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Thanks for the effort Darth.  I'm trying to keep to the 8-bit low color style, but the much more detailed mockup you made makes it a lot easier to see where the details should be.  I thought it would be easier to work simpler, but it almost seems like it's harder sometimes working with the constraints of less pixels/colors.  I saved your example as a study, and honestly I was going for that hurt-your-eyes carpet (I want it to look very 1988), but I like how you did it, it looks just like shag.  Mind telling me how you do texture like that?  I'm a pretty good artist but I'm new to doing it on a computer, especially pixel art, and though I have some other programs I'm just using MSPaint for this stuff, so I've been doing it pixel by pixel for the most part, aside from copy/pasting.  I imagine you're using a bit of automation right?

I actually tried a curved dither but I kinda sucked at it, so I figured I'd be better off with straighter lines than a crappy curved one.  I figure after I get some more rooms done maybe I can come back and take a fresh try at it.  'll also change out the light's outline color, thanks.  I'm actually going to put some objects into the room later on when I get things fleshed out more with the rest of the rooms, so hopefully it won't look quite so empty, and I've already added an area rug to remedy that openness a bit, but I might try that foreground effect anyway, I might be able to do something neat with it.  Here's what it looks like now with the rug, and I've started on the room through the archway (and the secret room beside it:

That would be a great read, Yahtzee's earlier stuff was the definition of 'professional amateur,'  it'd be interesting to see him break down his technique.

Ok, did some reworking, the advice really helped, it's coming together well I think.  Added a few things in the room in the back, think I'll start putting some furnishings in the main part now too.



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Thanks everyone, and especially thank you Monsieur OUXX, that was exactly the help I needed, your above-view diagrams really helped to see the reasoning behind the difference between my example and yours, and that'll help me a lot from now on.  Thanks for the words on consistency too, I'll make sure to keep that in mind also.  And Maniac Mansion was my main drawing point so I'm glad you mentioned it.  I liked the style for my first attempt at a game because it's naive like you said, it allows for some straying from correct perspective sometimes, it's simple yet detailed, I can take more liberties (or be a bit lazier, whatever phrase works better for you) and still get quality out of it.  That way I can give more focus to the other parts of the process of making a game as well, and not just drawing backgrounds.

I did a little meditating (staring at the picture) for a while and colored out a gray scale on the wall, and I think I might have gotten it pretty good, but could I get a second opinion or even a third on it before I choose my final color and start blending it all in?



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I get what you mean about the carpet, but I was going to forgive it, I mean shag carpet's just a jumbled technicolor mess reminiscent of old dreadlocks anyway, but I'll play with it more and see if I can't make it work and pop better.  As for the lighting, that wasn't a finished example, I imagine it would get into the doorway, I just hadn't worked it out that far yet.  That's actually part of my questioning, I imagine this light as a bright but grungy light in an old home, but I'm not sure how far to work the dithering effect down the walls, and what about the walls on the sides of the room? And I'm kinda just having general trouble figuring out how to make it look like light.  I just couldn't seem to find a tutorial anywhere that helped explain the concept better to me with relevant images.  I'd seen one ages ago but can't find it now.  The main thing I need help with is the physics of the light, where it would play in the room and maybe some possible pixel technique help representing it properly.

Hi fellas, this is my first post but I've been trolling the site for years now, and after getting my new pen tablet I finally started getting down to making my first game.  I wanted to do it pixel-style the first time around, I figured it would be easier in the long run and help me learn the basics.  I just started off with a room that would be useful as an entryway in a home, it's unfurnished at the moment because I'd like to do a bit of lighting study on the walls, figure out how the ceiling light would play on the bare walls and floor before I start throwing things into the room for it to play off even more.  I made a shag carpet which I think I got the shadows on ok (or maybe it stinks, you tell me) and just made a grey wall.  It won't stay grey, I just picked a base color to do the lighting practice on.  My trouble is just picking the color combinations that will make it seem bright and glowing, or dim and yellow even, and how I'd work the effect down the multiple walls.  Ok, that seemed kinda rambling but if anyone has some advice I'd really appreciate it!



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