Shiny colouring - Main Character Revisited.

Cluey · Fri 22/02/2008 14:56:17

Quote from: vict0r on Fri 22/02/2008 14:02:04
Excellent style!
The only thing I would add is a slight upanddown motion on the characters head.

What he said, it's amazing how much character just bobbing the head one pixel either way can add.

I also love your backgrounds, the clouds look amazing with them and I hope you can incorporate them well. Basically it's because the perspective suggests there'd be some sort of horizon visible, but when you add the clouds it suggests something really high up.

tube · Fri 22/02/2008 14:58:14

Beautiful pixeling. The animation's fine except for the lack of vertical movement. The chest looks a bit wonky though, like the breast was sinking straight back into her chest instead of just turning slightly towards the viewer. That much movement makes me excpect that I'd see part of her other breast come to view when the shoulder is furthest back and the other side goes forward.

Snarky · Fri 22/02/2008 18:05:59

Quote from: Cluey on Fri 22/02/2008 14:56:17
Quote from: vict0r on Fri 22/02/2008 14:02:04
Excellent style!
The only thing I would add is a slight upanddown motion on the characters head.

What he said, it's amazing how much character just bobbing the head one pixel either way can add.

Actually, the entire body should bob up and down, from the hip up. It all has to do with the bend and angle of the legs.

Nikolas · Fri 22/02/2008 20:08:52

The only thing I would add is an extra day in the week, or a few extra hours in the day, so that Ben can finish this game FASTER!

woah!

some great stuff and the coherency between BGs and characters is brilliant! Brilliant!

On the walkcycle, I can't comment I'll just mention that I like that she moves her body slightly left and right so the lightning slightly changes, which looks great!

ThreeOhFour · Fri 22/02/2008 23:22:41

vict0r - Yes, up downs is the next thing to add. Thankyou for kind words

.

Cluey - Again thankyou for kind words. We shall see how I go with clouds, hey?

tube - The wonky chest is something I will look at in a little while (once I've got some other stuff out of the way

)

Snarky - I agree. I'll work on this.

Nikolas - Yes, yes, more hours

. I am pleased to have so many nice comments... I was going to make this a one week game only but I started on Sunday, and today is Saturday - meaning a week is gone, and there are a number of things I have added and I wish to add, so... it could take a little longer. Thankyou for your nice comments - makes me smile and keeps me going!

I had a play around last night to see about some background animation as Darth suggested - I think I could do with another frame because of a jerky spot, but hopefully overall it looks nice...

TheJBurger · Fri 22/02/2008 23:26:43

I think it looks fantabulous. Definitely add another frame unless there is some kind of momentum/gravity reason that I don't know about causing it to slow down.

The Suitor · Fri 22/02/2008 23:48:37

The whole floating Island thing with the windmill reminds me of the Feel Good Inc. Gorillaz video. I like it.

ThreeOhFour · Sat 23/02/2008 00:10:18

Quote from: TheJBurger on Fri 22/02/2008 23:26:43
I think it looks fantabulous. Definitely add another frame unless there is some kind of momentum/gravity reason that I don't know about causing it to slow down.

Holy poor animation excusing plot device Batman!

I had not considered the Gorrilaz video clip, but I did like that island floating along quite a bit... if that's what it reminds you of, I'm pretty happy with that

.

nihilyst · Sat 23/02/2008 00:38:51

Depending on where the sun stands, the shadows are strangely placed. Other than that, I really like the overall simple style and the colours.

ThreeOhFour · Sat 23/02/2008 05:02:04

nihilyst - Yes, the shadows and highlights show a complete disregard of the position of the sun. I'm choosing to ignore it because I'd like to move on from backgrounds or else the game will never get finished

. Thankyou for your nice comment.

I have added some up & down to the walkcycle, as well as produced, for your criticising pleasure, a new one.

2x

Thoughts?

Darth Mandarb · Sat 23/02/2008 05:07:04

LOVE that windmill ... seriously that's EXACTLY what I was talking about! It just gives the image soooooo much life!! And I love the style you have on the trees ... so simple and yet elegant, great job!

I love the new walk-cycles too! Very smooth and fluid animation!

The only concern I have with the walk-cycle is, judging from the front view ... she's wearing a cape.

In the side view I thought it was just a flap type thing in the back. What I would suggest is that each frame where you can see the "white" space between the legs/arms and the cape you fill it up with the dark color of the inside of the cape!

Aside from that I cannot WAIT to play this game!

Evil · Sat 23/02/2008 07:19:51

Background animation is great, but I'm not a fan of the dark lines on the island. Doesn't look very clean. Walking animations look good too. Reminds me of a pastel Gobliiins.

ThreeOhFour · Sat 23/02/2008 07:31:48

You mean the dark purple ones on the windmill island?

Evil · Sat 23/02/2008 07:57:08

No, the lines on the island in the forground. Tree looks awesome though.

Shane 'ProgZmax' Stevens · Sat 23/02/2008 10:32:51

Please don't take this the wrong way, Ben, but when I saw the front view of your character I was sure it was male! I mean the pose, the build, the face all look more masculine than feminine to me, and it wasn't until I saw the side view that I realized my mistake.

1. The body is rather long and disproportionate for a woman (torso should taper down and then come to wider hips).

2. Breast level is really high, though it looks better in the side view.

3. Face doesn't evoke any femininity to me at all.

Now I realize she's an alien so the game might be about her looking not like a human female, but just in case it's not I made an edit that emphasizes a more feminine shape and look. You can use them as a guide or ignore them as you like, but it's something you might consider.

Again, this isn't picking on you, but I know if someone thought a character I drew was male when I meant it to be female I would want to know.

Very nice walking animations, by the way!

ThreeOhFour · Sat 23/02/2008 11:39:31

Ah ProgZ, not taken the wrong way, I assure you.

She's not meant to look manly or boyish, but neither did I mean for her to be some ultra curvy babe - I really just wanted to sprite up a young woman.

If you mistook her for a male, though, it probably means I'll have to do an edit. Thanks for your edits - I see exactly what you mean about the hips and breast level - I'll definitely get onto this.

After I sort out this next walking animation!

Cheers again,

Ben

EDIT: gah, while I'm here.

I hate not being able to do diagonal walkcycles. So I have decided it is time to learn.

Apparently, however, I suck.

This is how far I've gotten, and I hate it. For some reason, I *can't* seem to be able to draw a foot moving diagonally without having it go all perspectived out on me. It's really, really annoying me - I look at the front cycle, and it's not over done, nor is the side one, but this cycle looks like I've got the camera on a nearly isometric view and it is bugging the pants outta me. If anyone has a tutorial link, reference images, anything, I'd be grateful x100. I'd really love to get the 'camera' on her centrally, not this top down rubbish.

Cheers

radiowaves · Sat 23/02/2008 12:55:41

While the sprites are cool and quite well-drawn, I must say you should put just a bit more effort to the backgrounds. And by that, i don't mean detail or anything, just shadows should be overlooked.

In almost each picture you have put sun in the sky, so I take it as a main light source, then why not follow it? On some of the pictures things don't have shadows on the opposite sides of the light or are just lighted from the wrong side. Oh, and lose that pillow shade on the tree in first pic, light is clearly coming from right...

Other than that, it looks really neat and you have cool style. I will definately be waiting for this game. Keep up the good work!

Snarky · Sat 23/02/2008 20:36:06

While I greatly respect ProgZmax's spriting skills, I think some times that the edits he suggests in the Critics Lounge now and then lose whatever is unique or distinctive with the original work and artistic style. This, to me, would be an example of that, and while some tweaks to the anatomy in your front view might be recommended (bringing the breasts down, mainly), I would very much regret if you redesigned the character along the lines of his concept.

A skinny character is going to look androgynous, and I think what you have looks very much like some kind of vagabond adventurer. You instantly see that, even if it might take another second to realize that she's female. If that's what you were going for, before you change it you have to ask yourself: what's more important to the story and to the identity of this character: her sex, or what she does? If the latter, be very careful in what you change. ProgZ's version communicates something very different, maybe an officer in some amazon war band or something.

I think there is one problem with your walk cycles: stretchy legs. In the side and diagonal cycles, the legs appear to get longer when in front of the character. Instead of bouncing the body by stretching the torso, as you do currently, the hips (including the belt line) should go up and down with the steps. If the hips are fixed in place, the heels can never reach further than a circle where the radius is the distance from the crotch to the ground (when standing straight). So in order to reach the ground (with the feet flat) when the foot is in front, the whole body has to bob down.

Shane 'ProgZmax' Stevens · Sat 23/02/2008 23:18:15

I'm not disagreeing with Snarky (thanks for the compliment!) in that I tend to draw in 'my style' (whatever that is) when I help people, but the point of my edit wasn't to have him use the edit directly but to use it as an example for approaching a more feminine form and look.

Since he explained he definitely wanted her to look feminine I don't think the androgynous argument holds, but ultimately it's up to Ben what direction he chooses to take his art, and I support him either way!

ThreeOhFour · Mon 25/02/2008 00:45:35

Finally got around to having a go at this.

Keeping in mind your comments, and following shading closer to that in the edit of the trooper guy, I've tried to do an edit.

I feel her forehead shape was creating some of the masculinity problems. I also feel that in my original version, the side view makes her look like Shrek (ugly in a cute way). I now feel she may look like she has chin stubble or a beard. I've tried to keep her body fairly close to the original, with only a few changes to the breasts.

Please help me out with your thoughts - I am concious that this may not be an improvement, but rather a step in the wrong direction.

(Ps - yes, I know the side view has no arms. I find it easier for animation purposes.)

Cheers