Hello. This is a backround I completed for a little project I am currently playing with.
(http://img220.imageshack.us/img220/3092/outside1kp.png)
A quick run down on the style - yes, its a little cartoony and a little minimalistic. 640x480 is my resolution of choice. I'm using 32 bit colour.
Now, the question. I do not like the shape of the tree. I'm not sure which part needs the most improving, the branches or the leaves, but I would appreciate any suggestions as to how to improve this tree.
Of course, any other parts of the backround which strike you as unworthy, please feel free to comment on those as well.
The tree is okay in my opinion. However you should've added more detail to the fence! Maybe add a simple texture using your outline-color or atleast add little triangle endings for the top area of the fence-boards (don't know the correct term or if there's any).
The rest seems good and in a nice, clean cartoon-style, however I don't see a reason why you chose 32-bit color depth, because you would get the same background with only 16-bit (since you use no uber-fine gradients and shouldn't ever do that) and it would run faster for everybody and your final file would be a lot smaller! I would've also chosen 320x240 instead of 640x480 if I were you, because your background is really not fine and detailed enough to justify that high resolution and might just look better in low-res, but is of course only personal taste. You could also add a little shading, but if it doesn't go with your style, then leave it. What you have there is good and better than most of the games already!
I like this background alot, it's almost perfect. I love the style yay. A bit of shadowing and shading would define things more clearly.
The tree looks great.
If you neeed to change it (which you don't) make the leave-part less oval and more round.
Perhaps a bit higher.
The bottom part of the leaves looks great, it's the top that might need some polishing.
I like the minimalistic look.
But if you do decied to make it more detailed I'd suggest some holes in the fence and a couple of windows.
The best thing about the picture is the chimney.
You should try to make another detail that looks as funny as that.
And perhaps draw a rock or a bush or something, cause the lawn looks a bit too empty.
With that simple style, I would suggest just making the leaf part of the tree bigger. Ã, You might want to add a few more "bumps" so that the shape is a little more texture-y.
Tiny nitpicks: the path to the house overlaps the sidewalk a little, which looks kind of strange, and is there a reason why the fence plank on the right is such a different colour than the rest?
It looks nice so far, keep it up ^_^
Agree.
And about the tree:
*The wood needs a darker colour.
*The leaves right now looks like 3 balls (hmm can't find the proper word) of ice cream
2 small round balls to left and right, and 1 large oval ball in the middle.
Would look better if you made that large one in to two smaller and rounder ones.
I agree with above that the shape of the leaves could do with a more rounded and bubbly shape.
Also, the stem and branches might look a little too symmetric. You could try chopping off one of the outer branches, or just twist it to another shape.
As another alternative, you could try to move the tree slightly to left or right. Given that the board thing goes almost in the middle of it- the symmetrical feel might change for the better if the tree'd be more "self-supporting".
Anyhow, no changes are really necessary. ;)
Clear easy-to-read style. Only thing I had to look twice at was the inside of the fence - at first glance it looks like some huge boxes stashed behind the fence or in the background, because they don't have any defined boards and there are no posts supporting them like on the outside. Good job, though, so far!
Wow - big response like not anticipated - cool!
Here is a newer version as suggested by you kind, kind forum members:
(http://img111.imageshack.us/img111/77/outside2vy.png)
DKH: Fence details ahoy! I hope this is sort of what you meant. I'm not much of a texture person (Can you tell?) but I did my best to make it look more like boards, without destroying the simplicity. Hope it worked, tell me if not.
Obi: You are very kind. I don't know about shading, because in the past I got way too caught up in having good shading and ended up with an empty room bar three shaded tables.
Hajjamujja: The lawn is intentionally a bit empty (yay for excuses to be lazy), because as I've included in this as a demonstration, a car will be parked outside. I thought I would exclude this the first time round so it didn't detract from the picture itself. And the leaves are taller now. Any better? Glad you liked the chimney. Sorta Dr. Seuss inspired, that one.
MashPotato: Can I just say I'm very flattered that you're even looking at this... I checked out your website the other day and wow... you put me to shame. *ahem*... bumpy bits added as requested (Hope they look ok), path fixed, plank colour fixed, leafy bit bigger. Anything else bad?
Maltjik: Bubbly as commanded. I haven't changed the branches yet as I want to see how this version goes down before changing anything else. Will definitely keep this in mind, though.
Fred: As suggested, I have made the back fence and side fences with support posts to show that they are in fact fences, and not a monstrously proportioned cardboard box hiding behind the fence. Although that does give me an idea for a cool inventory item... I sorta thought that making it (The fence) with no detail plank-wise would make it look more distant... if you see what I mean.
Ok, so if you have anymore changes that need doing, please tell me. This second backround is (in my humble opinion) WAY better than the first thanks to your suggestions, so keep em coming.
You guys rock!
EDIT: Just out of curiosity, how does this backround that I did tonight compare to the house one?
(http://img131.imageshack.us/img131/2271/fuel8ot.png)
It is supposed to be a fuel (gas, as the citizens of the USA call it) station... are the styles too dissimilar? (And yes, I just noticed that the grey fence and the fuel station are on different eye level plane thingies... I will fix this.)
And should I redraw that van with more cartoony windows like the ones in this new bg?
Gas station Looks awesome! Even better than the house. Fits the style perfectly.
Old fence Looks more funny and cartoonish than the new one. Reckon it fits best with the style. Keep it. But add the wooden poles from the new fence.
New fence: Those wooden poles look nice, but the amount of boards in the fence gives it a cluttered look.
If you gave the wood in this new one a more natural color, and didn't have so much contrast between the boards, then it might look better.
Trees: The new one is cooler but if you want to keep things really simplistic it might be a bit too detailed.
The old one had a fun "childish" minimalistic feel to it.
But the new one is probobly better anyway.
The van windows: redo them so that they look like the ones in the gas station
Thank you for the compliment, but please don't feel that way.Ã, We all help each other out here in CL; besides, I can't even compare to some others in the forum.Ã, I'm here to learn and improve, same as you ^_^.
Anyway, I did a very quick paintover, just to demonstrate a few of points:
(http://crabshack.bythegoddess.com/ags/outside.png)
1) shrunk down the branches, the spread seemed a bit large for the amount of leaves before
2) randomized the colour of the fence a bit more (though the planks on the left still look too pattern-y)
3) made the back fence colour consistent
These are only suggestions.Ã, I am undecided whether these changes are all for the better or not :-\
The gas station looks good, but if you want it more in the style of the house, perhaps experiment with making the windows and other shapes more crooked.
I hope this helps ^_^
Considering the two BGs, the gas station style is better.
It's question of perspective:
In the house BG, everything is flat. You'd better change the angle, I've made a MSPAINTover (it's a paintover using MSPAINT :)), look at the van (the perspective isn't perfect but it's to give an idea):
(http://frangin2003.free.fr/paintover2.PNG)
Ok, newer fixes:
(http://img108.imageshack.us/img108/589/outside8yn.png)
Hajjamujja: Let's see... van windows fixed, fence altered (tell me what you think), tree... well I dunno yet. Give it a while and see whether it grows on me or not.
MashPotato: Tree altered as suggested. Much, much better. Fence... I tried to sorta do a mixture between your version and my first one to give it less detail... see how it works I guess. I'll have a go at implementing some crookedness into the gas station.
dsg_charly: 3d is not really my thing... I like cartoony, not boxy, but I had a go. Any better? (And because the house is face on, I purposefully didn't show any side walls - because the vanishing point is towards the centre of the screen, it wouldn't make sense to show them)
Seems good to me, gives depth to the BG. Congrats, I like your style. Curious to see some characters now.
If you check out a thread it the critic's lounge called "Cartoon character - getting the right posture" or something like that, its got an example of one of my characters in there. With walkcycle included.