Latest Background...

[DoorKnobHandle]

I want to present to you my latest outcome of unexplainable inspiration.


Version 1 - 320x200 (2x zoomed)...

Some facts for the curios:

> I only used my mouse, MS Paint (and Photoshop for textures, gradients and the noise-filter).
> Took me five or six hours.
> Got heavy inspiration from a background by Neil Dnuma and one by Dr. Scary.

Allright, I think I am stuck. Somehow, the colors (lightness or saturation) got messed up while saving as PNG. I would be very happy if somebody could give more tips on how to improve the background.

Feel free to do paint-overs as well.

Thanks for your time.

[Corey]

I'm not the best artist but I think it's very good. Why change anything at all?? It's already good this way. Only one small thing: the borders on the roof are showed from both sides, that cant be right. Oh and btw that room behind the characters looks pretty narrow. I dunno if you ment it that way.

[Peder 🚀]

 :o nice.
I likes it!!

Dont know what you could made better.
really nice!

[DoorKnobHandle]

Thanks Corey and Peder. Corey: I am not sure, but I think you misinterpretated the "space behind the left character" - it's actually a door! 

Here is the background without sprites:

[Kweepa]

Somehow, the colors (lightness or saturation) got messed up while saving as PNG.

It's possible you have "colour management" switched on in Photoshop. Check around the menus. In Elements there are "print" and "web" settings for the colour management.

Nice background!
I would:
- make the plaster in the top left corner thinner.
- break the roof moulding earlier than the plaster - right now it looks like the moulding is painted on.
- add some detail to the ramp - at the moment it looks like that whole raised section, including the sides, is carpeted.
- flatten the silhouette of the roof indentation.
- thin out or remove the grey lines on that indentation.
- remove the noise from the windows - it looks like the windows are covered in paper.
- add some detail to the door.
- centre the room on the screen - move the whole thing over 6 or so pixels.

[InCreator]

* Made some color adjustments:
a) The floor is empty and boring. Why drag players attention to that with so strong and irritating color?
b) The ship felt a bit too bright, and somewhat removing effect from other nice things on the shelves
c) Door blended into floor. Fixed, though could do better job at that

* Drew few shadows on door.
Use more strong shadows, they'll improve everything alot!

* Removed that -errrg!- black-thing from upper left. Even starting edit on this bg without removing it was quite impossible!
Why?
Because sharp, sticking-out things in foreground heavily irritate my nerve system - this thing just waited to stick into my eye. Or so it felt. It's impossible to observe the window-shelf area without >this thing< dragging my eye muscles...

Really dude, remove the bottom-center wires too. And add something less eye/nerve-aggressive. Atleast on foreground.

* What's those gray lines yelling for attention on the ceiling? I'd remove them if I'd knew what are they meant for. You should do it.

Overall, I like the bg. It's feels little and comfortable.
Just be more careful with strong and irritating colors, like red and yellow - and don't overdo noise filter.

[DoorKnobHandle]

Wow, thanks for the replies, InCreater and Steve.

Steve: Thanks for the photoshop-tip. I'll check it out asap. I'll also take all your points you mentioned into consideration for the next version.

InCreator: Ah, yes, I agree whole-heartedly. All your changes make it looks better a lot. About those panels at the ceiling: I am not sure myself. I just drew those. I'll make sure to pay attention to everything you pointed out in your reply while drawing the next version.

EDIT:


Version 2 - 320x200 (2x zoomed)...

I took InCreator's color suggestions and removed the ceiling panels and the sticking out objects from the foreground (actually I had to change the space, because MS Paint doesn't support layers making it impossible to erase stuff from the foreground in a simple manner).

I am not sure about the way the bottom of the door looks and how it reflects on the floor. I'll see if I can somehow change this.

Some comments:

- add some detail to the ramp
- add some detail to the door.

How? I would love to do that, but I don't know what to add exactly.

- remove the noise from the windows - it looks like the windows are covered in paper.

Actually the right door is supposed to be made out of some paper-like material. Pretty much like those japanese-styled furniture!

- centre the room on the screen - move the whole thing over 6 or so pixels.

Did that, thanks for spotting and pointing out.

Thanks to everybody and keep the comments comming please!

[DonB]

I thought u said you coudnt draw DKH, lol, this is master man! for what game is it?

[DoorKnobHandle]

Thanks, Don. Well, I really do not consider myself an artist at all. I just spend some time on "pixel pushing" those last months and it's just impossible how much it helps to develop a certain technique and style for backgrounds/sprites.

This isn't meant for any game yet. I am just trying to practise. Whenever I have some time and inspiration as well as an idea I might turn the sprites and backgrounds I have practised with into a game, but god knows when that will be.

[scourge]

Looks great the way you had it dkh! Really good. Also I love the ship haha.

[big brother]

I would do darken the edges on the right side of the room. The values are pretty similar, so they lose definition. Also, the arch on the window is not in perspective.

[DoorKnobHandle]

Thanks, buloght!

Big Brother: Thanks for your comments. I agree about the edges on the right side. I didn't see it before somehow, but now that you mention it, they are really way too bright. I'll darken them for the next version. You are also right on the arch. It's not really absolutely correct in perspective. I just took some points and then estimated the rounding... I am not sure on how to correctly draw an arch in perspective other than taking the corner-points and estimating the rest. Does this error stand out, though?

I wonder that nobody mentioned those awful boxes underneath the left table yet. I think they look terrible and the noise-filter made it even worse... I only drew that table to hide them actually.

[Kweepa]

- add some detail to the ramp
- add some detail to the door.

How? I would love to do that, but I don't know what to add exactly.

I suggest a recessed panel top and bottom on the door.
For the ramp, perhaps some wood trim on the edges and wood planks on the vertical faces.

[Dr. Scary]

I messed around with it a bit. Some edits are for the better, some for the worse (like the color on the pillars )

Suggestions:
- Make the tables more interesting. Give them a somewhat more interesting design. They sell tables like that on IKEA, I know, but they look boring.
- Add someting outside the window. Will give the bg more depth.
- Think of a way to fix the part where the pillars joing with the roof. Maybe make the skirting go all the way around?
- Fix the handle on the filing cabinet. Correct perspective is not always what looks best. I found that out with my filing cabinet handles.

Good work, and nice layout of the room!

[SinSin]

That is coooool
Excellent man you should be proud

[Corey]

I think the white for is better coz that way you'll have a better contras with the reporsoir. 

[DoorKnobHandle]

Thanks to Sinsin and Dr. Scary!

Here is the latest version. Not much changed, I made the ramp more interesting by adding the lines that Dr. Scary suggested on his paintover. Additionally I made some more color-modifications to the walls on the right side and the ramp.


Version 3 - 320x200 (2x zoomed)...

Some more clear-ups:

- Make the tables more interesting.

I thickened the additional, supporting lines on the right table. I can't think of anything more that I could do the tables. But I could put an objct underneath the right one, that the player can pick up.

- Add someting outside the window. Will give the bg more depth.

Allright, either you think the window frame in the middle is the window or the door to the right. 

- Fix the handle on the filing cabinet. Correct perspective is not always what looks best. I found that out with my filing cabinet handles.

Ah, I'll have to play around with those when I have more time.

Thanks again for all the feedback, guys. Make sure to keep on mentioning anything that bugs you about the image or whatever should be fixed.

[Dr. Scary]

- Add someting outside the window. Will give the bg more depth.

Allright, either you think the window frame in the middle is the window or the door to the right. 

Ahh, OK. I just assumed it was a window/balcony door since the roof was coming down above it. My bad!

[maryland]

line on ramp too thick.