Need some fresh eyes to criticize my new background

[Spummy]

I'm pretty damn happy with this, considering I don't have lots of experience making backgrounds ( but I do have painting/drawing experience I just tended to focus on character work. ) But  I am perfectionist so I want to make sure there's no obvious flaws/good ideas I haven't thought of.

Edit: Old Version

Newest Version

Any suggestions/criticisms/rotten tomatoes are welcome.

[AnasAbdin]

well this looks great, I'd do something to differentiate the two walls... I really did this in a hurry but you get the idea 

[Armageddon]

It looks okay, this is the last place I expected an AoM poster.

[Anian]

The thing with walls seeming separated, happens on the cupboard as well, in the upper left corner it's hard to tell the edge. In general you could make the edges sharper (in some places it looks like you didn't clean them up.
The edge of the bed and the sheet don't seem to match (they're not at the same angle I think).
Bed is too high or the ceiling is way too low, try to transfer that to real ratios and you'll see it. Do your posters go from the edge of your pillow almost to the ceiling? Also I think maybe the perspective is a bit off on the right front leg of the bed, maybe it's even ok, but it looks like it's to short and upwards.

As a detail, maybe some curtains on the window and some trees in the background.

[Grim]

I think the ceiling is too low.

[Spummy]

New version! My attempt to address many of the issues spoken of so far.

Edit: Old Version

It looks okay, this is the last place I expected an AoM poster.

Yeah, I decided to put a poster up so I just picked something. The problem is after painting the poster now I want one.

[Armageddon]

Looks much better, I jsut think the perspective is too low, makes me feel claustrophobic, has a bit of a fish eye effect as well.

[InCreator]

Is this game from first-person view? Because I couldn't imagine character moving in room with such close and steep perspective.
Also, both vanishing points seem to be a bit off, but very little. The one for window is worst.

[Spummy]

New version! This one just fixes a partial erasure of a shadow I did by accident in the last image. And tweak some stuff to make the perspective more correct.

Edit: Old Version

Is this game from first-person view? Because I couldn't imagine character moving in room with such close and steep perspective.

No it isn't. The angle is particularly atypical just because I decided I didn't want a "normal" angle.

[InCreator]

You still need some shade. Right now, room is full on ambient light and I think that shadow behind bed and nightstand are impossible, considering the position and height of window.

A bit of extreme example here:


But it shows how light bounces around and how corners and wall that has the window should be darkest.
on a side note, I fiddled with camera for 20 minutes, but never managed to get as steep perspective you have. When floor lines up, ceiling just doesn't. So I think ceiling lines should have much, much lower (more horizontal) angle. On your image it almost feels like ceiling is ambushing and about to attack anyone who lies onto bed.

[Spummy]

Yeah. There was intentionally an exaggeration of the ambient light, but you have convinced me its too much of an exaggeration. So when I get the time, I will edit that down.

On the topic of the angle. I can produce similar (but getting it exact would take forever) shots, just with an unusual set up. While the unusual shot was intentional, it has been putting some people off. So I am considering abandoning my beloved incredibly insane shot. Even if I don't, the set ups I made didn't have the camera very high, so the light bulb in the foreground would be incorrect (probably.) I shall sleep on it.

[Spummy]

So. I decided the easiest way to tackle the angle/perspective issue was to remake the whole image.

Edit: Old Version

Everything was remade, except the poster, which I just edited in. I'm much happier with this version, so it was worth it I guess. I will probably end up tweaking it more/adding in more stuff.

[InCreator]

It's considerably improved. Do you know what would be even better? A really dark, not-so-soft shadow under bed. It would give a bit or realism instantly.

[Eigen]

In addition to adding a shadow under the bed, I'd also lower the viewing point, to show less ceiling and more of the floor. Something like this perhaps:

[Ali]

I think your shading technique is quite nice, but I think the composition is wrong. You're spending way to much screen space and attention-grabbing brightness on things which are not important parts of your scene. The ceiling and the floor are not interesting to look at, but in terms of first impressions they make up 80% of the image.

Here's a quick re-jig to show how composition might more effectively draw attention to the important parts of the scene:

[Spummy]

Well, here's a version with a lot more defined shade, and a lot less Ambient light EDIT: And a shift in the view, of course.:

Edit: Old Version

Planning on throwing more mess on the floor.

Double Post of Horrible.

New version, in the process of adding more stuff, gave the bed a stronger shadow.



I'ma go back through my other posts and make the images hyperlinks just to clean the page a little...


Edit by ProgZ (combined posts):  Please don't double post, especially not in such a short time from your previous post.

[Dualnames]

Much, much, much, much better. I feel the ceiling needs a bit more work, shadow-wise.

[AnasAbdin]

If you move the stuff on the floor a little higher you can add more items on the lower shelf

[Shane 'ProgZmax' Stevens]

While I think the intention with foreground items is good, these just distract me by being:

A)  Too prominent

B) Too sharp


Basically, if you're going to have foreground elements you don't want them to obscure areas so the player feels like they're looking from BEHIND a shelf like this does.  Try to offset them so they appear either well below or 'around' the field of vision and give them depth of field blur so our eye is not encouraged to focus on scenery we really don't want them to.  In any composition like this, your chief goal is to build your piece around where you want the viewer to focus; where you want most of their attention to be.  If it's the end table (or something on it) then you could have the drawer slightly ajar or place some interesting looking items on the table to draw attention there.  If there's something important on the floor, shape, color and shadow will make me take notice; if it's the poster on the wall, have some bounce light hitting it or design it to draw attention to itself.  These are the sorts of tricks that allow you to bring the player (or viewer) where you want them to go without resorting to a huge arrow, especially in complicated rooms with a lot of details to draw attention away from where you want them to go.  This doesn't mean beat them over the head with it, so there has to be some care taken not to make what you're doing seem like obvious leading.

As for your current design, my eye is drawn to the really detailed drawings and the black book in the lower right corner of the room, partly because the lighting is brightest there and partly because of how the black of the book and papers stands out as a result.  If that's where you want players to focus then it's pretty effective, but if what is over there isn't really important then you should rethink what IS important about this room for the player and spend more time on that.