More sierra stuff

[joelphilippage]

I am always having trouble with more realistic art and would like to improve on it. Here are a few things from the book On All Hallows Eve that I drew in sierra style. I think the background looks real enough but the characters sprites look like they could use some work.

[cobra79]

If you want your background to look more realistic you should not give the moon a face. 
Seriously it is much too blurry. It feels as if I had to squeeze my eyes to see it sharply, but when I do it is still blurry and that gives me headaches. Also the roots of your trees are too pronounced, almost like tentacles. Your stone is hovering.
The fog effect looks decent.


Sharpened twice with some added lines. Done in less than 5minutes and it already looks better imho.

You should give your sprites eyes. Just 2 dark dots. and in the sideview your witch looks as if she was wearing a breastplate. Also lengthen her arms a bit

[12431]

the image does not look too bad, but you should've held back some of the fog effects. Sure, they look nice, but any character you place in the picture will stick out like a bodybuilder wearing pink.
Fog should be foreground, if it is possible to have that in AGS

[radiowaves]

Ever tried using thinner brush, with zoom?

[ThreeOhFour]

It looks like you've got some help with the background - how about some help with the sprites?

Some things I've noticed about these sprites:
-No defined shape. The Red Riding Hood and witch look the same, and if it weren't for the colour differences would basically be the same character. Giving a character a pose can help the player realise whether they're meant to be good or evil, etc. Here we have no facial expression, no physical traits... they're just representatives of a character as they are now.
-The colour scheme is far too saturated for your background.
-You've done them on a pink background - how are you going to tell how they look when you get them in the game, colour wise, unless you use a similar background colour to one in your backgrounds?

Here's my paintover. You've used a tiny, tiny resolution but I've tried to make it as detailed as I can get it. Linework included for reference:



Now, to be honest, I've changed a lot of things here, BUT, the new style of characters fits your background style so much better than the original. Check out this little comparison:




Anyway, I hope you get some tips from this little exercise of mine. Good luck with your project.

[joelphilippage]

OK thanks for the tips on the sprites and backgrounds. I have redone them. By the way the characters aren't the real red riding hood and witch. Just two girls in costumes for Halloween.

[Stupot]

Woah, much better.
Genuinely creepy.
Sort the moon out and you've got an awesome background on your hands.
Also, I think maybe the tree shadows could be longer and pointier, but that could just be a matter of personal taste.

Good one.

[joelphilippage]

Woah, much better.
Genuinely creepy.
Sort the moon out and you've got an awesome background on your hands.
Also, I think maybe the tree shadows could be longer and pointier, but that could just be a matter of personal taste.

Good one.

What needs sorted out about the moon?

[Stupot]

What needs sorted out about the moon?

Well its nothing more than a white circle at the moment.
Cobra79's paintover had a good example of how to make the moon look more realistic.

[zabnat]

Reminds me of something loominous commented about in another thread.

I mean it's a dark picture with a white spot. Hope your intention is to interact with the moon then
I know it's night picture and it's dark out there at night, but you can use night colors to represent that.

[pslim]

I think zabnat makes (or points out) a good point, and it's something I've been learning as I go in my own backgrounds.

The moon in this background is obviously brighter than the sky around it, but that doesn't necessarily mean that the moon has to be bright in comparison to the foreground where the action takes place. If it is, then too much of the focus may end up on the moon instead of the action. If everything in the background is desaturated and darkened because of how far away it is, then the moon should also get that treatment, right?

Overall I think this background is neat and is coming along nicely.

[Stupot]

Also, I've just noticed that one of the clouds goes behind the moon... haha.
But that gives me an idea.  If you had a cloud passing in front of the moon, that would help take the edge off it.  Just have part of the moon popping out from behind a cloud.

[joelphilippage]

Ok I redid the witch and the moon. Tell me what you think.

[Blue]

Looking good so far 

I made a suggestion for the moon; added a blueish glow to it, some outlining on the clouds closest to it, and added stars to the sky.



I hope you'll find it usefull.

[joelphilippage]

Yeah that image really helps. Ill try to fix my old one.
[Edit]

Ok here is my redone background.

[ThreeOhFour]

Looking much better. Nice edit, Blue, and Joel - its definitely come a long way.

[R4L]

Very nice! I don't see any thing that needs to be changed really.

[zabnat]

I would do something like this.

Changed levels so the foreground is more visible.
Changed color balance and saturation
Darkened some areas near the horizon a bit.

[Stupot]

I would still try to make the shadows of the trees more realistic... or at least longer.
But other than that it's practically finished.  Good job.

[vict0r]

It's way too "colourful" for a night scene in my opinion. Try to lower the saturation and change the hue a little like I've done in this quick edit;




Better and longer explanations were posted in this thread...