Perspective at such small, fiddly scales...

[Technocrat]

So, I'm trying to flesh out a bit of my placeholder art for Forklift, and in doing so give the tank more directions than "left" and "right".




Ok, so far so good. Now, I've been trying to make a version of it rotated 90 degrees to face downwards...



...and I keep coming up with abominations like this. These things just don't look right, no matter how I do them, and I feel that in a sense clinging to normal ideas of perspective is unhelpful. On the other hand, I'm not an artist, so I'm probably verbalising from my posterior.

So, any advice on how to improve the up-down kinds of view? How wide do you think the tank/turret ought to be from the front?

[evenwolf]

Yes!  You're absolutely right about trying it the standard way.     Google "foreshortening."   I bet you can find videos and tutorials fast.   They use it in comics to make action panels look like they're flying at you.   It's practically its own artform.  

Here's a quick sample:



(just the turret was done, obviously)

[Victor6]

Hastily stolen and re-painted example from the archive, excuse the pink....


I'd suggest giving normal perspective the boot for kind of stuff. Take a look at examples like C&C and you'll find all the units are drawn from a fixed angle. At such small scales perspective just tends to make things look out of place. Stick to top-front-sides stuff.

[evenwolf]

Very good point.  Victor's got the scoop.  Mine looks more like its aiming at you, which probably isn't what you want.

[NsMn]

evenwolf, as you might have noticed: What you suggested simply isn't possible in that kind of pixel art.

[evenwolf]

   I just get so excited about foreshortening I can't contain myself. 

[LGM]

Yes, you've practically written the book on coming up short.