So what are the options for those of us who can't draw?

InCreator · Sat 05/11/2005 01:37:41

QuoteI agree, that if I took the time to practice and went through some hardship I could be person who could draw. However, making backrounds is something I absolutely loath. I just don't enjoy doing it. I also don't enjoy doing things I hate. So, it's obvious I'm not going to put the time and effort into becoming better at it.

Well-well...
It's hard for me to understand, since I always used my creativity as an outlet and - how to put this... bridge between my inner world and real one. How can anyone not enjoy expressing himself? Especially in so expressive way?
It's really sad if you're feeling about art like you said, but I still prefer to think about this as a complex(was it english? ) of yours.

But of course, success is also the key to further motivation. Failings are not.

Josh R · Sat 05/11/2005 01:48:21

He didn't say he felt that way about art in general... just about making backgrounds. I'm not big on drawing either, but creativity is absolutely my release. I just prefer writing music, writing fiction, or painting.

DGMacphee · Sat 05/11/2005 04:49:04

Quote from: 2ma2 on Fri 04/11/2005 08:11:12
Just for the record, I toyed with the idea of seeing Ultimerr with "professional" graphics. It didn't work at all. Ultimerr rules harder than your grandmother BECAUSE of these graphics. Something about the abstraction and low tone increasing the words.

Why not textadventures?

It's interesting that you mention that because I think the creative style of a game is very much influenced by the type of game you're creating. With the graphics for Ultimerr, I was trying to recreate an old school RPG style because I was making a parody of old school RPGs.

I once had another idea for a project ages ago called "Smileytown". It was supposed to be a detective game (a la "Chinatown" with Jack Nicholson) but with emoticons. All the backgrounds, objects and characters were to be designed using characters from the ASCII set. In fact, I was even going to name the lead character "Jake Ascii".

This is what I mean by being creative with your backgrounds. You don't have to be a fantastic drawer to be creative. Just have to show initiative and imagination.

It basically comes down to what type of game you're creating. Like it has been repeated, you can always just make a text adventure if you feel you have zero creative talent with graphics. However graphics can be a worthy extention for the game's expression of an idea, which is why it's often good to consider the choices in creative styles available to you.

There are countless possibilities. Your minds, full of potential, can imagine them.

Kinoko · Sat 05/11/2005 07:24:50

I was just about to post almost exactly what DG said. Your graphics should reflect the style of game you want to make and that may be mean stick figures coloured in Paint. I intend on doing a crayon-coloured game someday, which will look purposely simply and crappy.

However, the OP has already made it clear that it isn't not being able to draw which is ihs problem, but that he wants a certain style and can't achieve that himself (without years of learning).

My advice is to either find someone on these forums OR some art-related forums around the place (heck, there are HUNDREDS) and approach them with your request directly, or just advertise like the rest of us. Trust me, it can work. And hey, you've just gotten yourself some publicity right here.

simulacra · Sat 05/11/2005 16:39:20

I made a game using photos since some kids made me think I couldn't draw in 7th grade. Perhaps it could serve as inspiration for a "photo-styled" game:

http://interactingarts.org/thezone/screenshots.html

Akumayo · Fri 11/11/2005 02:11:21

Quote from: Wretched on Fri 04/11/2005 21:42:48
Platypus (shoot-em-up) had all it's graphics done with plastacine models and looked really unique.

On the can't draw side, I don't give a toss about graphics, (see my games), I can't really draw but I am getting better with practice. For me AGS is Adventure Game Studio, not 'look how good I am at drawing' Studio. If it's an Adventure I'll play it, in a way the graphics can detract from the game, removing the players imagination, and ultimatly greatly slowing down the development time. Everyone nowadays is TV brain dead, and judge everything on appearance basically because we all know what real life looks like and can easily say good or bad visually. If your game is strong enough to get the player 'into' it, immerse into the story and just be there, the graphics serve very little purpose. The brain fills in all the gaps.
Personally I despair at the critics lounge and games production threads and their obsessiveness with graphics/walk cycles/perspective/lighting. I could go on but don't wish to 'rock the boat'.
Graphics should be functional and stlylistic, setting an atmosphere,Ã,Â they are the packaging not the content.

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I enjoyed reading this

ManicMatt · Fri 11/11/2005 21:31:02

Take Larry Vales 1, too. I thought the graphics were... not it's best feature. But the jokes and self-aware injokes were hilarious!

I was thinking that once I get my computer bluetooth enabled, i might see how good/poor photos are from my mobile phone, and use them.

I did a mock game using a photo taken with a digital camera (not mine) and basically made the onscreen person's mouth open when talking. (With a 1st person view) It looked stupid and funny...

Would it be easier to draw with a graphics tablet? That's what i bought especially for my AGS game's graphics. A million times easier to draw!

Hollister Man · Sat 10/12/2005 18:56:27

So...would everyone accept reasonable hand sketches for backgrounds on a serious fantasy game?

A two good RL friends of mine (who are excellent hand sketch artists) and I are working on a wonderful (IMO) fantasy story game, so far called Alrek. If we feel like we're making progress, we are very enthusiastic, but when we are sitting around and waiting for art, they get frustrated.

None of us are oil painters, nor am I particularly good at making digital paintings from their sketches (no matter how excellent). The way I've expressed it to them is that visual art, for me, is a means to an end. I want to do it because I want good art for our game, but thats the ONLY reason. Its just not enough for me to devote tens of hours, or hundreds, to practice.

This would be a full featured, full length adventure game, if finished. We've actually got plans to make it like an RPG, allowing for expansions and additions to the story after completion. We'd *like* to include large 'side quest' areas that are completely unnecessary. So you see why we need to have reasonable art, but a lot of it too.

Privateer Puddin' · Sat 10/12/2005 19:09:02

:O hollister man, where have you been (sorry to stray off topic)

Hollister Man · Sun 11/12/2005 17:28:51

(Puddin- I was so discouraged by the poor response to DQ3 Demo 1, and the lack of progress on Alrek that I completely bailed on all AGS projects for several months. I would have responded if anyone PMed or e-mailed me, but no one did. I'm going to try being around again, but its pretty frustrating not to make progress, because of my dislike of my own art)

I think I'm going to use the old sketches that I have on hand to get Alrek going again. The GUI is pretty innovative, I like it a lot. I was thinking about printing the sketches larger (like 11x17 or so) and trying to paint them with acrylics, but I'm not at all confident about that thought.

Erenan · Thu 15/12/2005 07:09:09

For people who believe they suck but want to get better... Enter a MAGS contest. That's what I did, and although at first I felt as though I couldn't draw for beans, I managed to create something rather large with quite a few things in it that I wouldn't have guessed I could draw. Basically, it forced me to work because I had a strict deadline. There was no staring at the screen saying to myself, "Poop, I can't draw. How am I ever going to get this stupid thing done without graphic arts talent?" I just started making some crappy backgrounds and stuff, and then when I was done:

a) It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be.
b) I had improved in the process.
c) I won the contest.

ElementalWhite · Sun 18/12/2005 00:51:17

In response to claims that artists are unwilling to work on another persons project let me say that I'm looking for a project to work on especially one that fits into the fantasy genre. I'm more a sprite artist than a background one but I am willing...

AlbinoPanther · Mon 19/12/2005 00:40:42

It's not problem with drawing everybody can learn that.Imagination is the key and that is the main problem.For an example we could draw a realy nice BG but we need allmost 2 weeks for that.Simply because we don't know what to draw.But we got better with every BG we make and that is solution hard work and a great amount of patience and somebody to guide you.

Nikolas · Mon 19/12/2005 01:04:58

Yes, I think I have a similar problem.

When I have something in front of me, I can actually make a pretty good copy of what I'm seeing (see for example page 2 at the sprite jham. My first ever sprite). But of course I had the picture while drawing, which makes it kinda easy.

If you were to ask me to draw something out of the blue, I am probably completly incompetent...