Adventure Game Studio

Creative Production => Critics' Lounge => Topic started by: Babar on Mon 13/02/2006 12:07:51

Title: Help with stones
Post by: Babar on Mon 13/02/2006 12:07:51
(http://www.babar.squarespace.com/storage/pictures/outsidelighthouse.gif)

I'd appreciate help on how to do the stones properly. They seemed a good idea while sketching, but when I started colouring, I couldn't visualise how to make them proper.

Also, since this is going to be in a 256 colour game, I was hoping someone can explain how I can do the sky nicer. I realise I could use dithering, but I'm not too fond of dithering, and was hoping that there is some other method.

Any other help would of course, be appreciated also.
Title: Re: Help with stones
Post by: skw on Mon 13/02/2006 13:55:40
`ello, Babar!

These stones doesn`t look so bad and they seems to fit the style pretty well. Anyway, `Google` search, as always, would be helpful.

http://images.google.pl/images?q=stone+wall
http://images.google.pl/images?q=stonewall

Give them reflection and more oval shape (in the way of shading). Sorry, I don`t have the time to make a paintover by myself :(.

Dithering... It`s the finest thing in pixelart in my opinion, and if you think of making an old-school game you should as well think of that. Try some more curved / twisted shapes for the clouds.
Title: Re: Help with stones
Post by: Saberteeth on Mon 13/02/2006 13:59:58
Use lighter colors, a rainbow, a little less cloudy sky, the sun etc.
Title: Re: Help with stones
Post by: gameboy on Mon 13/02/2006 17:03:02
Like the bg, really nice style you got there.
The only thing that I would really improve is the perspective of the bricks. They don't really look like the the building is round-shaped...
I would make a paintover, but I think i would probably ruin your nice style... But I made a red-lines example how the bricks should be.

(http://img338.imageshack.us/img338/6460/helpattempt8nc.png)
Er... it's not the best, the lines aren't still quite exactly in perspective, but I hope it helps.
Title: Re: Help with stones
Post by: Anian on Mon 13/02/2006 22:59:40
sometimes my drawings come out the same - but rocks are in real life bumpy and so the shadow/line on the tower should not be so straight. it should drawout the surface of the stones more
oh, and plants give out shadows too,  but that just a detail

hope that helps
Title: Re: Help with stones
Post by: Kweepa on Tue 14/02/2006 01:18:45
The edge of the shadow on the tower should be less sharp, and vertical:
http://images.google.com/images?&q=stone+tower
Title: Re: Help with stones
Post by: Babar on Tue 14/02/2006 11:59:08
Woah! Actually I was asking about the stones on the path, not the tower. But thanks for all the help on that. I'll use it to fix the tower and sky up.

However, can some advice be given on the stones in the path, and how to improve their colour?
Title: Re: Help with stones
Post by: Anian on Tue 14/02/2006 13:48:50
Quote from: Babar on Tue 14/02/2006 11:59:08
Woah! Actually I was asking about the stones on the path, not the tower. But thanks for all the help on that. I'll use it to fix the tower and sky up.

However, can some advice be given on the stones in the path, and how to improve their colour?
lol, okay, maybe it's to defined, it looks as they're like a carpet, maybe "cover" them with sand/dirt (whatever the rest of the road is) so it seems like the surface is wearing out and there are stones underneath. or if you want it to seem like they're just pebbles on the road then just make it more random and less of it,
although I like the way you've drawn them, they could make a path on their own (with no extra color on the sides)
Title: Re: Help with stones
Post by: Shane 'ProgZmax' Stevens on Tue 14/02/2006 14:34:00
How about this?

I added stones and a texture to the road.  I also added some overlaying grass on the right side.  Can add it to the left if you like it.

(http://members.cox.net/progzmax/outside.gif)
Title: Re: Help with stones
Post by: Babar on Tue 14/02/2006 15:20:35
That's a VERY pretty edit. But now you have to tell me how you did it. The stones perhaps I can get, but what about the texture to the path?
Title: Re: Help with stones
Post by: Neutron on Thu 16/02/2006 16:15:09
hey babar, remember stones on a path are not usually entirely flat, so maybe give them a bit of height, and curvature, more like bisquits or muffins, and place a couple so they are in front of one another a bit, which will give it more depth.  maybe a bit more shadow too.
Title: Re: Help with stones
Post by: Afflict on Fri 17/02/2006 11:11:46
Ok I might not be a pro, but what I do is i construct the outlines to a scene.
The base is crucial without a base IMO your perspective tends to be stuffed.
So I might do a quick paint over cause your picture looks flat... no depth.
I will of course tell you how I did it, but like I said not the best guy to ask
about these things...

Check out the tutorials from the guys that did the apprentice. Hurculean
or something like that... Their stuff is good!

//edit , observing the picture more closely, it looks like you draw and coloured then scanned in?
I would like mentioned ubove just do the outlines cause your shading will become inconsistant when you work on the pc... hence the shadow on tower compared to shadow on ground.

Aswell as there is no shadow under the tree, your light source however is from the top left hand side as noted from your shadow of the tower and some shadow on hut?