Is this style worth it?

[Nixxon]

Greetings,
I've recently been experimenting with the infamouse smudge tool. Apon hours of doodling it seems apparent that it can be used to produce somewhat vivid background images, my main concearn is that of the 'time factor'. It involves relentless bordom and I fear I'm gambling with my sanity whilst creating these images. So the true question... IS IT ACTUALLY WORTH IT? I'm not overly impressed with the outcome (example below - took around 5 hours... you see my dilema?), infact my heart leans more towards cartoony type drawings. If only i could draw so well on paper... I must be developing early signs of parkinson's desease.
(a half finished tree, a stone.. and half a sky... youth gone...)

Anyways... I'd appreciate any speed enhancing tips from anyone who has endured this kind of work... or maybe i should just give up while im.. behind  
Cheers  

[Evil]

DEAR GOD THAT IS AMAZING!!1 I love it like no other! If it didnt take so long I would use it. Maybe it takes so long because you are still developing skills? The only problems I could see with it would be time and getting characters to match. Could you maybe try a quick person for us?

[Nixxon]

DEAR GOD IM FLATTERD! thanks 1.5 million
And you've struck on another dilema I forgot to mention... as long as 1 whole background would take to finish (im estimating around 4 years) there's no comprehension of how long it would take to frame animate a chracter in that style. Since i do most of my character work in flash (due to it's tweening capabilities) the two styles would clash like chalk and...chalk.
Thanks again for your words  

[Evil]

Maybe set them on the hinge thingys that you can do in flash... I'm sorry, I dont know what they are called...

[Nixxon]

Maybe set them on the hinge thingys that you can do in flash... I'm sorry, I dont know what they are called...

Sorry, don't quite getcha mate it's not my time of the day... vast quantities of sleep deprivation. I could import the backgrounds into flash but not as vectors... sadly due to the amount of pixel definition and colour so the effect would be much the same.
Here is an example of the kinds of characters I do in flash, once again an incomplete image for which i apologize.

I think the combination of both styles would be considered as a moral sin for which i would indeed be punished.

[MachineElf]

I like the sky a lot! Maybe you should try using it on the things that it's really useful for.
The tree looks cool but slightly psychedelic. It's at least definately not from this world...
I think combining styles could produce something good. Just think which parts you should make in which style.

[aurynnz]

Hi there,

The style you have chosen produces a great effect. I know what it is like to spend a long time on a single scene:

http://www.geocities.com/springhazenz

is an example of my work. That took over 8 hours and a lot of messing about - I have improved much on that example and managed to get the time down a bit.

However it is the style I like... and the style my heart is in. I would suggest - although the style your experimenting with IS pretty - and wonderful - you need to have fun - not do these scenes as a chore... otherwise you will end up hating it. Stick with what your heart wants - and you will end up happier for it.

You could even try a mix of the two styles - your cartoony and your smeary.

=A=

[OneThinkingGal and ._.]

Hey Ibex.

Great style on the first piece, that would really give any game a nice atmostphere. I do understand what you mean about it taking a lot of time.

You could try to do other art in this way, and do backgrounds with simpler processes, if you are in a hurry. But if you have the time, I say go for it. It looks good!

As for flash, its a nice tool to draw in, Iqu is doing some nice stuff with it. Check out some of the artitude threads and his avatar.

aurynnz: Nice background. The room at the top center could get a little darker as we go inwards, but overall nice job.

[LL Notorious B.I.G. Will C-H]

i reckon you will be able to speed up rapidly once you are used to creating in that style. its like with makeup artists doing stuff like nightcrawler in xmen. I heard it originally took them 12 hours or something but they soon got it down to about 5 hours once they knew what they were doing. you should keep at it.

[Dr. Awesome]

I don't think it suits your characters. It has a very surreal and creepy look, while your characters are cartoonish (albeit, very well done.) I do like the look of it, though. Make it spookier and darker, it'll be perfect.

[noed]

might look great together if you could do them in a similar pallet, although I agree with Vargtass about using it in some places, but not all.

[Nixxon]

Thanks guys glad you all find the style somewhat 'good looking' I'm starting to hate that image personally... most likely cause i've been staring at it for the better part of this century
I agree with your views reguarding the clashing of characters/backgrounds.
I have a go at making a GUI item using this method.... mucho's easier and much more enjoyable! since the canvas is a 34th of the size.

A tad on the dark side.

Thanks again for your views... especially the 'practise makes perfect' notation... after rehab I might just give it another go
- Kisses  

[aussie]

Mad style. I'd love to see a game like that.  

I think it'd definitely be worth it if you had those four years to complete it, but chances are you won't. And worse than that, you'll probably get sick of adventure creation all together.  

I would personally go for a simpler, cartoony style, which you definitely have the talent to do.

[ratracer]

I would also vote for you to continue with the smudge style, although I understand too well what is to lose time in drawing...
great work, I say!

[danny*]

very good!!!!

[Svetac]

Uh, Amazing and original style! I would love to play something with such graphics. And if you have some more art of that kind, please share it with us.

[Nixxon]

Thanks once more
Inspirational posts... makes the hard hours spent well worth it

[Evil]

I was inspired bye the sky...

Eh... Looked better as a bmp...

[undergroundling]

Ah, Ibex!  What happened to your gorgeous tree?

[Evil]

IBEX! CHANGE IT BACK!!1 GRR!!!