Hey folks!
I'm not the one to give up without trying the best I can for a long time but now I'd really like some help from someone. I drew this spruce and after more than a week I still find it hard to make it look top down-ish. I feel like I'm close but not quite there yet. I guess it"s all about the correct shading. PLEEEAAAASE help a guy out :D Paintovers are more than welcome because I'm about to give up at this point.
(https://i.imgur.com/7EVgp21.png)
Here is another tree I drew and I'm quite satisfied with that and I'm showing you this so that the styles will match if anyone will attempt a paintover of the spruce. Like I said, I've really tried and given this a lot of time so it's not about me being lazy. I would never ask if I didn't need help. Thanks in advance :-)
(https://i.imgur.com/SSDok7I.png)
If you're having trouble, try simplifying the tree's shape to its basic components. The pine tree you drew is, in its essence, a cone.
So, start by drawing a cone and try to make it at the right angle for your top-down game. When you have the perfect shape, start adding details on top of it, using it as the basis for your tree.
It's a good method to draw complex objects: you start with the basic form of the object, without thinking about details, shadows and so on. Once the form is solid, you can add the rest.
Hopefully, this can help a little. At the moment I'm a bit in a hurry and I can't make a paint-over.
Thanks for the tip :-) I actually tried just rendering a 3d cone in a 45 degree perspective but it still didn't turn out too well.
I think the tree looks great but I agree it is not very top-down-ish.
I think what you need is a bit of Foreshortening (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perspective_(graphical)#Foreshortening):
* the getting wider at the bottom should be reduced
* The branches shall be more overlapping towards the bottom
* The branches should be closer to each other towards the bottom
A quick search brought up several tutorials.
Have a look at this drawing:
[imgzoom]https://www.drawinghowtodraw.com/stepbystepdrawinglessons/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/peopleinperspective-2.jpg[/imgzoom]
(Source: https://www.drawinghowtodraw.com/stepbystepdrawinglessons/2016/05/draw-groups-people-figures-perspective-size-figures-illustration/ (https://www.drawinghowtodraw.com/stepbystepdrawinglessons/2016/05/draw-groups-people-figures-perspective-size-figures-illustration/))
The guy's legs look tiny in perspective!
Thanks for your input! Appreciate it! I'm trying again with lorenzos suggestion. I have rendered out 3 green cones and i only use the outlines of the branches and pastes them on the cones and I think that has potential. I might post an update tonight
Hey Mouth for war, sorry I haven't replied to you sooner.
I think the problem with your tree is that is too lean for a top-down view. It should be more squashed.
I gave it a try. It looks really bad and it's very imprecise, but hopefully it can give you an idea of what I mean:
(https://i.imgur.com/0Ewm9d3.png)
First, I made a rough "skeleton" for it. Then, I sketched the tree using it as a base. Finally, I've redrawn it (quite badly). And it looks very Christmas tree-like, which is quite appropriate as we get nearer the festivities. (laugh)
That looks great. Nothing bad about that at all :-D thanks a lot
Took its sweet time but this is an updated version. far from perfect but I think it looks more correct now at least
(https://i.imgur.com/HK6vmXS.png)
The top seems too pointy to be correct. It's like you're looking at it from an angle at the base, but when you move to the top, it's looking at it straight on.
Funny you should say that. I saw that too as soon as I posted it haha. I'm trying...again!!! Sheeesh, maybe I should haul my butt back to the 3D world :D
Ok, This is probably the best I can come up with. Not too shabby I hope :)
(https://i.imgur.com/YpjW0Yi.png)
Hmm ok THIS might be the best I can come up with :D Now it just needs some small fixes here and there I think
(https://i.imgur.com/Nvu1YC1.png)
Uhm, still something that my eye thinks it's wrong. :-\
My suggestion, try faking the top a bit, so the pointy tip is lower and you get to see a bit of the leaves on the other side. That might give a better idea that you're looking at it from the top. You can see that in lorenzo's tree, specifically on the first shape and almost on the done one.
The second is your shading, it just looks very odd the way you highlight the tree, that I can't but see a cone. Not a tree with leaves.
The highlight is because of poser and it will be fixed. My craptop I'm currently using while away from home is too weak for Poser so i didn"t bother with it too much. I just used poser to render the image for the antialiasing. Thanks for the tips. I will fiddle some more with it but i think it's almost game ready :-)
Personally, I would simplify the lighting: fewer shades of green, but more contrast between them. And I would paint it as if the light comes from the top of the tree.
I've made a very bad paint-over, to show you what I mean:
(https://i.imgur.com/Vi9klNN.png)
I also added some leaves behind the top of the tree.
Gaah I"ll never get this right :-D haha. But it"s getting better at least. Thanks lorenzo :-)
No problem! Personally, I think the last tree is pretty good. Just a few tweaks and I'd call it done. ;)
I think I'm finally done now :D (https://i.imgur.com/kPEz45U.png)
The deck should have the same height as the stuff at border of the water, no?
Yeah! I changed the light angle but I didn't fix that deck yet