2 Rooms - Trying to finding a style!

[DoorKnobHandle]

Hello,

I was trying to find a graphical style that will allow me to realise some of my planned projects. Therefore it needed to be good-looking of course but also time-sparing ( I can't spend two weeks for one background )...

Now I played around with combining Microsoft Paint and Adobe Photoshop 7 and I kinda got a style, but I don't know if it's really good enough for adventure game projects.

I mean it is rather quick ( 2 hours per background ) and everything, but I am just not sure if I should really go with that style for future games. That is basically why I am posting. Of course you can also give advice on those screens if you like...

Here are the screens:

Both screens are double-sized (originally 320x200 and use less than 100 colors)!

[jasonjkay]

Hey pretty cool. I use mspaint with paint shop pro and 4 hours later my backgrounds dont look half as good.  The only thing's that bug me are
1) The black takes up too much screen
2) The shading looks weird.
3) What is that space above the computer?

[BlackMan890]

3) What is that space above the computer?

i would guess its a window

[jasonjkay]

3) What is that space above the computer?

i would guess its a window

Funny place for a window.

[Kweepa]

I think you found a style.
I like them.
I'd probably change the colour of the ceilings.

#1:
White (styrofoam tile) ceiling.
The desk doesn't look rectangular. It looks like you followed perspective rules for the top, but then had to make it much deeper so you could get some surface area. The bottoms of the right-hand legs are not on a perspective line, which is why it looks wonky.
I'd remove the double pixels on the far blinds by moving the bottom four blinds up one pixel.

#2:
Don't know what to do with the ceiling.
It's a bit empty, but that's inevitable given the time put in.

Look forward to seeing more!

[DoorKnobHandle]

Thank you.

1) The black takes up too much screen
2) The shading looks weird.
3) What is that space above the computer?

1) Hmm... I use this black space a lot as you can see to add details I could not paint inside the room ( like the vehicle in the second room, I couldn't paint it with colors and everything ), that's why there's a lot of it. Well, some people like it, some not, it's a question of taste, I guess, but I'll work on that and make it smaller the next time!

2) Could you describe what exactly you mean? Do you mean the sading in the walls? I am not too happy with it myself, but I thought it's better than having just flat colored walls. Give me some tips how to do walls better!

3) A window in the wall as often seen in those police offices in the 70ties or so, you are right, goél. It does not look quite like it I have to admit. It just lacks detail I guess.

McCrea: Thanks to you, too. I'll look into your suggestions and keep you up to date...

[jasonjkay]

Thank you.
1) Hmm... I use this black space a lot as you can see to add details I could not paint inside the room ( like the vehicle in the second room, I couldn't paint it with colors and everything ), that's why there's a lot of it. Well, some people like it, some not, it's a question of taste, I guess, but I'll work on that and make it smaller the next time!

2) Could you describe what exactly you mean? Do you mean the sading in the walls? I am not too happy with it myself, but I thought it's better than having just flat colored walls. Give me some tips how to do walls better!

3) A window in the wall as often seen in those police offices in the 70ties or so, you are right, goél. It does not look quite like it I have to admit. It just lacks detail I guess.

McCrea: Thanks to you, too. I'll look into your suggestions and keep you up to date...

1) The black works ok, it's just that ther isent as much room left over for the main part of the room.
2)Yes the walls, And no I cant give tips as all my walls are flat so I know very little aboute shading. good attempt anyway. I suppose the shading makes everything look a bit more dirty and lived in which could work as a style.

[InCreator]

Your style reminds me very much my own, so It's easy to give some suggestions on improving this:

* outlines. I also used them at the start, but after some time, I stopped using them (removed or covered them during painting & texturing). Non-outlined pictures look more serious and less n00b & cartoony. You should make little steps on trying to get rid of them.

* If you're using vanishing point system or similar perspective aid, you have to plan your rooms a little. Just take a look at the table on picture #1! While it may seem geometrically right, it still doesn't look very good. Exactly because it's "rightness". If you had the table a little left and made it "right" then, the overall feeling would be much better.

* Try to find harmony and combine the high contrast in picture 1 and softer(and less saturated) coloring in picture 2. They are like opposide sides of a style, so you should try to take best from each.

* DETAIL! Hear my motto: Smallest things often give largest effect. The small rooms are okay. Just detail it so damn well that a viewer has to look at the bg for a long time to see everything you drawed there. This makes things good.

* Practise shading and don't be afraid to use strong shade colors. Shading makes a big job in making your room more 3d and less just a flat picture.

I hope this helped you on your long way to perfection...

[DoorKnobHandle]

Thank you very much, increator, I will definately learn a lot from your suggestions.

About that table: I originally drew it too high above the ground and then got tired of drawing it all over again, so I just shifted it's position down. Of course, I knew that that would screw up the perspective big time, but I am soo lazy... ^^ It should be the only thing out of perspective though!

[Neutron]

it looks really good.  i like how you have variated the walls.  one thing i don't like is the blinds.  they look too jaggedy.  I would do them probably as a solid piece.