Backgrounds; Please crit!

[Kreator]

I'm only new to AGS and game developing, so i have decided to practice drawing a few random backgrounds. One of them is 320x240, and the other is 640x480. Please crit and suggest ways to improve it. Edits and paint-overs are welcome.





I also made a simple animation sequence for the first background:



thanks, and please comment! 

[Buckethead]

These look pretty nice. But I'm pretty sure the perspective is way off. Wait for someone with more knownledge about it to tell you more 

[monkey0506]

Your perspective is off, though not necessarily so much as to offend the eyes I think, as long as you can keep a uniform style throughout your backgrounds.

The second background is very, very empty though. Well...perhaps not "very, very". Maybe just one very. But it's really big. Things are spread out...a lot. Perhaps you should consider moving things around and maybe making the room a bit smaller? Though you could perhaps add a bit more into the room, but you should be careful not to add so much as to make the room feel clustered.

Regarding a free GIF animation program, Microsoft GIF Animator is free and relatively simple to figure out. And no watermarks. It's not the most advanced, most powerful program for the job, but it can take the frames and export the animation for you.

[Kreator]

The second background is very, very empty though. Well...perhaps not "very, very". Maybe just one very. But it's really big.

Regarding a free GIF animation program, Microsoft GIF Animator is free and relatively simple to figure out. And no watermarks. It's not the most advanced, most powerful program for the job, but it can take the frames and export the animation for you.

I see what you mean by the background being big and empty. Thanks for the advice, and regarding the GIF program, im downloading it now.

[Babar]

They're both very nice, but I'd suggest that you stick with one sort of "Perspective". What you did with the 1st BG looks good, but wouldn't seem consistent if it was in the same game as the 2nd BG (I specifically talk about the orientation of floor tiles). BTW, just an idea (and perhaps an overused one at that), but you could do this to remove the weirdness of the 1st BG:



Please excuse the badly made doorframe, I just wanted to give you an idea

[Kreator]

Thats a good idea Babar, thanks! 

[makri]

The floor tiles seem to be a bit busy and distracting, you could try to lower the contrast between the tile and the seam.

[seaduck]

Thought it was an office of sorts, so I've put in a carpet to make it look more confy and let the eye rest.

[gASK]

The carpet is not practical when there is some bottle filling plant (never seen a carpet in a factory near machines) - but maybe it would be there, just with some green stains. Or maybe the manufacturing line is somewhere far beyond the window and then it's ok.

Overall I like the original ones the best - the simple style with twisted perspective - I would only fix the tiles in office (less contrast like makri suggested) and teir pattern (like the one in bathroom).

Babar's edit is great - but it brings too much attention to the fact that the cabinet and table are drawn without any perspective at all.

[Kreator]

Thanks everybody for your criticism, these two backgrounds were actually made at two different times for two different games for different resolutions. The first background was an office or workstation in a nuclear power plant or something, and the second background is obviously a bathroom lol.

After looking at everyones suggestions, i have agreed that:
1. the tiles contrast should be lowered.
2. the tiles should be patterned like the ones in the bathroom.

I'll add some other backgrounds or pictures i've done, so you can tell me what you think. 

[Medical Waste]

The perspective is off in all of them, but it only looks really bad in the bathroom background.

[Stupot]

This isn't so much a paint over, I just quickly pulled up the sides to give you an idea of how to improve the perspective.



A wall never appears smaller in the foreground unless it's built wonky.  It should always get smaller as it gets further from the "camera".  

[Kreator]

Ok, I've done a bit of graphic technology at school, and i have looked at some of the different perspectives. I've done a very quick sample of one, let me know if what i have done is correct. If you have any other examples of perspectives, i'd be grateful if you could sample it.



Thanks 

[Medical Waste]

That's much better.
The only thing is that one table is way too long (back left), it should not be able to be seen.