Messages

She looks great!
I'd make the outline of her chin ligther, or the outline of her hair more pronounced (i.e. darker), because the contrast makes her look a bit like a reclining "C" (if you see what I mean); she's like a pot without a lid, an incomplete circle, etc.

Apart from that I'd change nothing else. Love the facial expression!

It's hard to say anything negative about this, but for this looks so much like the same person that it's a bit disconcerting. He has the exact same eyes and mouth on all pics, the exact same facial expression, making it obvious that this a cut-and-paste job, albeit a very smooth one.

About the name tag: it looks unrealistic because it is absolutely horizontal. Give it a slight angle and a metallic reflection cutting diagonally across it, and it will look better, I think.

But overall this is really good stuff, although I must say that the presence of these pics makes me curious about the story of the game.

I know this isn't the critics lounge, but I just have to point it out: the background perspective does not align with the protagonist sprite. Is it a w-i-p thing?

The eagle part is too small (or the lion part is too big). It seems it has to make an effort for the eagle feet to reach the groud where the lion feet comfortably do so even when its legs are slightly bent. Also, the lion's back seems to connect with the eagle part far too high up. Make the whole lion bit smaller and do something with the eagle legs (bend those knees too) and the image will improve quite a lot. That will also make the wings seem more the right size, because they are actually too small now, especially if it's supposed to be able to fly.

Would you consider putting a rider on it? I know that griffins traditionally don't let people ride them (unless you are Harry Potter), but would it not be cool with a interestingly armoured knight-type person on it? That would make this into something more interesting and evocative than a just technically brilliant piece. We've seen griffins before, but putting a person on it, designing the saddle and all the other equipment needed to steer the beast could make this into a more unique and personal piece.

I'm sure it will be great even without a rider though - my first piece of advice is a lot more important! (I think it is vital, even if you're allowed to disagree...)

Technically it's pretty much spot ono, but taste-wise it's a bit wolf-moon t-shirt. I'd love to see it with a different background.

I think this looks great now, although I still think the cupboard door will present a practical problem when creating walking zones. I agree with the sentiment that not having a 'stage' is a good idea. Makes things more realistic and might increase immersion. Oh, and keep the pillar!

I like it when it gets verbal, like someone's talking - more of that, less of the emo clichès and the suicide stuff.

It's a very nice and atmospheric room, but there's some decidedly odd stuff going on in there!
Let me elaborate:

1. The cupboard door that hangs off its hinges looks as if it would obscure the passage into the kitchen, and make it impossible to open the refrigerator. Why not take it off of the cupboard and lean it up against the side of it?

2. The right-hand side door doesn't line up with the window, prespectively speaking. I know it's a shabby apartment, but even if the wall sags it doesn't seem right, I think.

3. The exposed floor boards don't look like exposed floor boards, but that might improve with some colouring. I only realised they were floor boards thanks to a comment further up in the thread.

4. The relative sizes of many objects seem wrong. The TV is too big (this does not seem like the type of apartment where you'll find a big TV), and the stove is too small. I think the problem might be that the foreground elements (i.e. the sink, the squashed beer can and the TV) are too big, but I also think you need to make the bit of bench with the cooking plates on it wider.

Unlike Ryan T, I think you need to make the image even wider, adding a bit of kitchen to the left. It will still look more than cramped enough.

I love the missing pillow on the couch, but i am not crazy about the idea of being able to pick up all kinds of junk. That, however, is not an art question, so I'll remain mum on that from now on.

I prefer the first sketch. If he is actually a zombie, that is.

OK, to specify: the sky looks good. The grass gradient should be reversed, so that the darker bit is further away, but on a bright day like this, even that would perhaps not look quite right.

But for your graphics style, which is much more design-y than naturalistic, I don't see any problems using gradients.

Try to stay away from gradients though.

Disagreed. I think this gradient works.

Is the picture painted from a photograph?

I kind of like the way the moon is resting against the O. But it annoys the hell out of me that the reflection is not directly under the moon. Move it (the reflection) to the left, please!

Hmmm....
Some of the detail you suggest is stuff I planned to add in the end, as animated objects or something like that. Smoke from the chimney for instance.
I will consider some of your other suggestions as well, but I won't do all of them. Less is more sometimes. I mean, the paint is already flaking off, there's moss on the roof, etc. Just because she's a witch doesn't mean she's untidy! Maybe I can use stuff from http://www.2dadventure.com/ags/OtherWitchHouse2.png to make the forest in the background a bit more interesting.

And you are right about the light. I should make the shadows a bit shorter.

The path in the foreground shall not be trod. Click on it and your character will start towards it, but go to the next screen before perspective issues arise.

For some strange reason the image is actually clearer as it is displayed on this forum than it is in Photoshop. So, I've seen a few other annoyances that you haven't mentioned, such as the fuzzyness of the balcony and, as DutchMarco helpfully pointed out, the sketchiness of the background forest. I need to put in some more detail there, but that means I'll have to do it entirely by photoshop, which I honestly suck at (this is a scanned pencil sketch, obviously). Maybe I'll scan some incidental branches and tree trunks and paste them in.

I simply forgot that I had planned to put clouds in the sky. Also, I'll make sure that the overall tonality of the image sits nicely among the other screens I've made for the game.
EDIT: I need to compare it to the older images (that exist on another computer) to fix it: you see, it's not at all supposed to be that pale and washed-out. Somewhat, granted, but not that much.

I'll keep you posted about my progress. Thanks for your advice and kind words.

(oh, and it's mister, by the way)

Hi, everyone
Haven't posted anything for ages since I sort of put my game on ice. Inspiration returned, resulting in me writing an almost complete script for Chapter I of my game and resuming work on backgrounds. The last thing I posted was the house in this topic: http://www.adventuregamestudio.co.uk/yabb/index.php?topic=35177.0
Now, here is a completely redone version. Forgot to check if AGS will scroll upwards, but i assume it does.



Comments, kudos and criticisms will be appreciated!

Have to agree on the more frames thing. Also, he seems to be boxing himself in the chest...

How come he turns his head when walking sideways, but not when he's walking up or down? Not that I would notice in-game (a game I'd like to play, I think), but... just being a dick here, all right?

Her nose seems off because there are dark pixles on the middle of it. This area should be highlighted rather than shaded, seeing as it is the part of her closest to the viewer.

Apart from that I think she looks very good, and I particularly like her front view and the different poses. Very natural and full of personality. A nice feat for such a small sprite.

I'd cycle her through all the poses (idle view?).

I prefer the unblurred original versions. And I don't mind that the noise in the animations, in fact I think it's pretty cool.

Z: Haha! I like it! Although the house looks completely wrong! (But you could not possibly know what I had in mind and what I had sketched elsewhere). Actually, due to bad (or no) planning there won't be room for the architecture that I've sketched out and planned even if I make the screen wider. So I need to make it all anew, even though I'm tempted not to.
Lets not discuss this one any more now, it's gotten way more attention than it deserves...