WIP - Castle background *Update 21/9! Check the first post!*

vict0r · Tue 19/09/2006 20:35:44

Okay, I just got my tablet yesterday, and I've been playing around alittle with it, and decided I should try to make a background.

So I have been sketching for some hours, and were finally more or less satisfied. Here's my problem; I can't seem to find an effective way to color it. Should I make separate layers and color ofer the B/W sketch, or what?

-Update

I've been following the coloring tut, and i'm actually getting more and more pleased. Only thing is the sign shadow.. I just can't seem to make it look right. Both compared to the light, and also the shadows texture.
And does the cliff shadows look okay?

-Update 21/9

First, thanks for all critics! It's nice for a tablet noob to get some pro help

I made the whole thing alot bluer, to make it look more like a night-ish pic. But I'm still unsure about the cliff shadows. Do they really look okay, or does anyone have a suggestion?
Any other suggestions are warmly welcome!

Update 21/9

It's supposed to be a "creepy-ish" nightscene.

Any crits on the actual bg would be nice, of course!

vict0r · Tue 19/09/2006 21:43:39

Nevermind... The troller is gone now..

Damien · Tue 19/09/2006 22:11:51

There is a good coloring method explained in this thread (first part of step 2 is very usefull).

You could also try fixing the composition of the image by moving the castle to the middle of the background. Currently, there is a lot of empty space on the right side of it.

Also, here is a sketch made by Nacho: Click me.
Check out how he made the mountain path and see if you get any ideas for the path on your bg.

ManicMatt · Tue 19/09/2006 22:12:24

Give them a chance man! They'll come!

I'd suggest maybe some more detail. Some clutches of grass, a dead poisonous flower or something.

I'm wondering about the colouring thing myself. Hmm maybe if you magic marker the one bit you want to paint at a time, and then make a new layer, and paint it in the new layer, and then make the colour transparent, or blend it? Well something like that, experiment with it or wait for the big photoshop boyz to come and tell you.

EDIT: Oh, nevermind!

Mikko · Tue 19/09/2006 22:25:33

Come on, replies will come eventually. You should be patient for more than one hour.

I don't have tablet, but I quickly sketched something for you:

There are empty spots in your composition (and also in my sketch) that needs to be filled. For example I agree with Damien about moving castle more to center.

In addition you could have bushes or boulders in the near areas and maybe bring the sign and at least the lamp post closer to the viewpoint. Maybe you could see the shoreline from here too.

I also suggest that you make the castle a little bit bigger and also work with the path that leads to it. Now it looks a bit odd. Like it would be off perspective.

About coloring. Use layers and color it roughly first. Start with large areas and select the tones you wish to use before going into details.

vict0r · Wed 20/09/2006 00:05:09

QuoteCome on, replies will come eventually. You should be patient for more than one hour.

Oh, I wrote that after Nipper posted a billion ones here...

Thanks for the crits tho! Keep 'em coming!

monkey0506 · Wed 20/09/2006 01:30:16

I like the basic design, though it's quite empty. I'd like to see some more work on this though. Please feel free not to disappoint

vict0r · Wed 20/09/2006 22:46:40

Update in the first post!

Mikko · Thu 21/09/2006 07:38:09

The main problem in the updated picture is, that the colors are quite the same as they would be in daylight. Only the sky is dark and the moon is visible.

For example, you could not see clouds so white at night, could you?

Notice that you have only these two light sources: the moon (reflecting light from sun) and the lamp.

I'd also say, that the sign would not have very visible shadow anyway, because the lamp is so far away.

The cliff looks quite good, but soft. It's okay for now, but if you want to add detail later, you's have to play with contrast in there.

Edit: Again a rough image about my thoughts:

Mad · Thu 21/09/2006 09:22:53

Ahhh, Mikko just edited his post...

But since my paintover is finished, here we go:

EDIT: Calacver is of course right about the lighting, I forgot to merge an overlaying layer with a yellow tinge befor saving... So here's the corrected version, still just very rough:

I actually liked the layout of your first version better, with minor changes:
I guess you want the focus on the sign, so I moved the lamp post thingie to the right front, which also has the effect of lighting the sign and a better usage of space.

Colour and lighting wise I absolutely agree with Mikko:
I think a blueish, greyish hue always achieves a good night time mood.

The colours and lighting in my paintover are far from perfect, but I just wanted to give you some ideas.

Hope I could help.

calacver · Thu 21/09/2006 15:04:41

hi victor. The background is looking nice. Also, mad the light in your edit should make the surrounding area lighter, not darker, but you have done what I wanted to suggest by unifying to colours (except for the sign).

Take a look at DanClarke's backgrounds.
http://www.adventuregamestudio.co.uk/yabb/index.php?topic=12950.0

Also take a look at how nacho's bg was coloured in this competition. Look at Paco Vink's, the original MI1 bg posted there, buloght's final version, cpage's final version.
http://www.adventuregamestudio.co.uk/yabb/index.php?topic=25073.0

All these have one thing in common. They create atmosphere by making it blueish or unifying the colours. At night things aren't as different coloured. Examine how danclarke implements his lights. It's very good study material

ManicMatt · Fri 22/09/2006 17:29:33

So any progress Victor?

Also, would you see clouds at night time? Not sure they fit in anymore! What do you think? (EDIT: Oh Mikko already said that...)

Lets see where you are now!

monkey0506 · Fri 22/09/2006 17:46:04

Somehow this just makes me think Dave the Barbarian.

I like it. The newer version looks wonderful.

vict0r · Fri 22/09/2006 20:00:36

Added some stars, and (hopefully) improved the moon. Done some other touching-up too

How does it look now?

wtb crtis plxplx11

Newton · Sat 23/09/2006 10:49:26

Wow, now that's some good atmosphere right there. Quite an improvement!
However, the light cast by the lamp still looks a bit odd in my opinion. It's not like I'm an expert or anything, so you really shouldn't be listening to me, but it looks kind of weird how it only casts a very dim light on the ground beneath it and how it doesn't effect the coloring of the area around it. It just looks like a yellow ball instead of a lamp.

Buckethead · Sat 23/09/2006 13:12:21

the sea looks almost the same as the path to the castle. It could use some more depth, what about some small waves?

Neil Dnuma · Mon 25/09/2006 13:02:19

The idea behind the picture is cool.

This paintover is really a mess...

...but I wanted to show a different way of composing the image, as your original composition is hard to rest the eyes on. Both your lightsources are stuffed into the left part of the image, while the right part is empty. I also suggest another way of arranging the path up to the castle to add depth layers, and added lights along it (and at the castle door). This is just to give you some ideas. Sorry about the new sign, I don't like it either. Maybe doing like Mad suggests and put it in the light from the lamp would look better.