Choosing my Style

[Pashers]

I have been mulling it over for ages and still can't decide what style to use.

The problem is, my artistic talents are VERY limited, and so I am looking for something very simple to use. I think perhaps i should focus more on gameplay, to draw attention away from what my game will eventually look like.

Please remember that I will appreciate any suggestions.

[Evil]

Well, the best thing to do is just start drawing. If you can't draw, use free sprites from the InstaGame pack, or make a RON game and use their characters. There are loads of tutorials on how to make sprites and backgrounds and a big list of free art programs. Try copying the styles of other games that you like. Monkey Island is a popular style that a lot of beginner game makers try to emulate, so maybe try that.

Or you could make a game with no art at all! Some games only text to describe the story and the setting. There have even been some games that use photos that AGSers took of their houses and neighborhoods.

You could also make a post in the help wanted thread in the AGS Discussion board. There's not a lot of turnover for help, but it can't hurt to try.

Good luck. Hope to see some of your art back on this board. We're all happy to help you perfect it.

[evilenergizerbunny]

I think one of my biggest problems with making backgrounds and art was finding the right program. I'm using The Gimp right now and I find it a lot easier to use than a lot of other ones I've tried. keep in mind I'm still not exactly an artist, but it's a lot easier than trying to make something high quality in mspaint.

[Darth Mandarb]

I think you need more contrast ... the darks and lights blend too well into each other.

Not only that but the perspective, while close, is a little off.

Lastly, some shadows would really help punch this up.

All in all it's not a bad image.

[InCreator]

Gimp... is awful. How do I put this-- it has great features, it's free and everything, but user interface is in some weird way even worse than Photoshop - overused program, which I consider most uninspiring, creativity-killing inspiration drainer ever.

But I don't think that program choice is what your problem, really. But as always, I suggest my personal favourite: Artgem. For description, it's like MSPaint with everything you've ever imagined it should have, layers, processors, filters etc. Only without confusion, killer menus and headache like PS or Gimp has. (crack included, but not sold/made anymore, therefore legal)

See, style isn't a pick. If you're an experienced artist, you could try to make work or two in some other "style", but we very rarely actually see something like that. Style is your handwriting, the way you do things. And the way that improves with every drawing. Every experienced artist here has it's own way of doing things, If I see a sprite made by well-known AGSer, I could usually guess who made this.

Style comes as your drawing skills evolve. You don't really pick it.
If you go ahead and start drawing your first "serious" sprite, you usually seek for some reference, such as photo or other sprite from somewhere.  And how your version turns out WILL be pretty much your style, it just gets better over time. Even if you make something overly basic and faceless, and post up for crits, then people adjust it according to their style and the edit you pick to keep/redo will still be your style later. You won't make faceless art anymore, you try to make next ones as this one. Logical?

This isn't 100% so by some unwritten law, but more like how things usually go.

Much of your sprite art is also decided by your background art. You can't really imagine Indiana Jones sprite in the DOTT mansion, right?

My suggestion: decide what you need and make it. If you need a dark, serious sprite, find reference and draw it. After first one, next ones keep getting better and easier to do, and need less reference or help. In three words - just start drawing. Everything else will just turn out by itself.

[Moox]

I think you need more contrast ... the darks and lights blend too well into each other.

Not only that but the perspective, while close, is a little off.

Lastly, some shadows would really help punch this up.

All in all it's not a bad image.

I don't see an image in this thread...

[Khris]

Moox: Exactly.

[loominous]

If you're interested in drawing/painting, then I suggest you start drawing on paper. If you keep finding it satisfying, I'd then go for a tablet.

If you're not really interested in drawing/painting, or feel that your motivation is simply too low, I'd consider styles like very simple cut-out, like south park:



I think styles like these are vastly underused, and considering their ease of production and effective communication ability, I'm surprised that they're not more popular among people with undeveloped graphical skills.

Would be really cool to see an advanced implementation of cut-outs, where the shadows beneath the cut-out bits is simulated, like in south park (they also do this in shows like the Simpsons, to reproduce the shadow that are formed due to the depth of the cels).



(This wouldn't be hard, just a matter of adding a semi transparent shadow in an graphical application, and saving it in 32bit.

Stuff like this adds a whole lot of analogue warmth.