Fairy Tale Background (Updated)

[Krysis]

I'm working on another game (Lets hope I DO finish this one.) and I need some help with this background.
It started like a short MAGS game but seems I have this horrable urge to make everything absolutely perfect (LOL - seems thats one reason I never finished making a game). I like to get some advices and critic from the rest of ya. What should I add and what should I change... Help!Ã, 

EDIT:

First version:
http://img233.imageshack.us/img233/2860/biblos12mh.png
Second version:
http://img83.imageshack.us/img83/9664/clipboard010vt.png

Latest version:

[Anghellic]

add some clouds the sky looks too emty 

[CaptainBinky]

That's smashing!

I'd say it's good to go! If I was going to add anything it'd be some simple clouds to the sky, but nothing too overpowering since the simplicity is lovely.Ã,  Love the tree!

edit: Rats! Too late with the clouds

[nihilyst]

First of all, I reall like the style.

2. What is this brighter green stuff in the background? It looks like green mountains, and the transition to the darker green is too sharp.
3. The barrel should have some cross-beams (or what those are called).
4. The building does have a dark side, yet it doesn't cast a shadow (but that's not really a problem in my eyes.

cheers
nihilyst

[ildu]

seems I have this horrable urge to make everything absolutely perfect (LOL - seems thats one reason I never finished making a game).

Ditto...big time.

Looks  good so far. As nihilyst said, I would add the crossbeams to the barrel and give more distinct shadows to the building, the barrel and the tree. And maybe you should add a path to the door.

[Afflict]

seems I have this horrable urge to make everything absolutely perfect (LOL - seems thats one reason I never finished making a game).

Ditto...big time.

Double Ditto

What else can I say Its all been said resentless great BG!

[A�rendyll (formerly Yurina)]

I like this background! But I do have C&C:

- Try adding little pieces of grass, so id doesn't look like the building stands on a big weird balloon. Maybe some flowers will be nice too.
- Improve the mountains, they look weird.
- Add clouds, more colours in the sky and a sun.
- Try adding a little more texture to the tree.
- Some stones wouldn't hurt either, but those can be left out easily.

But I really love the building and the bush in the front!

~Yurina

[Anghellic]

- Improve the mountains, they look weird.

I'm not sure but I think they are ment bushes.

[big brother]

Before you adjust any details, you should rethink the composition. As it is, almost every element stands independently in your visual space. More than a background, it feels like a collection of objects.

The tree, barrel, building, and skull-on-a-stick are drawn on about the same plane, making the background very static. A magic shop is not at all a boring subject and you're selling it short.

[Nikolas]

with the fear of being hit by everybody, I disagree with BB...

I think that the bg, with the house a little to the right, and the entrance there, gives some kind of balance in the end.

But of course that's just me...

Better listen to BB Krysis...

[A�rendyll (formerly Yurina)]

I agree on Nikolas, it looks fine.

edit: of course I meant the composition

[Krysis]

Thank you for the feedback, here is another version:
http://img83.imageshack.us/img83/9664/clipboard010vt.png

Here is what I've changed according to your advices:
1. Added cloud(s) - I am pretty happy of the way I did them.
2. Changed the tree corona just a bit.
3. Removed light green bushes/hills or whatever those were and replaced them with a "black" bush.
4. Moved the scull just a little.
5. I've tryed making the grass look better but seems I have failed... suggestions are wellcome.
6. Being distracted by the soccer game on the TV behind me I did not notice how the black in the windows and barrels turned dark green... I'd fix it.
I've tryed a stone path leading out of the door but it looked asimetrycal in a way... As I'm writing this now I think a road that goes diagonal would give a more oval shape of the background.

Bigbrother you do have a point but I like the composition and I believe I can find a better way of making the objecs more in place.

[skw]

Change the position of the head-on-a-stick and place it at the foreground (right bottom corner) to fill the empty green area. Probably you will have to make it a little bigger. If you don't want to, add some random grass brushes here and there (just as bricks in the wall).

This background rocks, I really like it!

[Shane 'ProgZmax' Stevens]

I think it looks good, I'd just add a path to the door, even if just a bit of dirt or something to show that people have walked to it before and maybe a well if Biblos lives there.  Also, if his name is Biblos it would be Biblos' Magic Goods.  If his name is Biblo it would just be Biblo's.  I like how you arranged it almost like a movie set, nice work!

[Darth Mandarb]

Wow ... this is fantastic!

As BB said, the composition sells a magic shop a little short ... but I love this image!

I did a quick paint-over to illustrate a few things I would do to add a bit more to it:


- added a path
- changed the tone of the sky just a tiny bit
- gradiated the clouds as they approach the horizon
- gradiated the shadowed side of the building
- added a shadow of the entire buidling and the tree and skullpost thingee
- changed the shading of the barrell (you had it backwards compared to the shading on the house!)
- gradiated the foreground shrubs

Here is the PSD file (if you want to see how I did it and if you use Photoshop)  All of this was done very quickly, but it shows the general idea(s) I was trying to put across!

Fantastic work man!

Hope it helps!

[Steel Drummer]

wow! This looks awesome. Hope you make this game...

[Khris]

Damn good bg, love the style!

A few changes, mainly based on suggestions mentioned here:


-rearranged objects
-added crappy path
-corrected/added shadows/shading
-added crappy depth

[Vince Twelve]

Just wanted to point out, since no one had yet: It should be "Biblos' Magic Goods" not "Biblos's Magic Goods."  Unless of course it's on purpose, in which case, I'd suggest also making a letter backwards or something to better enforce it.

[bspeers]

On Topic:

A nice room, I like all the paintovers so far.

I disagree "somewhat" with the problem identified being that it doesn't befit a magic shop due to the composition.  The empty composition does detract from the "power" and mysticism of the magic shop idea, but that is what makes the scene quirky for me.  The area seems sort of plunked down in the middle of a clearing and seems completely ordinary and unimpressive (in terms of the composition--the artwork is nice and clean).  This sets a unique mood that differs from the average fantastical magic shop.

That said, the details added in most of the paintovers should be taken into consideration.  They add depth and augment the scene well.


OFF TOPIC:

Just wanted to point out, since no one had yet: It should be "Biblos' Magic Goods" not "Biblos's Magic Goods."  Unless of course it's on purpose, in which case, I'd suggest also making a letter backwards or something to better enforce it.

I believe that is a common misconception, although there is no hard and fast rule in that department.

A name with an 's' on the end is not plural, therefore should be treated as a word that ends in 's', thus having the apostrophe before the s, as so:

"Biblios's Magik Shoppe"  <-- Correct usage

Here's a quote from http://www.write101.com/sample.htm

When you're using names that end in -S, you follow the same rules as with any other name and add apostrophe S:

Chris's car, Bridget Jones's Diary.

However, in the case of Biblical and other mythological names, sometimes the apostrophe after rule is used for convenience.

[Vince Twelve]

I stand corrected.  Checking my grammar reference, either way is correct since there is no hard rule.  Thanks!  What a piss poor English teacher I am.