Adventure Game Studio

Creative Production => Critics' Lounge => Topic started by: Esterlin on Wed 19/07/2006 23:53:48

Title: Cartoony Bg
Post by: Esterlin on Wed 19/07/2006 23:53:48
STill trying styles, I brushed up a quick drawing to test a cartoony style.
Does this style look interesting? Is it worth pursuing? It's lacking heavily on details and the foreground looks extremely bare but I think it's ok for a general style C&C.

x2
(http://www.2dadventure.com/ags/cartoony.png)
Title: Re: Cartoony Bg
Post by: Haddas on Thu 20/07/2006 00:00:33
It's really nice. but I'd go for either a lot more gradients on the sky or a lot less. And perhaps straighter lines. And the landscape and buildings really lack contrast. It pretty much looks like a gray mass unless you zoom in. You've used a plethora of colours, but you don't really distinguish them. Also the outlines are a tad on the blurry side.

Don't get me wrong, it's a nice style, but it's not finished yet.
Title: Re: Cartoony Bg
Post by: Azaron on Thu 20/07/2006 09:44:31
Very quick paintover to give you some ideas about the sky mainly. I really like your style, and I'm no expert, but I blended the sky and dimmed some of the stars that were behind some whispy (and kinda crappy :) ) dark clouds I threw in. varying the brightness of stars is usually a good idea. Looks a little more natural even in a cartoony type of style, imho. Also I sharpened the edges of the buildings just slightly. probably can't even tell, but it's there, I promise. ;)

(http://web.bvub.com/~azaron_flare/cartoony2.png)
Title: Re: Cartoony Bg
Post by: Esterlin on Fri 21/07/2006 11:51:25
The Sky Gradient is a Bill Tiller idea so I trust his technique :P
Here's another one
(http://www.2dadventure.com/ags/cartoony4.png)
x2
(http://www.2dadventure.com/ags/cartoony4.png)
Title: Re: Cartoony Bg
Post by: Chicky on Fri 21/07/2006 14:14:23
yeah looks good. Would be ace with a bit of cleaning up.
Title: Re: Cartoony Bg
Post by: Nacho on Fri 21/07/2006 14:44:15
Sorry, but that's not Bill Tiller's gradient style. Take a look to his work, and you'll see that his gradient is not just a succession of horizontal colours going from darker to brighter. It's better a succession of bright blobs (representing the light sources; The moon, the milky way, bright stars, and clowds or land reflexing the light of the moon) over a plain (or very slightly gradiented) background.

(http://www.worldofmi.com/features/interview/billtiller04.jpg)

Not a great example, but will work...
Title: Re: Cartoony Bg
Post by: ThreeOhFour on Sat 22/07/2006 15:24:10
I agree with Haddas - the buildings that are in the foreground need to have more definite edges. If you look at the example that Nacho posted, you'll see that the sail, ship and stonework all have very definite edges. As these objects get further away, the blurry style is fine. Your choice of colours is pretty cool though.
Title: Re: Cartoony Bg
Post by: TheSaint on Tue 25/07/2006 11:17:33
is it me or are these images too blurry?
Title: Re: Cartoony Bg
Post by: Esterlin on Wed 26/07/2006 18:41:06
Quote from: Nacho on Fri 21/07/2006 14:44:15
Sorry, but that's not Bill Tiller's gradient style. Take a look to his work, and you'll see that his gradient is not just a succession of horizontal colours going from darker to brighter. It's better a succession of bright blobs (representing the light sources; The moon, the milky way, bright stars, and clowds or land reflexing the light of the moon) over a plain (or very slightly gradiented) background.
Not a great example, but will work...

Thanx for the crits yet again, but like I said, this is just a general style testing, I didn't add much detail to the pics. I'll sharpen them as soon as I get home :P

Btw, Bill Tiller did use such gradients as shown in the following page :
http://www.adventuredevelopers.com/featuredetail.php?action=view&featureid=16&showpage=2

Keep them coming, thanx for all the ideas :)
Title: Re: Cartoony Bg
Post by: MrColossal on Wed 26/07/2006 18:52:24
He probably did that style of gradient because it adhered to the original art that he was editing:

http://www.adventuredevelopers.com/pictures/uploaded_images/tt1.jpg