Messages

Aah thank you so much!! *virtual hug*

Yeah I panicked a bit when I tried using a pixel filter the first time, SO, SO TERRIBLE. Never again. But there is a light at the end of the tunnel!! I'm glad I can use hand painted scenes, I was going to try for a more cartoony feel and that will be much easier with paper and paint for me.
Oh man, all you guys's advice has really helped, I feel like I can get this project started and off the ground!

Thanks for all the replies, I'm learning a lot here! ^.^
I'm not looking to undertake any large scale backgrounds, I'm keeping around the usual 340x200 pixels (give or take) so I imagine in the end most of the details I agonize over will be lost but that's okay.
My main issue now seems to be pixelating the actual artwork, assuming the 'pixel filters' that most photo editing software comes with is more trouble than it's worth for this, would that mean that, after scanning in the paintings, the pixelated version would have to be traced over the original for the finished affects? If there are other methods (or that one turns out to be the ravings of a Photo Shop illiterate maniac, it's entirely possible! Hee hee) I'd love to learn!
Also making the switch from drawing with a mouse to drawing on the actual screen of my surface pro with my stylus makes a world of difference! It's a baby step,I suppose!

Aah thanks! I'm glad to hear that method is still used, as the backgrounds are proving to be the most challenging part of game-making for me! I mean, when people say a pixel background is 'hand-painted,' do they mean that every pixel, every single little dot is lovingly placed there by their talented hands?!
. . .I mean, REALLY?
That sounds so ridiculously labor intensive, when compared to a painting of the same subject, in the same size and color spectrum, SO MANY MORE hours would have to go into the pixel version. I can't possibly conceive of how the backgrounds for games like Gemini Rue and Blackwell were made in such a way.
I guess I have a lot more tutorial & forum lurking to do, before my artwork will start to turn out.

You clicked it! Yaay!

I should start by saying that I'm no stranger to art or drawing, but I'm a tenderfoot when it comes to art software (photoshop, GIMP, things of that ilk). Practiced a few weeks with GIMP and Pro Motion NG, results were AWFUL. So after days and days (and days and days-) of research I learned that the developers of Monkey Island (1&2) and King's Quest (the younger ones, at least) originally hand painted their backgrounds, then scanned it into the computer as a 'bitmap' (don't know what those are).

Is this method still relevant? I would have zero problems painting out backgrounds, then touching them up for the pixel look, but what software would help me with this? Photoshop is pricey but I could invest in it if it would do the job (given my, erm, 'confusion' with other like minded software I'm gun shy, but there's WAY more tutorials for PS out there. I'd consider it). I've lurked these forums a while, and you guys have some excellent work! Dare I say there are some art graduates in these depths? Notice me Senpai! Teach me Sensei!