Author Topic: Background Help (outline trouble?) (Read 1309 times) Tweet Share

charlescreations · « **on:** 20 Nov 2009, 03:57 »

I did most of it in photoshop
The first version is outlined in photoshop.
The second one is lined over in pant, trying to 'crisp' up lines.

If anyone has any tutorials on blending outlines, to create a sierra-esque effect, I'm all ears.

Solid color outline... Slightly different? I'm unsure how to apply the outline.

Color Without Lines

Lines without color.

Matti · « **Reply #1 on:** 20 Nov 2009, 14:27 »

The one with the solid color outlines looks great I think. Can't help you with blending outlines though..

Calin Leafshade · « **Reply #2 on:** 20 Nov 2009, 15:01 »

Agreed, I prefer it that way.. it 'pops' more.

Victor6 · « **Reply #3 on:** 20 Nov 2009, 16:01 »

An easy way to play around with it would be to draw the solid outline as a separate layer then just alter the transparency until you get the effect you're after.

you can go for multiple layers too, for different colours \ levels of transparency.

charlescreations · « **Reply #4 on:** 20 Nov 2009, 18:10 »

It is separate layers, It's just when I lower the opacity it's too light looking in some places, I just dunno, I guess the solid dark outline's okay. After I did this one yesterday I did this one... It has much more harmony.

The car was a photo matched in, everything thing else is free handed.

Ryan Timothy · « **Reply #5 on:** 20 Nov 2009, 19:52 »

The road is asphalt tiles? lol
Either way, I like both images. Just not liking those road tiles too much, it's an eyesore too.

charlescreations · « **Reply #6 on:** 20 Nov 2009, 19:58 »

Not sure but I believe older european cities (still think there are a few anyways ?) still have cobblestone streets... I can see how you could dislike them, but they felt right at the time.

Example (prague)

Any advice on blending the lines?
I thought maybe create two layers, one black line set, one white len set, then erase one in part where it's needed...
Not sure how well that'll work, but methinks I'll try it.

Ryan Timothy · « **Reply #7 on:** 20 Nov 2009, 20:58 »

I had a feeling they were supposed to be interlocking brick / cobblestone, but it definitely looks like asphalt cut into small squares.

One reason why yours doesn't look like your picture example, would be that they are all squares and none of them are 'interlocking'. They're all side by side.
The other reason would probably be cause you don't have a highlight on the top edge of the brick, you have street lights against the building, the curved edge facing the lights should be brighter. (not so much on the ones that are closest to the lights, but the ones further away, closer to the camera)

Anian · « **Reply #8 on:** 20 Nov 2009, 21:04 »

I think why Ryan said that is because it kinda looks like somebody threw a net over an apshalt road, the lines kinda seem too regular. Maybe make them a bit more randomly set like pic1 or pic2 or pic3
because 1. Prague had money 2. just make the lines a bit more "wobly" and not such a regular grid looking (again look at the linked pictures above) 3. they don't have to be so black, make the lines a darker shade of the tiles perhaps

And yes cities still have those, Prague, Vienna, Zagreb, Paris, Tallin, London, Berlin...actually more or less in every state at least in some streets. Except Paris has a few less, cause they replaced so people can't pick them and throw them at the police/army during revolutions and Mussolini paved a few main city roads in Rome (cause you don't actually need ancient Rome's culture everywhere in town).

Btw. IMO solid color lines look good on the first background and the second background looks cool as well

charlescreations · « **Reply #9 on:** 20 Nov 2009, 21:31 »

Based on what you guys said, I did some edits.

I dunno seems to be some color loss, on my screen maybe I saved them wrong... But you get the idea? Better?

Snake · « **Reply #10 on:** 20 Nov 2009, 22:06 »

Whoa those are great, I especially love how the cobbled street one came out! I'm not liking the red very much, but other than that, it's come along quite a bit.

charlescreations · « **Reply #11 on:** 20 Nov 2009, 22:08 »

You're gonna have to help me 'red'? I'm seriously color-blind for the most part, and methinks there was some sort of color loss either on the file or how it's being presented. Take it circle the 'red' and rehost it?"

*edit*
DEFINITELY some color loss... Investigating.

I'm getting some weird color distortion, based on if I use firefox/safari

in firefox it's seriously RED.

Edited in BMP format. With some hue correction... everything looks different in the previous posts... Technical difficulties the color red was there, but barely represented in my photoshop file. Thanks for the correction.

apparently BMP's are not allowed (blocked?) and so I loaded it in GIF, last one is GIF, and represents better colors.

About ready to set the WHOLE thing as B/W and re-color...

Ryan Timothy · « **Reply #12 on:** 20 Nov 2009, 22:15 »

I believe he's referring to the red/pink bricks above Alice's Bar. I'm not too fond of that color either.

I like the new cobblestone look, its very nice. Is there a chance you could lower the darkness of the cobblestone cracks? It can be pretty distracting.

Also, with the detail you have on the car, street, and bricks, it makes the door to Alice's Bar look very flat colored and cartoony. Just doesn't match the rest of the scene.
edit: also the sidewalk is flat colored too

Anian · « **Reply #13 on:** 20 Nov 2009, 22:22 »

So just vashout that red a bit and some texture to the Alice doors and the pavement (doesn't have to be a lot, just so that everything is kinda in the same style).
Looks better.

charlescreations · « **Reply #14 on:** 20 Nov 2009, 22:38 »

A final recolor, contrast, and door retexture. Anything noticeably need changing?

In png and gif.

Jim Reed · « **Reply #15 on:** 21 Nov 2009, 00:23 »

Your light is off.

The light is a circle (even extending to the near post) which is wrong. It should be an oval, because of the perspective. It shines more on the road than it should. It should have the center of the oval on the lamp post, and not as it is now. When the light is shining on a vertical wall (underneath the window) it shouldn't highlight all of the wall, but just the extruded parts of the brick (the upper part of a brick), if the brick is not completly flat.

Also, the window of the bar should behave more like a mirror (especially at night) and there are no reflections in it now.

But don't let my ramblings distract you, overall, the picture has more going for it than against it. Keep it up!

charlescreations · « **Reply #16 on:** 21 Nov 2009, 00:41 »

Edited, didn't like my own colors, so this one's in gray, think I'm gonna start doing everything in gray then deciding colors...

Ryan Timothy · « **Reply #17 on:** 21 Nov 2009, 01:23 »

I definitely like the new lighter one.

I was just playing around, seeing if I could prevent the building from looking so boxed in. I have nothing but time on my hands, so if you like it or not I won't be hurt.

I tried swapping the one light post to the side. I don't know if I'd like it, but I'll post it anyway.

charlescreations · « **Reply #18 on:** 21 Nov 2009, 02:05 »

I like the expansion, but I've gotta figure out a way to preserve the alley, cause I really want that in too, but I see what you mention.
Also even though I imagined it as a small little bar, (sorta coffee shopish) the front seems empty, I think some sort of awning, or something... just needs something... maybe a poster... I'd like to paint some advertisement on the empty building wall that's like faded and cracked, like one of those old fifties ads... It's not perfect, but since it's not really for any game, I think I'm about done... It started as a doodle believe it or not.

EVERYONE has been SO helpful.
I have one final question, as long as it's done well, how do you feel about what I call 'photo-sampling' e.g. the car?
Is it cheating? Does it fit in with the rest?

Thx -SAG

Shane 'ProgZmax' Stevens · « **Reply #19 on:** 21 Nov 2009, 06:24 »

The problem I have with the car is that, in relation to the door and window of the bar, it seems gigantic. The sidewalk doesn't place enough distance between the two for the door to be so tiny in my opinion. Also, I've never seen a shop window go down nearly to foot level (where people can just kick the hell out of it). I'd recommend raising it up to begin about where the doorknob of the door currently is and raise both of them by 1 or 2 of your bricks in height. While I think the colors are a bit washed out and blended I think you've done a fine job overall!