Coffee shop

[Ethan D]

If you can't tell this is a coffee shop.  I have not yet done lighting for this room yet mainly because i can't figure out how to give a very soft lighting and I'm getting tired.  Also I couldn't figure out what colors to use for it's wall or for it's floor (I actually spent about an hour trying to figure out proper colors but that seems to be my weakness) and I ended up going with what i have here... The only problem is that I don't feel like it has a feel of a coffee shop.  It also feels a little bit bare but I'm not sure what I can add.  In fact the only thing I am really satisfied with in this whole room is the table and chairs in the middle...  If there are any suggestions they would be greatly appreciated.

[SomeSickSelf]

I wouldn't worry about lighting right away, it'll probably be easier to do that once you've got the colors and whatnot right.  I don't think the color scheme you've got right now is particularly evocative of a coffee shop, typically they're kind of...browner...(yes its nearly 3 in the morning and I'm not sure how to say that any better)  It might be helpful to go to/look up pictures of actual coffee shops to get a feel for how they generally look.

As far as things to make the room less bare; try shelves full snacks and pastries, stacks of coffee cups, maybe a refrigerator full of sodas or cakes or something, stuff like that.

I enjoyed your first game, best of luck with the sequel.

[Tyr]

The floor should be much lighter.
The flooring right now is more fitting for a pub than a coffee shop. Coffee shops tend to be pretty bright places I find.
And the furniture is hard to see with that flooring so you get a more accurate picture and a better one for gameplay purposes.

[Anian]

Yeah, what SSS said, try putting for example a coffemaker behind the counter and maybe some generic poster or abstract pictures or something with the word "coffee" on it. Definetly more details need to be added, then you can start working out the lighting.

For light, first determine where the light sources are. On that note, coffee shops usually have windows, don't they? (we don't have much of them but from what I've seen in other countries). Windows will also give you a bit more atmosphere and you can draw the street outside etc. Doors can also be of glass and an open sign on it etc.

On the chairs thing, they seem to me like they have a texture (the table at least) but it would be good then to make everything have a light texture, like the counter for example. Also they don't look like a coffee shop chairs and tables, more of a dining room furniture, you need to think like breakfast and the kitchen counter sort of stuff.

Hope that helps, no offence.  

It also depends on which country you are set on, some links that might help:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coffeehouse - general info
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/ba/Wien_Cafe_Central_2004.jpg/800px-Wien_Cafe_Central_2004.jpg - Wiena Cafe, the original (well the original in Europe, cause coffee was brought to Europe by Turks when they reached all the way to Austria and when they left, people found coffee grinds and started using them etc.)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Original_Starbucks.jpg - le Starbucks
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Pastries_sold_at_a_coffee_shop.jpg  - example of a counter
http://tylerhere.files.wordpress.com/2008/01/coffee-shop.png - comically drawn
http://www.thecoffeebrewers.com/ - for machines and details

[Ethan D]

I see what all of you are saying. BTW that is an espresso machine on the counter that's what they look like from behind, at least the ones at the starbucks near my house do.  In any case, I'll start editing this now.

[Ethan D]

That took me a lot longer than I expected.  I slightly increased the lightness of the tables and chairs and left the floor the same since now it looks fine with the surrounding area.  All the other things I added are pretty easy to see.  Let me know what you think.

[InCreator]

Huh, it's quite horrid.

* gray is most boring of all colors.
* Perspective is non-existent
* Photo-like things don't fit into pixel-style background
* There's WAY too much unused space. Tiny detailed pixel food and acres of boring, empty floor/wall?
* Add shadows.
* But fix perspective first.

[Ethan D]

I'm sorry I'm very new to this could you explain how to fix the perspective?

[cosmicr]

google 'one point perspective', 'drawing composition' and 'rule of thirds'

[Ethan D]

thanks for the help, I understand how to fix it.