bckground\character\vegetation for critic

[Mage]

i've been playing around with a new style for my game, it's not completely finished... i just need to find a good way of blending the path with the grass.. i've been trying a few things but it always looks crappy. i would appriciate if anyone could help me out with this  

and a larger version :


*UPDATE*
For newest updates see last post (obviouls )

[sedriss]

The path looks fine to me.
But the outline of the house really shouldnt be there.  

[James Kay]

Agree with sedriss. That house outline (the light brown) jars. If it was just slightly darker than the rest of the wood used for the house it'd be fine.

Path. It's okay. You can add depth by having some grass from the patch in the front of the screen overlay the path behind it (It's just a straight edge now, but try drawing some green lines as sticky out grass - but subtly! Like you did with the rock in the foreground and the base of the house). You can also have a small; walkbehind area in that grass bit, so when the character walks south his feet dissapear (unless he is meant to be able to walk onto that grass).

Also, tree is foreground: Nice!
Tree in background: Huh?
Just make a tree in the same style but make it slightly lighter.


Sounds like a lot of critique, but I really like the image! You obviously have the skill to make it even better, so good luck!

[m0ds]

It's nice. The character deffinatley fits with the background, IMO. It has a deffinite quirkyness to it, to me - it almost reminds me of Jill Of The Jungle.

LOL, but no, honestly. I think it's coming along nicely, and if all the backgrounds to the game will be in the same style, it'll compliment the game very well. The path is fine, it's that gradient fade it's doing, which, I know in reality needs to be there, that makes it look a little odd to me.

[n3tgraph]

wow this is the kind of style I love in games

great work!

but I'd work on some sky and outlines on the house

[Ben]

I think the outlines are just temporary.. He said he's not finished yet.

I really like this style. I think the transition between the path and the grass works, you just need to add more of the grass creeping onto the gravel, like you did on the top. You might also want to make the character bigger. Right now he seems a little out of porportion..

Other than that, it's good. I like the texture on the leaves..

[Darth Mandarb]

I love this style!

I would imagine the outline on the house will be completely removed (as nothing else is outlined and it really stands out!) and, as said, it's not finished!

It's off to a great start!

Suggestions:
* I would suggest adding some shadows/shading (as I always say!)
* Shrink the front door!  It's huge compared to the character!
* Maybe add some clouds to the sky.
* Add some shading/details to the mountains

Keep us posted!

~ d

[Kweepa]

Here's what I'd do to the path:



I just cloned some grass up in stalks at the bottom, darkened the edge under the top, then cloned some stalks back into the shadow.

Nice style btw.

Steve

[Darth Mandarb]

I like what Steve did ... I was working on something when he posted that!  But here's mine:



I like his path shading a little better!  I just wanted to illustrate the shading I mentioned above.

I added some quick detail to the mountain in the background too (really quick ... but you get the point!)

~ d

[m0ds]

That's exactly what the path needs.

Do it now!

[Akumayo]

Dude, that style totally rocks!!! Very nice background, add some extra grass on the path, mabye even some clumps on it.  I would deffinently get rid of the house outline though, and that shed on the left needs some boards like the ones on the house.  Other than that, the whole thing looks great!!!

[Tarison]

Awesome! Now, how did you do it?

[m0ds]

I'm guessing the outline is because he said the background was un-finished?

[Mage]

yeah it's pretty much incomplete (the image)
thx 4 c&c i've used the advice with the shadow and i think i've got a pretty nice outcome :

[BerserkerTails]

wow, I love this style!! Reminds me alot of Shadow of the Comet!

http://www.mobygames.com/game/shots/p,2/gameId,132/gameShotId,429/

(Picture from Moby Games of Shadow of the Comet)

[amaranth]

the trees in the front are awesome! how did you get that nice grainy look?

[Kweepa]

Eww, that Shadow of the Comet shot is hideous!
A really obvious photograph for the sky, and bright blue windows??
Oh wait, this isn't C&C for Shadow of the Comet.

Mage, some more suggestions:
- the texture on the door could be more like the plank texture from the house. I'd take it back to one shade, then draw some very subtle lighter streaks vertically.
- then some shadows - create a multiply layer, set it to 25%, and draw with a black brush, then take the eraser and draw some blades of grass back into it.

[James Kay]

The left hand side of the path is spot on!

[Mage]

thanks for your critics...
i'll redo the door sometime in the future.
i'm planning on keeping the shading for the end.
as for the trees (foliage) :
i draw the basic shape with a custom foliage brush i made and a very dark green colour (almost black). next i build it up with lighter shades ending with a bright yellowish green. then i duplicate the layer ( don't know if it's neccecairy, i'm just making a new layer for everything ) and add noise (about 45, monochrome, uniform or gaussian)

EDIT:
work in progress :

[Nacho]

Woha! This bg has a totally professional looking... sum to that the nice background of the bar you did before, and you'll get a very promising game indeed...

I wish I could do backgrounds with that feeling...  :'(