After making goodness knows how many characters for games that never got completed, I think my understanding of the human body shape is improving. On the other hand, I don't think my grasp of shading at the pixel level is keeping up with it. Granted, I can now see what a difference it makes to a character to has any degree of shading at all, but I have difficulty visualising how things like the shape of clothing dictate where to splodge all that darker colour.
Any input appreciated!
(http://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o33/Nedraed/latha-1.png)
(http://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o33/Nedraed/latha-1.png)
Hmm, from the same perspective of not understanding that much of practical application of light theory, but probably less experience than you (I try to avoid it as much as I can and besides that, most of my characters don't make it to the shading phase), I think the legs are okay, again they might have something wrong, but I don't notice it.
The thing I kind of notice is that there's shading in the middle of the torso and I don't really get, even with clothes folding, what would be making that shadow and yet lighter tones closer to the hips. I think the source of light is not visible, that might help.
I'm always having trouble with painting properly shaded clothing myself, so my only advice right now would be not to continue drawing on a background colored like this, to avoid bad color perception and exploding eyeballs ;)
True, I usually draw on "transparent" background anyway. I've changed the backdrop colour to make it a bit easier on people's eyes!
Ideally, you'd choose a color that has about 50% saturation and brightness. Drawing on pure white is equally unsuitable. A medium grey is best.
About the shape: I'd loose a few pixels at her left side of the torso.
Her skin is really dark, too; separate the hair and face more.
(http://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o33/Nedraed/latha2.png)
(http://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o33/Nedraed/latha2.png)
(Skin shade brightened)
Is that her left, or our left you were thinking she could do with a few pixels snipped from?
Much better.
I tweaked a few pixels, mostly for fun. Maybe it helps.
(http://img842.imageshack.us/img842/9458/latha2edit2.png)
I still think her right arm looks a bit uneasy, like she's going to punch someone.. or something. I don't know if that's on purpose and maybe it's just me..
Ah, thank you! Every tweak helps!
Also, trying the front and back view now as well.
(http://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o33/Nedraed/latha3.png)
(http://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o33/Nedraed/latha3.png)
The feeling she's going to have is "fear of imminent danger", so I think maybe having the arm like that could work well. I'm trying to get her to look less like a bodybuilder on the front view, though!
Overall, I think it's quite nice as it is.
I'd suggest you to be more careful with your choice of colours, though.
Use a wider range of hues, more tonal contrast and a smaller pallette. 12 colours is enough most of the time. Pixel art should be crisp and precise.
Quick colours edit:
(http://dl.dropbox.com/u/2159609/shading_edit.png)
(http://dl.dropbox.com/u/2159609/shading_edit.png)
Illyich, what an edit. Really. It gives an anime kind of vibe to the sprite, and you only played with colours. :D
Look, even less colours ;D
(http://shatten.sonores.de/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/tecrathelp.gif) (http://shatten.sonores.de/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/tecrathelp.gif)
Although I've to admit, the shading on the 2nd 3rd sprite is a bit sluggish. Generally I'd suggest that you start only with 3 tonal values of each area:
Here we have the suit, the skin and the hair. Now create a palette with shadow, midtone and highlight - or better start with the midtone and then make it darker and create shadow. After that add the highlights.
What also helps: select a global light direction at the beginning of your game for all your sprites. Or better - cheat and light everything from the top ;)
A nice tutorial about sprite shading is here:
http://steve.neonstar.net/fighter1.htm
http://steve.neonstar.net/fighter2.htm
http://steve.neonstar.net/fighter3.htm
http://steve.neonstar.net/fighter4.htm
http://steve.neonstar.net/fighter5.htm
http://steve.neonstar.net/fighter6.htm
(on site navigation seems to be broken)
Finally someone reduced her butt. She was looking way to big in the backview compared to the frontview. The sprite looks more balanced now, good job abstauber!
But I like big butts! And I can not lie.
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Nothing against big butts, but the backview did not fit the front and 3/4 view.
The posterior volume was bothering me as well, but every time I tried to get rid of it, the shape of her body seemed wrong!
Wow, lots of help here! I think I'll be cobbling it into a kind of compromise mix.
Also, thanks for the tutorial links Abstauber, that's the kind of thing I've been looking for!
Way too short legs.
For a while there she had the proportions of a midget. It's better now but they're still really short.
My thoughts:
(http://img443.imageshack.us/img443/5142/technogirl.png)(http://img443.imageshack.us/img443/5142/technogirl.png)
I know I'm not an artist but I enjoy doing these little paintovers.
I think that's a bit too much of a torso stretch, Calin.
QuoteWay too short legs.
For a while there she had the proportions of a midget. It's better now but they're still really short.
I assumed she had slightly bended knees, since James wrote ""fear of imminent danger". But agreed, with extruded knees my legs were too short. :)