This a face. The reference is ME!
(http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2180/1871334449_67cf68a5e0_o.png)
I'm still very new to pixelling. I know some of the problems with it already but I'm stuck. If anyone can c+c it and help me out with colors and shading it'd be much appreciated, thanks.
animated for fun
(http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2214/2188565871_16a514296e_o.gif)
Progress:
(http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2202/2191268687_46f1a2e024_o.png)
(http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2231/2192581306_ea2239696a_o.png)
(http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2258/2193882759_ae1c4a5d9c_o.png)
(http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2258/2199280044_8aa958f048_o.png)
(http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2258/2199425068_57fe528ba5_o.png)
What can I say that is constructive critiscm?? Nothing really! Its a very good portrait of yourself using only a few colours, lines and yet so much detail looks like gone into it. You have done great. Now I am not sure if there is anything wrong really, but thats my opinion as I cant see anything that needs c.c. Some others might. What are you looking for exactly, that might help, thats if u want c.c? But I think you have done a good job!! Talent there! :)
Thanks for the kind words.
Basically, I don't know much about palettes, AA and dithering.
The right side (darker side) makes the face look like it's made out of clay.
I think I've added too many colors as is, but I don't know how to check how many there are.
I don't know, I'm sure someone will be able to pick it apart. I know I'm not doing something right.
ehm, you are not black are you? Only critic I could find lol :P
Looks great!
The angle of the head, and the way the eyes move remind me of the 'Navigation Head' in SoMI. :D
What if I was black?
But I'm not and you are right, the colors too dark and kinda dull. I'm having a tough time trying to find a color scheme that works for skin. Anyone have suggestions?
Thanks Stu, that's a huge compliment!
I know you are not black because some time ago you posted a small movie you've made. And you said you were the one with the beard ;)
Good memory :D
I was wondering if it was supposed to be night or if the saturation was messed up. I guess that solves it.
Not sure how much this will help you but I quickly tried to recolor it using fewer colors and more red/pink shades.
1. Reduced color count to 32.
2. Manually went through and adjusted each skin tone to a pink/reddish value.
3. Dithered a bit between the colors since I raised the contrast and reduced the color count.
4. Adjusted glasses shape slightly.
(http://members.cox.net/progzmax/facecl.png)
I didn't really do anything here except for play with the skin tones but maybe it will help.
Thanks ProgZmax, that's similar to the color combo I original had, not sure about the green and pink combo. It looks a bit eggplanty. Maybe I should change the hat color.
update:
(http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2118/2192056074_5bf93445bc_o.png)
(http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2202/2191268687_46f1a2e024_o.png)
anyone think either of these two is an improvement?
I like the way it looks, though IMO the coloring scheme is way off. Now you look like a Purple People Eater (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Purple_People_Eater). :=
I know what you mean monkey. I've butchered the colors by changing the values instead of individual colors. I don't know what to do, if anyone can show me how to fix it I'd appreciate it.
But but but instead I think it looks tasty, reminds me of grapes or grape milkshake (http://trybecca.files.wordpress.com/2007/10/grimace.jpg). ;D
I think currently the face is a bit "flat" and "3D", that together with the angle it's placed it looks like a mask placed on a table (I can't find better explanation, hope you can understand that), but of course this could be considered a style and was intentional.
Other than that I don't have much to say about it.
Ahhh that skin colour, the real skin tone (lighter one by Progz) is pretty good!! I didnt realise you might not be black. Still it looked good. One suggestion I can give is maybe a bit of a curve in the left cheek (our right side view on here). The lightest colour of flesh thats in that cheek, give it a slight curve, with maybe a couple of pixels going up a bit, so it has a bit of a curve, try that and see if it works, it might help round out the face abit to a 3D effect if you are worried that it doesnt look so 3D. But I really think its a very good drawing!! :)
(http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2231/2192581306_ea2239696a_o.png)
Thanks again Gypsysnail. That left cheek has always been a problem, I hope this fixes it a bit.
Have I gone over board with the dithering?
It does look better! You are doing well to develop and improve it. Yes something I have learnt with drawing people's faces is not to make the line strokes too long, but rather "short strokes" and you've done well. May I ask why the purple colour? It is quite interesting! Looks good and I like the green bit on the left, makes for good art work and makes you wonder what setting the character is based in, good intrigue!
I'm not sure why it's purple. It just seemed to be the only one that fit since I couldn't get a realistic skin color. I'm thinking of doing the whole thing from lineart again, leave the dithering till last and try and put more realistic shading and colors.
Work in progress, but does anyone think this is turning out better?
(http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2258/2193882759_ae1c4a5d9c_o.png)
WOW!!! Now I really really like that one!!! adds mystery to it, the light on left looks really good!! And its true illumination points and shadowing, you've done well with it. Keep developing
Thanks gypsy snail. Very encouraging! I'll work on it some more.
Stay tuned
I'm really enjoying the process of how this is developing. How are you redoing the colours now? Pixel by pixel? :)
Oh, and I know it's a work in progress, but I hope you'll be shading the nostrils more - at a glance I thought you'd made the nose point downwards!
With the new colors I've completely started from scratch. So yeah, pixel by pixel. I will fix up the nostrils and everything. Thanks for showing interest, it gives me incentive to keep working on it. Stay tuned.
I must admit i thought you were black when I saw the original post. And I was quite shocked at Buckethead's comment.. "you're not black are you, thats the only critic I could find."... hahaha, I took that totally out of context and thought he was being racist...
As for my own crit, I think there should be a suggestion of the bill of the cap at the back of your head. So far it looks to me like a tight round bowl over your head with a hole in the front. I can tell its supposed to be a baseball cap, but it just doesnt look like one without the bill.
At this angle you wouldn't be able to see the bill. Despite it being possible to mistake for a bowl, you still knew it was a baseball cap right?
I'll try putting it in and see how it looks.
lol yeah I suddenly realize how bad it would have been if I wasn't right :-[ :P
Update:
(http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2258/2199280044_8aa958f048_o.png)
How's it looking?
I too must admit the horror I experienced upon first reading Buckethead's post. Not having seen the video, I'm still unclear as to what race boojiboy is. From the coloration I'm guessing some sort of Hispanic or perhaps Islander descent...
I must say I'm really liking the way this is coming along. There's still more to be done, but you're doing a great job. Can't wait to see the final product.
Well maybe I haven't done that great a job. Because I'm as white as snow.
I didn't mean that to sound derrogatory (toward any race or your art ;)). But you're using a rather dark palette. I'm guessing from the way you're shading it that the lighting was casting a shadow across your face in the reference picture; simply without ever having seen you aside from this sprite I was unsure what ethnicity the subject was meant to be.
Clearly there are situations where lighting and things would obscure these details, so it's not unreasonable that I was unsure.
If you want this sprite to convey your "white as snow" skin, then you may want to consider a different selection of colors for your palette. If this detail isn't that necessary, I'd still say you're doing a fine job. If you do more work with the same "character" you could choose to show off your Snow White skin at that time; and then based on the shading of this sprite I think most could figure out that the darkening was caused by shadows and that your true colors are likely to attract small woodland animals and perhaps some dwarves to spontaneously start following you. :P
I'm not saying you should scrap the whole thing and start over, simply that (to me at least) your ethnicity is not clearly conveyed. That's not necessarily a problem, but it could have some misleadings (such as the way I started screaming at Buckethead for being a racist arse when I first read his post before he revealed his source of knowledge :-*). Really I do like this sprite, no matter the skin color (I still like the purple ;D).
Nah that's ok, I didn't mean physically white as snow, I have a slight tan.
Ethnicity is not really a big deal, I'm fairly happy with the lighting setup. All I want to do is use it as an avatar and as an experiment, this is my first attempt at pixelling and I've learnt heaps so far.
Progress: (http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2258/2199425068_57fe528ba5_o.png)
I have to admit too that without Buckethead's context, I would have thought you were black too, or Indian. (Something about the dark bushy eyebrows and beard, I think!)
The latest version looks less so, but since you're fine either way, I don't think it's a big deal. For a first attempt at pixelling, I think it looks fantastic! I can only hope that if I every try pixel art in earnest, my first try would be half as good as yours. :)
Progress:
(http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2241/2259197369_be719017c5_o.png)
Tried to fix the eyes and mouth and some shading areas.
If light is falling on his left side of the face, then you'd expect the cap to also have some light on it. Also, his left nostril looks a bit funny.