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I vote no to the extra shading! I like the simpler style, closer to DOTT better

Thanks for the positive comments, it's really encouraging!

This room is indeed for a game, currently untitled and a long way from completion, but life permitting this will one day be a complete game!

Great edit Sparky, i always think it's cool to see what little changes can do to a sprite...

I like the new shoes better, the pointy bit was nice, but the rest of the character wasn't very angular, so they didn't match perfectly (if that makes sense!).

I must be honest, I can't really see the change to the torso, sorry! The more I look at it though the less it bothers me, it kind of fits the pose.

One quick note on the animation, although I know it's very early, I think he should bend his body ever so slightly as he tilts his head down. I'd just move the hips one pixel left and the shoulders one pixel right, it would help the motion look more natural.

Love the sprite, he's great!

Here's a quick list of what I think are differences between the concept and the finished thing, or just amends I would make. Hopefully one of them will inspire you...

• The sprites hair is a little flatter than the concept, less pointy.
  
• The collar looks a little wonkey, almost like it's twisted to the side, also a bit high maybe? I think you did the right thing losing the bow tie though.
  
• The outline of the shoes is too dark compared to the rest of the outlines, perhaps a slightly lighter gray?
  
• The trousers in the concept look a little 'jacked up' which adds to the geeky look, any way you can add that to the sprite?
  

And that's it! Keep up the good work dude, i'm looking forward to seeing the first edit

Well, I spent an hour tonight messing with 2 point perspective scenes, and I must say, Sparky is right. They just don't feel 'right' for the style of game I have in my head. They look ok, but it's not what I see when I close my eyes and imagie playing the finished thing. With that said, I think i'm going to stick to slightly more boring, but oh so lovingly retro 1 point perspective

Here's tonights somewhat underwheming update, including some of the above suggestions and a few ideas of my own i had knocking around:



I think i'm going to leave this now and move on to a second scene, maybe an outdoors one, total change of pace. I can always come back and finish this off later if I learn any new tricks as I go.

Thanks everyone for your help and advice on my first BG, it's much appreciated! I'll keep you updated as my skills progress (assuming they do!).

I like it, but he does remind me a little of Adolf Hitler I keep expecting one of his hands to shoot up in a Nazi salute!

But seriously, the only thing i'd change is the left hand side of his chest is bulgin out a little too much, which makes it look like his torso is twisted slightly. Other than that it's great!

I'm not sure about the two point perspective thing, maybe I should give it a go and see first, but i've been trying to base this background off reference pieces from old Lucasarts games, and most of them seem to be in 1 point perspective, so I went with that.

I like the paintover from Darth Mandarb, it does help it feel more confined. I'd already experimented with foreground silhouettes, and I think i'll incorporate somehting like that into the final piece.

I think part of my problem with this piece is that I have no design brief, I kind of just waded in and started painting without any planning (as usual with me!). I really should sit down and get a design document done for the game i'm planning, but i'm enjoying the pixel pushing so much the the moment I can't bear to not be in front of photoshop!

Am I going in the right direction with this? I tried to improve the look of the lighting, but it's changed to tone of the whole piece, and I can't decide if it's better or worse!



Still, i'm learning loads as I go, so it's all good I suppose!

I think i'm gonna stop messing with the colors for a while now and add the extra detail that everyone has suggested.

Hi guys, me again

The comments and crits I got with the first character the other day really helped, so I think I should open up my first AGS background to the same sort of scrutiny, and see what you lot can suggest. I've run into a bit of a block now on this, and can't see how to progress it to the next level. Ideas?

It's supposed to be an undergound room, concrete and steel framed, with sparse, functional decor. It's a kind of monitoring station where a guy lives and works.

I want to add a few more personal touches to show someone has lived here, posters, books, piles of crap on the floor and stuff like that, and i've got a fair bit of cleaning up and optimising of colors to do, but i'm more concerned with the overal tone and lighting of the scene right now, i'm not sure i've got it right.

Wow, just wow. Thanks so much for the advice and the paintover Steve, that has really helped so much.
I didn't realise I was doing it until you pointed it out, but the "pillow shading" really wasn't doing it any favours. I think I get it now, more dithering and suggestion of shape and detail rather than blobs of shade.

I've just pulled your edit up next to my original and taken some of the changes on board, but some of them i've ignored. I didn't like your belt, it looked a bit too contrasty, and the dark line on his white undershirt popped too much for me, so i've left that how I had it originaly. I've softened the face like you suggeted, and blatantly ripped the ear that you drew

I've also gone through and sorted the colors out, I had a few similar shades in there that could be easily merged, so I got it from 19 to 14 without any loss.



I think it's time to start a background now!

This is great! Thanks, these sort of constructive criticisms help me sooooo much!
I've only had time for a quick edit before bed, i'll take a look at those other guys that have been mentioned tomorrow and concentrate more on the colors and facial features for a bit.

I think i'll start a background too just so I can see if his desaturated colors work or not before I change them.

The reason i've left him so desaturated so far is he is supposed to be in military style gear, so I figure he should be a bit calm color wise or he'd get shot

Anyway, here is v3, keep the advice coming, you guys are really helping me improve!

Here's a quick update.



I've extended the arm and made an attempt at a hand. I've tweaked the colors slightly and added highlights (might not keep them, depends on the final pallette count). I've also reduced his bulk slightly, and messed with the collar a touch.

Any more advice? I think he's got something missing still, it might be detail, maybe I should add a belt or a watch or something?

Yeah, someone at work said it looks like he's got his hand in his pocket, i'll lengthen the arms later.

I'll have to see about the white colar, it might not look so bad once i've changed the green top to khaki. Plus I think i'm gonna up the contrast a bit on the darks, which might help make the white look less contrasty with the rest of it.

Hi guys, I only downloaded AGS last night, and i'm already keen to get moving on a game idea i've had ever since I played all the old Lucasarts games back in the day. I sat in front of Photoshop for an hour last night with a few screenshots of The Dig in front of me, and threw this guy together.



I'm thinking of changing the green top into khaki color like the trousers, my original idea was a jumpsuit like the ones the Dharma guys wear in Lost, but I couldn't nail it last night so I quickly turned it into a tshirt.

There's loads more I can already see wrong with him, but I was just browsing the forum in my lunch hour and thought i'd share it early to see if I can drum up some decent c&c's before I get home and start tweaking again.

Let me know what you think!