A bg in a need of little help

[InCreator]

Well, here.


I'm quite statisfied with the overall pic, but colors somewhat suck. They are... er... sick?
Sky, flats, grass... it just won't mix somehow. Sky color makes me feel like there's a summer day and there's thunderstorm coming soon.

Is there any way to improve overall color harmony?

P.S. Don't pay attention to a bit wacky perspective, it's drawn "by eye" and no vanishing points etc was used. And I don't want to - I think that I'm not good enough to aim for full realism. So let it be a little wacky.

But colors, colors...

[Proskrito]

Some quick color changes:

I think the main problem was that the sky was too purple.
Also tinted the building at the right a bit, and played with the green
You could also try lightening a bit the-part-of-the-street-where-pedestrians-walk whose name in english i cant remember, and lowering the saturation of the dark red door, and see if it helps : )
ps: I love how you textured the road and the grass! : D

[TheYak]

If anyone picks on perspective, I'll step on their head.  I don't really feel it matters for this pic.  I think part of the problem is that you've hit a fairly high realism level but the lighting is still a bit cartoony.  Remembering the color of sunlight and sky and that they'll be reflected somewhat by all objects would bring the image together a little bit, I think.  You've also got very dark colors for the street. 

I'm sure different countries use different techniques and while I've seen some asphalt that looks like that, I've yet to see a sidewalk so dark.  I agree somewhat with Proskrito's changes.  The sky-tweak is a good one and the building should be a bit less white since it's the side not facing the sun.  Because of the shadow positions and the somber coloring, I'd guess it to be about 5PM, just a bit before sunset so the shadows should be elongated and darkened with just a hint of blue.

I'm finding it extremely difficult to make suggestions as the background's very high quality as is.

[InCreator]

I'm very glad that I was able to express myself so well this time -- poskrito understood perfectly - and did a wonderful paintover!
Now it feels excactly as it was in my head.

As the sidewalk goes, well, asphalt is quite black where I live -- and my whole neighborhood is made of post-soviet buildings like this. A "concrete jungle" as locals call this part of city. Buildings, made in the haste of perestroika - actually are very low quality, not standing up perfectly 90 degrees vertical and so on. So - my perspective may not be so bad after all... Leftmost part of building still needs a 1-pixel lift upwards, i think.

I'm going to lighten road up a bit though.

I'm finding it extremely difficult to make suggestions as the background's very high quality as is.

I'm not sure should I take this as  a compliment or joke -- This background took me only 40 minutes to draw, and most of things are products of lucky mouse click, not skill.

Thank you, guys.

[Oneway]

Agreed, a very nice pic indeed. I think you're selling yourself short when you say you're not good enough for realism.

The entrance to the building really stands out nicely and gives the bg a nice sense of depth. Texturing and windows are very well done aswell.

There are two things that disturb me a little bit:

First, the building on the right looks like we're facing it head on. At an angle. This is caused by the parallel stripes on the building. It seems to me a building making such an angle Ã, with the road is rather odd. Here's a pic of what i mean:

Oh crap, now i ticked off YakSpit! Be genle with me, it's all for the good of this brilliant pic.

Secondly, i can see the horizon! Especially in urban areas you will never see the horizon, it is always cluttered with human structures (and some trees if you're lucky). Right now the light bar just above the green makes it look like you have a view over the sea. If that is indeed your intention i suggest raising the horizon a pixel or two and give a little detail and color to the sea/ocean.

I know this isn't exactly the kind of critique you asked for (i don't do colors, haha), but i hope you'll take a serious look at the 2 cents i gave you.

Any details on what game this is going to be in, if any?

[InCreator]

Main reason why i never ask perspective help are these lines people draw everywhere onto my pic - which mostly confuse me instead of helping   
Well, I believe I got it this time... or not?

I think that the bg is quite ready. I'm also afraid to spend too much time onto a single background, because it usually stops whole game development at some point. For me, that is.

As a perfectionist, there's never anything really ready for me, and every tomorrow I can do same thing better than today. blah-blah-blah, to cut the long story short - I'm just never statisfied enough with anything to release it and announce it "finished".

That's why I'm not going to perfection this time.
That's why I rarely post my own works at CL -- it starts the neverending remaking process. Until i had enough with whole thing.

Well, to make a bunch of outdoor bg's, I needed a good sky/sea/road colors to start with, so this bg (and help) served
it's purpose very well.


I made whole thing onto poskrito's edit, hope he won't mind.

Any details on what game this is going to be in, if any?

er... I'm not supposed to make any games, I'm tied with KQ2.5 and Hamlet v2! And my long-done project Trippin'!, of course.
But I came onto an idea to make fourth part of my saga games of a 17-year old friend Henri (a game with same name). Unfortunately, they were released only in estonian language and AGSers (except for Eigen, who is Estonian too, maybe) are not familiar with those.

[Valzebnik]

Hm. Nice BG ofcourse!
But i have a statement and a argument as one!
Lets say that the road goes out of the picture bounds and turns to north by lets say 15 degrees (north being the direction we are looking to!). And the next building would be paralel with the road.Wouldnt that make the picture right? That we see the wall but since the building goes further on,we dont see the rest from this wievpoint?!  But yeah,the last remake is nice.Very Nice :p GG

[Jayel]

I wouldn't change anything
but if you want to bring out the colours, consider using shadows to give some contrast.

[Neutron]

i would tone down the saturation in the windows a bit, maybe darken them slightly.  very nice pic though.  i like the city in the background on the last one.

[fovmester]

That last shadow-edit made the bg just perfect. The shadow could maybe be a little lighter but they give the impression that the house is in a big city with tall buildings!! Great!

[InCreator]

Whoo, this was a great idea.
I tried to use it and... the big emptiness of main part of image was smartly "covered"!
Thanks.

Also added a streetlight and manhole.


I'm getting somewhere already.