Background C&C - Cellar (WiP)

[Khris]

Some of you might remember this (new versions on 2nd page, halfway down). This style was a more comical one, using few colors.

I finally got myself to continue the game, cause I have been stuck with this for quite some time, wondering if I should change the style to look like the one on the right:


I decided not to, and here's the next room. I wanna polish it first, before finishing the bar. There aren't any objects in there yet, 'cause I don't wanna spoil too much.
2x
(I uploaded it with the border, cause in the game, it's gonna look like this.)

Fire away!

EDIT: Here's a small techdemo, demonstrating the GUI and the fading apple. You can enter the cellar, but there's nothing else to be done, except looking at/interacting with things.

[Khris]

Wow, teH resonance..., I assume my background is perfect then

Here's a newer version with added detail and objects:


No C&C? Come on, guys!

[Neil Dnuma]

While maybe not absolutely perfect, it still is clean and functional. Maybe too clean. I wish you'd put more details and structure into those big empty areas, eg. the wall in the last bg. Also, the placement of your shadows is a bit confusing (esp for the crate).

The almost-absence of lighting effects is a bit boring, but might be the style you're looking for. If not, here's an idea (I admit it's not very good, and hope you'll do better than this if you try to implement some of it. Also sorry about all the noise, and other crappy sideeffects of trying to be real quick in photoshop):

[Darth Mandarb]

I did what Neil did ... only with less colors.


- using dithered low-color gradients

[Khris]

Thanks for the suggestions! I didn't notice I forget the conveyor belt's shadow

I don't wanna use gradients, since the chars will have only very basic shading (or none at all, not sure yet). With gradients in the bgs, they would stand out too much. (The sky in the apple ext. is an exception.)

I've been working on the bar for the last two hours, here's the most recent version, showing how I want the lighting to look like:

2x

If you're curious, here's the reference pic for the chandelier.

[Damien]

Well, if you're going to use the simple style for your BG (which looks great, BTW), I suggest you lose the noise on the floor. Then texture it by drawing lines a few shades darker and a few shades lighter by following the flow of the boards.

As for the cellar BG, I suggest sticking with the last imageof it you posted, then adding more shading to unshaded objects and some simple texturing to the walls and the floor.

[Shane 'ProgZmax' Stevens]

The chandelier looks great, aside from maybe tilting it just a bit to match the angle of the ceiling.  The main thing that bothers me is the nearest arcade machine.  I had to stare at it for almost a minute before I could figure out it wasn't just some weird shadow.  I really think you need to detail it more so it is set apart from the other one.
I did an edit in photoshop, which was very painful for me (and it probably shows) to give you an idea of what I'm talking about.  I used very simple shading and highlights to differentiate the arcade cabinets.  I made the second one look sort of cocktail style.

[Corey]

the bar looks a bit like it's going to fall over, maybe make it a bit more straight?

[Neil Dnuma]

Alright, no gradients.

How about a simple Ignac-type of shading, loosing the gradients but keeping the solid highlights?

http://maniac.adventuredevelopers.com/beforeafter.jpg

[Khris]

It's difficult for me to find the right lighting method. On one hand, shadows add depth and realism, on the other hand, they complicate things.
I want the shadows to be present but not dominating, so characters and objects without (accurate) shadows don't look like glued on top.
Ignac's method combined with region lighting will work for partly illuminated backgrounds, IMO, thanks for showing. BGs like the bar or the cellar will have environmental lighting.

Damn, ProgZmax, that arcades look great! It's exactly what I had in mind. Work on the bar is finished

[HillBilly]

-edit- forget it...

[Babar]

I don't think the chandelier "fits". It clashes with the rest of the background. It is also darker than everything else in the background.

As for the other, I think the last one you posted is great. Perhaps with the edits Damien or Neil mentioned, depending which way you want to take your background

[Neil Dnuma]

Just a quick tip on your lighting method; instead of adding "whites" (with reduced opacity) to the lit areas (or it could simply be you're using the brightness control), try adding "blacks" to darker ones (If it gets to dark, you could try adjusting gamma beforehand, and set out with brighter colors on later backgrounds).

With whites you lose contrast in lit areas, which is the opposite of how it works in real life. You also get these foggy circles, which IMHO is... not pretty.

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I feel you master the use of colors very well, and are onto a great style. Maybe some of the lines are a bit wawy and could use some perfection (like certain areas of the bar, and check the top red line on the wall to the left). With some finishing touches like that, and a little more exciting lighting this could turn out really great. As of now it looks like a great start with a little rushed finish 

[DonB]

I really like the bg's, but I am afraid they are a very different style, from the bar to the cel, anyway, you should stick with what darth made in his paintover, very nice, especially the new wall in front of the bg, it adds a lot of new atmosphere..

now.. just to be curious, what means a WiP background?

[JimmyShelter]

now.. just to be curious, what means a WiP background?

WiP = Work in Progress