Living Room Background

Grapefruitologist · Tue 07/02/2006 02:04:41

Ok, so, the last room I put up here was a disaster, I know. But I've got a new background now, and this time I'm open to suggestions. I wasn't just making an excuse to not change the picture for my other one, I seriously think comedy is more important than art in games (Well, my favorite game is Crime Time, so you should've expected that). But unless I very soon think up a clever joke about the art in this room, I seriously doubt I will keep this the way it is-and since most jokes in the game involve Kyle, I seriously doubt I will think up any joke for this. So, I'm gonna try to be a perfectionist on this one-even if it takes me a year (unless I think up another joke... xD Which, I won't.)Redraws are welcome, you can hang the furniture on the ceiling, whatever.
Note that, I drew this whole thing myself on Windows Paint.
I knew the perspective was off behind the fridge, but I'm not sure how to fix that, so I left it only slightly coloured and didn't spend a lot of time on it before I got some opinions here. Once I get the perspective right, I'll spend more time on it.
So-opinions?
EDIT: Oh yeah, just a little question. What do you think-is the character in this room male or female?
UPDATED EDIT: Ah, shoot, I gotta fix the shoelaces-one minute.
EDITED UPDATED EDIT: Fixed.
UPDATED EDITED UPDATED EDIT: Updated the picture-fixed the sink.

Akumayo · Tue 07/02/2006 02:16:49

I think that the whole pictures a little too dark. I can't tell what's been shaded and what hasn't. It makes perspectives difficult to see when everything looks flat becuase of the lack of light. The carpet on the stairs bothers me, I can only tell that they're stairs becuase I can see the right angles in the wall adjacent to them. As for the character, male, I think... I know my "advice" isn't very good.... wait for someone who knows how to improve it I suppose, becuase I really don't know how you'd re-work it except to add a central light source or something.

Grapefruitologist · Tue 07/02/2006 02:29:22

Okay:

Too bright...?
EDIT: I just noticed that there's some white down at the bottom of the picture still... I'll fix that once I update the picture again, just ignore it for now.

Akumayo · Tue 07/02/2006 02:36:29

Much better. Now I can give some -useful- C&C

The only thing that really jumps out at me actually would be the... err... whatever's happening to the left of the fridge. I can't really tell what's supposed to be there. It looks like the wall is painted to look like cabinets or something insane like that. Maybe add a line or something to show that a new wall has started, or change it so it's darker/lighter than the other wall (if it is indeed a wall of course). The rest of the image looks pretty decent. Save the door on the right. Is it... floating above the floor? Shouldn't it be level with the floor? Also, try insetting it into the wall a little, for it too appears to be painted on (doorknob and outlines primarily)

Other than those two things, it looks okay I think. Maybe add some wallpaper or something... I dunno.

Grapefruitologist · Tue 07/02/2006 02:43:59

The left is supposed to be the same as the right... cabinets... but I wasn't sure the perspective was right so I left the sketch...
I'l try to fix that, somehow.
And the doors, I'll fix.
UPDATE:

Khris · Tue 07/02/2006 13:49:35

The biggest problem is perspective. Either use vanishing points (InCreator made a small example pic in your other thread, or google for central or two-point perspective) or use e.g. isometric perspective (like this).

There are people here who don't think that p. is all that important, and they are right, but as a beginner, it's way easier to use something that automatically provides you with guidelines. Which brings me right to the second issue: DON'T use paint. It might have some value as a pixel-art tool, and it might be just enough to do sprites, but I myself won't ever again use a gfx program without layer support.
As mentioned many times before, there's GIMP. It's freeware, it's stable, and it has pretty much everything you'll ever want in a gfx prog.

Another thing: the wall cabinets are like three inches above the working space. Might be enough for mice, but human beings?

And the people sitting at the table: Unless you want them to sit around like statues you'll have to remove them from the background. Use GIMP, draw them in a new layer, problem solved.

Grapefruitologist · Wed 08/02/2006 01:25:31

I've used Paint for six years, and I've tried other programs but never understood how to use them. But I'll try.
Errr... how in the universe do you download that?!!

Gilbert · Wed 08/02/2006 01:40:57

Just download the installer version, you need to download and install the GTK package first.

Sean · Wed 08/02/2006 18:42:46

I don't have any real issue with your background other than those colours. If I'm brutually honest then sure theres a few perspective errors around and it looks a little flat but really it just looks like the graphics you'd see in an old game. Nothing wrong with that, it's a style. Aslong as your graphics are consistent and the game story good then this sort of style is great. It's simple and has classic feel.

If you want to modernize it work on the colours, if you want an 'Old Skool' feel then leave it as it is

Hope that helped a little bit.

Mr.Crow · Wed 08/02/2006 18:48:41

there is one question ive got for you, how did you design your stairs did you just draw em and set walkable on the area? coz everytime i try it looks like hes just walking not actualling 'climbing' the stairs.

Khris · Wed 08/02/2006 19:32:39

OT: Mr.Crow, the only way to achieve this is to intercept walking towards the stairs and animate the climbing by hand.
AGS can't tell whether some colored pixels depict stairs or flat ground, so as long as you are using a walkable area, AGS will use the default walk cycle anim.

Grapefruitologist · Thu 09/02/2006 03:25:00

I did want it to look a bit like the old games.
I will try GIMP, but I doubt I will acctually use it, because paint programs really confuse me unless it's Windows Paint.

Does this look any better?

Also-I just made a new room-this one is in an alley. Decided to post it here too.

Alun · Thu 09/02/2006 08:22:11

In the alley, the box and the walls don't match, perspective-wise. Assuming they're both supposed to have right angles (as opposed to the box having a parallelogrammic cross-section, or the walls meeting at an obtuse angle), both the lines on both the box and the base of the wall to the right should be slanted in the same direction.

Grapefruitologist · Thu 09/02/2006 08:31:14

Oh. Duh. I should've noticed that.
EDIT:

Khris · Thu 09/02/2006 09:14:54

It's still not quite right.
The slanting of the right wall suggests a high viewpoint (unless it's a steep hill). But we're looking almost straight at the dumpster.
And the trashcans are flat when they should look like this.
You should really look into one of the many perspective tutorials floating around the web.

Grapefruitologist · Fri 10/02/2006 02:17:20

Ok. I'll do that.

Better?

Khris · Fri 10/02/2006 11:10:25

The top of the right one is still straigt. And shade'em.
So it *is* a hill to the right?

The box is a bit too big & plain, IMO.

Grapefruitologist · Sat 11/02/2006 00:18:18

Well, the box should be big and plain, because that's what it's supposed to be.

I don't know how to fix it so it's not a hill...

And I'll fix that.

I changed the box a bit, since I realized that nobody would throw away a big unopened box.
And-the colors on it make more sense now.

UPDATE: Okay, I tried to fix that hill thing. I tried a few different things:

(ignore the trees and stuff, not finished)
Do any of these fix it?

Alun · Sat 11/02/2006 02:15:51

Quote from: Grapefruitologist on Sat 11/02/2006 00:18:18
Do any of these fix it?

Yes, actually. You're getting the idea.

The perspective's still got some issues, though. The one that jumps out the most, for me at least, is the box top--if the box top is supposed to be rectangular, the back of the box should look narrower than the front, but the way you've drawn it the back is wider. But rather than go into more details, I'll just recommend you do as khrismuc suggested and find a good perspective tutorial and study up on it. Your background's improving--the latest versions are much better than the first--but you still don't seem to really have a firm grasp on perspective, and a little reading up on perspective and vanishing points and such could help you out a lot in the long run.

Grapefruitologist · Sat 11/02/2006 02:22:44

Okay. I will then.