First EGA attempt

[fretnoize]

Hi, I'm new here, this is my first attempt at an EGA scene. I'm not really an artist, but I'm going for that EGA Sierra game look. I'd like to hit that "pro" level aesthetic, basically something you would have seen in those old games. I feel like it's more or less there, but as I'm new to making EGA art, there are probably things I'm not seeing. So I'm open to feedback on what I might consider improving and techniques to implement or whatever. It's originally 320x200 but I have the post doubling the size to make a little easier to see (but adds minor scaling artifacts)

[brushfe]

Very cool! And congratulations, for a first crack at EGA, you've done a fantastic job!

If you're going for the Sierra EGA style, I think you've nailed the dithering effect and the colour combos - the spooky clouds, the darkened window, the bushes, and both pine trees in particular!

And if you're looking for things to try out, here's a couple of thoughts that come to mind:

- In a night scene like this, with the moon in the background, most of the scene would be backlit. Meaning, the front of everything would be darker than the edges. The pine tree on the left is lit using the moon, which is nice! For reference, The Colonel's Bequest exteriors do a great job of communicating 'night darkness' by using a lot of dark blue and black, even in the dithering. (Link)

- Switching to a backlit style would also let the windows have a nice glow, affecting things like the porch and shutters.

- The shutters are a bit small for the windows, and unattached to the window frame. On the other hand, the door frame feels a bit big for the size of the door.

- Small things: the snow on the roof could be uneven instead of a straight line; the stars felt a little close to the horizon; the patio roof could have some supporting beams; and maybe the patio icicles should come from the metal trim, like the ones at the top?

None of it necessary of course, it's a lovely scene! Just some ideas if you're looking. Excited to try your game!

[bicilotti]

I like it, maye the front of the house is a tad flat.

[fretnoize]

Thanks so much for the great feedback!
Of course I'm still open to feedback. Even if it's something I might not go back and put in, I think it's helpful to consider for other scenes.

I'm basically thinking to build a very small little project to see what I think about going forward with something larger.
Also, I scaled up the image before export this time, to avoid those artifacts.

@brushfe
Some really great suggestions!

Backlighting - Thanks for the references, I only looked at a few since I just recently bought Colonel's Bequest and it's one of the few I haven't played yet. I did some slight adjustments based on that. I did darken up the house and add some highlights like the reference, but since it's the first scene of whatever this project is going to turn out to be, I wanted things a bit more visible. I also figured since it's a clear night with snow on the ground that maybe there's a bit more ambient light bouncing around, I dunno, haha.

Shutters - Agreed that they were too far off from the frame. As far as the size, there's a lot of houses, at least in the north east of the USA, that have shutters like that, basically they're only cosmetic, they don't have any function and are usually smaller like that.

Small things - thanks, I tried to make the snow a little uneven on the roof and give it some thickness, I didn't want to make it too lumpy like the yard, as I was trying to consider the grass underneath and that the walkway has been cleared off. I removed some of the lower stars, and I also added support beams. I left the icicles as is, because that roof section is a ledge and the horizontal beam across is inset rather than flush. I also made it wood, so it makes it more clear, imo.

@bicilotti
Yeah, I agree it's a bit flat, I wanted to keep the house pretty simple, maybe 8 rooms or so total, which is probably even more than I should have planned for this little project to help me learn everything.

[bicilotti]

Much much more interesting and better!

[fretnoize]

@bicilotti Thanks!

[brushfe]

That second version is awesome! Great additions!