Need c&c on room shading *Update 17/7*

[Bulbapuck]

I'm very poor at shading and in this room from my current project it really shows :


(x2)
I need help on this, I've been trying to get it right for weeks :..

Any help would be much appreciated!

PS. accidently left a couple of pallettes they are not part of the picture obviously

[Babar]

I'm assuming (from the camera angle) that the chair and desk is very close to the viewer, i.e. nearer us. If that is so, then the light reflected off shouldn't be dead centre on the desk, but near the furtherer edge.

Also, your window has no depth. Currently it makes the wall look paper thin. You should add the side of the wall viewable from the left.

[frenchllama]

I know absolutely nothing about pixel art, but I would say that the cityscape view from the window would look nicer if it had depth. Maybe fore, mid, and background layers of buildings (becoming progressively paler into the distance), or even just two layers of near and far, with the far ones being more silhouetted (by which I mean no details) and lighter.

[InCreator]

EGA-flavor super-contrasted color choice and those gigantic black outlines look worse than your shading really.
Most horrid thing is shadow-y thing around carpet and left bookshelf, which confuses me like an optical illusion... I have no clue what's going on there.

Those are your basic mistakes and do-nots.

But apart from that, this BG has some kind of oldschool appeal to it, and I like it!

[Bulbapuck]

Thanks guys

your window has no depth. Currently it makes the wall look paper thin. You should add the side of the wall viewable from the left.

Can't believe I missed that

EGA-flavor super-contrasted color choice and those gigantic black outlines look worse than your shading really.
Most horrid thing is shadow-y thing around carpet and left bookshelf, which confuses me like an optical illusion... I have no clue what's going on there.

Yeah I see your point, thank you

I'll get to work and post an update soon

[Bulbapuck]

Update:


Thank you so much for your help guys 8), but is the shading good now?

EGA-flavor super-contrasted color choice and those gigantic black outlines look worse than your shading really.

Has this improved with the change of colour for the table?

I think I might still need help here ..

[fmt]

Hi! It's looking good!

Here are some crits:

-The hard dark edges kill the mood. Try using a shade of the object color for the edge or even better, get rid of them and try to create the shape using shades.
-The window looks like a poster, too flat. Remember those buildings are quite far away! You might want to wash the colors out a bit.
- There is no visible light going through the window. I'm not saying to draw the shaft of light, but to, for example, make a brighter the place where the light is hitting.
- The room seems to be out of scale. The table looks too big, and the ceiling too low.
- The bookshelves look 3d. Did you use sketchup or something?

The rest looks good!
Keep it up!

[Bulbapuck]

Hi! It's looking good!

Here are some crits:

-The hard dark edges kill the mood. Try using a shade of the object color for the edge or even better, get rid of them and try to create the shape using shades.
-The window looks like a poster, too flat. Remember those buildings are quite far away! You might want to wash the colors out a bit.
- There is no visible light going through the window. I'm not saying to draw the shaft of light, but to, for example, make a brighter the place where the light is hitting.
- The room seems to be out of scale. The table looks too big, and the ceiling too low.
- The bookshelves look 3d. Did you use sketchup or something?

The rest looks good!
Keep it up!

Thanks for your comment

Something like this maybe?


PS. I use MSpaint : with colors from graphicsgale. Don't know what sketchup is, sounds sdelicious though

[fmt]

yeah! something like that!

I draw this background just now to show you what I mean. 15 minutes and in paint so it's pretty bad, but it'll work.





Maybe drawing the light shaft is a good idea...depends on the scene

[Bulbapuck]

Thanks fmtoffolo

Another update:


I've changed the bookshelf on the right and added light from the window.

Is that bookshelf better now? I'm not sure myself..

[Atelier]

Is the window supposed to be open? The light from the chandelier seems to stop abruptly when it reaches it, without any reflection from the glass.

Perhaps it goes against the style of the scene but that's the only thing that stood out.

[SpacePaw]

And still...Those book colors give me heart attack whenever I look at them, try to use less saturated colors on them and put some books of same colors toghether (like series or collections). Right now it's high-contrast mish-mash

[Bulbapuck]

Update:

And still...Those book colors give me heart attack whenever I look at them, try to use less saturated colors on them and put some books of same colors toghether (like series or collections). Right now it's high-contrast mish-mash

Thanks for the tip, I think it looks much better now ^^

Is the window supposed to be open? The light from the chandelier seems to stop abruptly when it reaches it, without any reflection from the glass.

Perhaps it goes against the style of the scene but that's the only thing that stood out.

This is my problem now how do I create the illusion of a reflection? What I tried here doesn't look so good

[InCreator]

Uhh... something still feels awful.

First, why did you kill colorful books on left shelf? You don't have to get extreme with colors, but also with desaturating. Try to find a good-looking balance.
Second, make this self back wall DARKER than sides. Seriously, that shelf makes my head hurt. It's so... unreal. Even if your shadows are right, composition sucks because it's like an illusion. Also, I believe that shelves with books SHOULD cast shadow onto shelf back wall and make it darker than rest. Your shadows right now may be right in terms of direct light shading, but it ignores light scatter and overall ambient light. Just turn on light in your home at night, take a look at your bookshelf and you'll notice that I'm right.

Use more colors and less contrasted colors to shade. Smoother shading. It's okay with right shelf (which looks very realistic IMO), but not so good with wall and table.

About right shelf: it's bottom and sides are paper thin! Fix it.

Table needs more colors and detail. I looks like it's made of corrugated board right now (cardboard).

Wall is awfully plain at the right middle portion of the room. Add a picture or light switch or something.

[Khris]

Here's how you can construct the light spot based on the horizon and the sun's position:



The shadows thrown by the chandelier won't have sharp, drop shadow-like edges, they're going to be smooth, even close to it, as it consists of multiple, soft light sources.
Plus, the table and walls should show multiple, overlaying shadows thrown by the chandelier itself.

[Bulbapuck]

Thanks KhrisMUC

I think it's better now.

[Khris]

Colors in shadow are always less saturated (shadow near left table leg).
The light part of the back wall shouldn't extend onto the window. Light either shines through glass or is reflected like with a mirror.
The inside walls of the left book case need their lighting swapped.
Also the shading of the left skyscraper looks weird, like it was round.
And the top line of the window's light spot needs to be horizontal.

[fmt]

I would change the layout.  make the table smaller.

But I think the composition is the main problem here.

[SpacePaw]

And don't give up your background looks already 10 times better than in the beginning