CMI Style Backgrounds with a Graphics Tablet

[Snarky]

Talk to someone who want to make a commercial game with AGS. With these Gfx you could even get commerced by Telltale Games like Al Emmo.

Among other things, Telltale Games did not make Al Emmo.

I didn't trace the picture... I looked at the original for a while then drew out a sketch, and then drew and coloured it occasionally looking back at the original for reference.  That's why a lot of my objects are of different proportions from the original.  I'm not expecting to be hired professionally I was just posting my first background to ask for criticisms on my technique.

I think you did a good job, James. For a first attempt it's very nice. Andail is just responding to some of the over-the-top responses. Because it's not at a professional level. Hey, that's not a problem. Very few people on this forum are working at a level that could be called professional, and it would be ridiculous to expect you to be Bill Tiller the first time you pick up a tablet. It's just that re-drawing one of his backgrounds gets some people confused...

Even though you didn't trace it, copying an existing image gives you a lot of things for free. Some people think that makes it cheating. I feel it can be a useful exercise, not to mention a nice confidence-booster.

Could you please give some specific examples of things which need to be done?

A number of the objects are awkwardly drawn. Take the little tower on the far house, the barrel, and the closest pole, for example. Tiller's shapes are distorted, too, but they have a consistent three-dimensionality (partly achieved by use of color) that makes them seem real. That's a problem in emulating him: he can get away with things that most people can't.

The closest corner of the bar is outlined much darker than the rest. The roof doesn't stick out over the side-wall. In general, your lines could be smoother and more even (there are wobbles and kinks in many of your curves). Your highlight looks washed out and flat, and doesnt' really make sense given the light sources.

[James--]

Thanks for the feedback   I had a go at another background, this time I used the reference background much less, I only really looked at it before making a sketch, and after that did the rest on my own.   It's loosely based on this CMI background.



There aren't many main objects in the scene so it came out looking a lot simpler than the first one, but I think that's mostly due to the design - if there were more objects I'd be able to make it busier - I added in a few but I ran out of ideas

Please give as much constructive criticism as you can.  But keep in mind that I'm not trying to exactly replicate the Monkey Island style anymore... I'm trying to make my own style, so if something isn't done in the same way Bill Tiller does it but still works, that's fine.  I think after this one I'll move onto creating ones which are completely my own (designed by me)

[Babar]

Nice stuff. Any criticisms from me (for someone at your level) would be about specifics, though- like the outlines. Mostly they're ok, but for places like the horizon (which also has other small things to clean up), which shouldn't really be that distinct, and the island in the distance. Also, the grass at the base of the signs has a weird flattish look. No idea how you could fix that up.

[Scummbuddy]

In case you are still wanting to pursue the CMI style, I want to let you know if you don't already, that Bill Tiller wrote out:

"How to Draw Monkeys the Lucas Arts Way: An Analysis of the Funny pictures in the Curse of Monkey Island"

You can find it as the second tutorial down on this page:

http://lucasstyle.com/tutorials.htm

Keep on practicing, and keep on showing us your work.

[cobra79]

I like it. Things to criticize would be the floating island and maybe the scaling of the ship and the island in comparison to the fortress on the left. That could be the style though. The real issue I have with this background are the leaves of the palm-trees.
The left ones are more or less okay with only the small leaf in the center really distracting.
The right palm though looks wrong. It does not feel 3 dimensional to me, more as if the leaves were cut out and glued on top of each other.

[Uku]

Pretty decent. Though palmtrees leaves seem "flat"...

[ALPHATT]

About Al Emmo I NEVER sad TTG made  Al emmo I sad TTG is advertising Al Emmo  on their websiten.

[Khris]

Looks like you could use this:

[Shane 'ProgZmax' Stevens]

This is not the place to argue about off-topic subjects, this is the place to discuss a person's work and to provide useful critique.  Please save the off-topic comments and arguments for private messages (or not at all).

[Jens]

James--, have a look at this document by CMI's lead background artist, it might help you.

[Scummbuddy]

But I already mentioned that link, which directs to my website, in my post a few posts up. 

Nobody wants a Dean in the box...

[Jens]

oh. umm... sorry then