu 12/07/2007 21:06:34

James you are a prodigy.HOLY CRAP THAT'S GREAT!
2 thumbs up to your art/talent.

James-- · Fri 13/07/2007 10:03:44

Thanks for the positive comments everyone... it's really encouraging

I'm working on designing the layout of locations now trying to make the perspective/object layout interesting... then I'll post some locations I designed myself

Stupot · Fri 13/07/2007 15:53:05

Woah, dude. Hurry up and make some games, man.
That background is almost flawless.

If I was going to pick nits I'd say the orange glow from the front window looks a bit like it's coming from the closed door.

I can't wait to see more from you.

markbilly · Fri 13/07/2007 16:34:07

Quote from: Uku on Thu 12/07/2007 13:13:28
Well, i have a Trust tablet at home and i can say: drawing with tablet is god damn hard, i have had it for about 5 months but havent got the time to learn it.

I agree, I have a tablet, and my attempts with it are dire. However with a real pen and paper I'm pretty decent. It frustrates me!

So, congrats for getting the hang of it so quick. I think we'd like to see some original backgrounds now, this is promising.

TerranRich · Fri 13/07/2007 20:34:35

I'm the opposite: I draw much better and more naturally with a tablet than I do with a pen and paper. Erasing it SO much easier with a tablet. No eraser dust to wipe off.

Ali · Sat 14/07/2007 11:16:01

The technique is very strong in terms of shading. I think your version could benefit from a greater tonal range. Notice the way the original uses stronger highlights to draw attention to the main doors and the central area of the background.

Rather than copying another CMI backdrop, I'd suggest you think about composition and work on an image from scratch. Your version is lovely, but it lacks some of the dynamism of the original. Notice the way the barrel by the bar breaks point where the wall meets the hay - while yours meet awkwardly. Think about the way the horizontal line of the bar sign breaks the vertical lines of the gate in an exciting way. Your image looks flatter because there are fewer interesting intersections. Bill Tiller discusses bad tangents in the article which I guess you've read.

I hope that doesn't sound too critical. I wanted to provide specific criticism because your image shows such potental.

James-- · Sun 15/07/2007 20:10:19

Thanks for posting such in-depth criticism, it's extremely helpful

Quote from: Ali on Sat 14/07/2007 11:16:01
The technique is very strong in terms of shading. I think your version could benefit from a greater tonal range. Notice the way the original uses stronger highlights to draw attention to the main doors and the central area of the background.

I wasn't sure what tonal range even meant, then I looked it up, and now I can see exactly what you mean... I thought my version looked duller but I wasn't sure why, but now I can see that it's much more grey. I think maybe the reason I did that is because it's easier to blend brush strokes if the tones of the shade and the light areas are similar... I'll try to avoid that next time though.[/quote]

QuoteRather than copying another CMI backdrop, I'd suggest you think about composition and work on an image from scratch.

Yep, that's what I'm working on now. I find it a little hard creating my own concept art sketches at the moment because my object placement isn't very good and the perspective is always a little boring (e.g. large areas of floor/sky). So I'm just practicing that at the moment

QuoteYour version is lovely, but it lacks some of the dynamism of the original. Notice the way the barrel by the bar breaks point where the wall meets the hay - while yours meet awkwardly. Think about the way the horizontal line of the bar sign breaks the vertical lines of the gate in an exciting way. Your image looks flatter because there are fewer interesting intersections. Bill Tiller discusses bad tangents in the article which I guess you've read.

Ah yeah I see what you mean... when I sketched it I wasn't really thinking about the layout of the objects (it's the first time i'd even attempted a background). I have read Bill Tiller's article with the part about bad tangents but I can't remember where

do you have a link to it?

Thanks again

ALPHATT · Sun 15/07/2007 20:42:21

This is AWSOME your very very good. Talk to someone who want to make a commercial game with AGS. With these Gfx you could even get commerced by Telltale Games like Al Emmo.(AS far as I know it's the most expensive Ags game ever($33) it's $2 cheaper tahn than SamandMax Season 1.

SirFuzaba · Mon 16/07/2007 07:12:20

Wtcq, if you would bother to have a look at the website of telltale games you would notice they are not recruiting atrists.

Ali · Mon 16/07/2007 10:33:28

Quote from: James-- on Sun 15/07/2007 20:10:19
Ah yeah I see what you mean... when I sketched it I wasn't really thinking about the layout of the objects (it's the first time i'd even attempted a background). I have read Bill Tiller's article with the part about bad tangents but I can't remember where do you have a link to it?

Sorry, I presumed you had a link because your Scumm Bar image is actually in the same folder as the article: http://www.scummbar.com/resources/articles/BillTillerInterview/tillerconferance.html

I'm very glad you found my notes helpful.

-Ali

Andail · Mon 16/07/2007 11:17:18

Hold your horses a bit, everyone.

Nobody will get hired professionally after having traced over another artist's background. There is no telling how skilled a person is by judging from a trace-over. All you can tell is that the person had a lot of time and patience, to dupcliate something more or less pixel by pixel.

I think you definitely need to work on shape and shadows, and try to achieve a better consistency when it comes to smudging/cell-shading and outlines.

I think the over-all impression of this picture is good, but that's mainly because it's copied. Looking at individual objects, I see a lot of things that need to be done.

James-- · Mon 16/07/2007 12:18:49

Quote from: Andail on Mon 16/07/2007 11:17:18
Hold your horses a bit, everyone.

Nobody will get hired professionally after having traced over another artist's background. There is no telling how skilled a person is by judging from a trace-over. All you can tell is that the person had a lot of time and patience, to dupcliate something more or less pixel by pixel.

I didn't trace the picture... I looked at the original for a while then drew out a sketch, and then drew and coloured it occasionally looking back at the original for reference. That's why a lot of my objects are of different proportions from the original. I'm not expecting to be hired professionally I was just posting my first background to ask for criticisms on my technique.

QuoteI think you definitely need to work on shape and shadows, and try to achieve a better consistency when it comes to smudging/cell-shading and outlines.

I think the over-all impression of this picture is good, but that's mainly because it's copied. Looking at individual objects, I see a lot of things that need to be done.

Could you please give some specific examples of things which need to be done?