Messages

I was wondering if anyone here has any advice on how to compose music for adventure games, because I'm having trouble coming up with tunes.  If I look at the general pattern of another piece I can then go ahead and create something similar to that, but I want to create original pieces...

I've already got a great program for it, so that's not a problem... I'm just having trouble coming up with 'catchy' tunes.  I've done grade 5 piano and theory exams, so I understand a lot of the techniques, I just have trouble putting them into use really.

Another problem I have is with instrument selection.  I've got hundreds of instruments to choose from, but I have no idea how most of them sound.  Usually I write tunes as just piano first, and then try to choose instruments afterwards, but it's just a long process of trial and error.

So... how do you go about composing music for your games?  Do you come up with tunes in your head or do you have a technique for coming up with them?  And how do you choose which instruments to use for each track?

Thanks for the feedback   I had a go at another background, this time I used the reference background much less, I only really looked at it before making a sketch, and after that did the rest on my own.   It's loosely based on this CMI background.



There aren't many main objects in the scene so it came out looking a lot simpler than the first one, but I think that's mostly due to the design - if there were more objects I'd be able to make it busier - I added in a few but I ran out of ideas

Please give as much constructive criticism as you can.  But keep in mind that I'm not trying to exactly replicate the Monkey Island style anymore... I'm trying to make my own style, so if something isn't done in the same way Bill Tiller does it but still works, that's fine.  I think after this one I'll move onto creating ones which are completely my own (designed by me)

Hold your horses a bit, everyone.

Nobody will get hired professionally after having traced over another artist's background. There is no telling how skilled a person is by judging from a trace-over. All you can tell is that the person had a lot of time and patience, to dupcliate something more or less pixel by pixel.

I didn't trace the picture... I looked at the original for a while then drew out a sketch, and then drew and coloured it occasionally looking back at the original for reference.  That's why a lot of my objects are of different proportions from the original.  I'm not expecting to be hired professionally I was just posting my first background to ask for criticisms on my technique.

I think you definitely need to work on shape and shadows, and try to achieve a better consistency when it comes to smudging/cell-shading and outlines.

I think the over-all impression of this picture is good, but that's mainly because it's copied. Looking at individual objects, I see a lot of things that need to be done.

Could you please give some specific examples of things which need to be done?

Thanks for posting such in-depth criticism, it's extremely helpful

The technique is very strong in terms of shading. I think your version could benefit from a greater tonal range. Notice the way the original uses stronger highlights to draw attention to the main doors and the central area of the background.

I wasn't sure what tonal range even meant, then I looked it up, and now I can see exactly what you mean... I thought my version looked duller but I wasn't sure why, but now I can see that it's much more grey.  I think maybe the reason I did that is because it's easier to blend brush strokes if the tones of the shade and the light areas are similar... I'll try to avoid that next time though.[/quote]

Rather than copying another CMI backdrop, I'd suggest you think about composition and work on an image from scratch.

Yep, that's what I'm working on now.  I find it a little hard creating my own concept art sketches at the moment because my object placement isn't very good and the perspective is always a little boring (e.g. large areas of floor/sky).  So I'm just practicing that at the moment

Your version is lovely, but it lacks some of the dynamism of the original. Notice the way the barrel by the bar breaks point where the wall meets the hay - while yours meet awkwardly. Think about the way the horizontal line of the bar sign breaks the vertical lines of the gate in an exciting way. Your image looks flatter because there are fewer interesting intersections. Bill Tiller discusses bad tangents in the article which I guess you've read.

Ah yeah I see what you mean... when I sketched it I wasn't really thinking about the layout of the objects (it's the first time i'd even attempted a background).  I have read Bill Tiller's article with the part about bad tangents but I can't remember where  do you have a link to it?

Thanks again

Thanks for the positive comments everyone... it's really encouraging   I'm working on designing the layout of locations now trying to make the perspective/object layout interesting... then I'll post some locations I designed myself

I had a go at recreating another one of the backgrounds... I think this one went a little better.  It was a recreation of this picture of the SCUMM Bar in CMI style.  I sketched it out and then drew using the original as a reference



I would have added more details but i got kind of bored towards the end Please give as many comments/criticisms as you can!

Just wondering does this sort of stuff generally come easier to people who are good at drawing by hand than not?

Some people are better at seeing perspective in objects than others so will be able to draw objects pretty accurately, but it will never be as accurate as if you trace all the lines back to the horizon

First thing I would recommend would be posting in the right forum (the Critics Lounge)   But don't worry, this'll be moved shortly!

As for developing a style ... I suggest just practice, practice, and practice.  Just keep trying, experimenting, and eventually your own style will develope.  The more you do, the more you'll develope.  Don't expect greatness straight away ... this takes time.  Just keep at it and you'll find your own style.

Good luck!

When I first posted the thread there wasn't any artwork in it, just the question... I only added it later when I got bored waiting for a reply 

I guess it's just down to practice, it would be helpful to see a tutorial on backgrounds in OpenCanvas as I dont really know where to start (I'm not sure if I'm using the right tools etc.)

As for Tutorials there are 2 sticky threads in the Critics Lounge too. You can also take a look here
Your mountain is pretty good btw.

Thanks for the link and the compliment 

In my opinion your second style is a lot better.  The black outlines in the first one just make the style look a lot more basic (like it was drawn in MS Paint... maybe it was, but with the second style you hide that fact  )

But there seem to be a few perspective problems in both the styles.  You should look up tutorials on perspective, horizon lines, vanishing points etc.  All of the edges of the object that are coming towards you should be able to be traced back to a single horizon point.  It's a simple technique, but it will make the perspective of your images seem much more accurate.

Hi,

I recently bought a WACOM graphics tablet (the A6 one on Amazon - about £40) and I'm using it with OpenCanvas.  I find it very easy to draw characters with it, and there are plenty of tutorials for that online.

However I can't seem to get a good style for backgrounds.  Does anyone have any tips on how to draw backgrounds with an interesting style or know of any tutorials online?  I was trying to create some in a Curse of Monkey Island style but I guess I'm not using the right tools in OpenCanvas (all the tutorials online are for drawing characters so I don't know which tools I should be using).

I had a go at recreating part of the Blood Island map and this is the best I could come up with...



So if anyone has any advice it would be greatly appreciated