Lake bridge background

[Vel]

Hey all! This is the first background in a while I post here, so feel free to criticize it.

[TheYak]

I like the sketchy look to it.  I think it helps to make it a scene from the imagination and not just a well-made background.  

You'll probably get critiqued to hell for the gradients but in this case, I think they help to add depth and aren't intrusive (with the exception of those on the right.  the red-green tree and its hillock aren't very subtle with the gradient and its direction.  As a whole, I think it works. The sky, also is quite nice.

I have only two problems..  the black lines, I think make the drawing look even more rough.  If they could be done away with or replaced with colors similar to the objects, I think it'd be an improvement.  Also, if you put a few lines more in the center of the trees, it'd make 'em less 2D and make it less likely that one would confuse them with tribbles.

[big brother]

Ooh, I'm going to have to kind of...disagree with you on that one.

I think the black lines add a great deal of charm to the background (or maybe I'm just a sucker for Dr. Seuss).
Very nicely stylized trees.

I like what you've done with the reflection in the pond and the way the detail diminishes in the distance.

I do have a few suggestions. Something needs to be done about the edge of the pond. The color abruptly changes from blue to green. Maybe you could try outlining the pond with black....

Also, I don't particularly like the short black lines for the blades of grass in the lower portion of the drawing. I think if you drew them as squiggles (like the grass outlines in the upper left corner of the background)
they would look much less random.

I'm not too sure about the bridge either. It looks rather oddly constructed, like the wood is unattached and floating. The individual boards themselves look flat since they're drawn as rectangles rather than as three-dimensional objects.
The bridge could definitely use some rennovating.

But the overall stlye of the background definitely fits with that "princely" sprite I helped you with.

Just out of curiosity, did you use some sort of tablet to draw that background?

Anyways, keep up the great work!

[evilspacefart]

I think it is a nice pic.
I don't see anything wrong with black outlines. judging from black dots in sky, it may have been a scanner used, not a tablet.

sure there are gradients used, but the only thing to me that needs work is the bridge - in that there is a large gap of open air between the road and the first plank of the bridge, and that there are no railings on the sides.

nice reflections btw.

[kaaZ]

Good work mate....
In addition to what the others said I would recommend adding some dropshadows, this would add greatly to the depth of the picture. The trees could drop some beautifull shadows on the grass. Apart from that I reckon lack of depth is also caused by the fact that some objects do have light/shadow effects and others don't (for instance that bridge). I was wondering where that red light on the upper right tree came from, seems a bit odd.  
Anyhow great composition but spend some on coloring and light/shadow effects.

Cheers!

=kaaZ=

[Vel]

Yes, I used a scanner to do this image, but, the character you helped me with is for another game. On second thought this bg isnt for any game, just to test a tutorial for the next issue of the AGS ezine. And juding by the lack of artistic talent I have, it works quite nicely.

[jason]

I think it came out pretty well. I love the green-red gradient on the frontmost tree, and the coloring on the other trees came out very nicely as well.

Criticism: the reflection on the water seems very odd to me. I think you should be able to see a reflection of everything along the river. Here's an example:
http://www.a1focus.com/collection/c8.JPG

[danny*]

love the style ,vel!
(the only thing that i whould change is the camera angle so the bridge whould appear on a side 3/4 view)