Messages

One idea might be to keep the original contrast, but make sure your sprites have high contrast. That would really make the characters stand out while enhancing the ethereal quality of your scene.

I took the liberty of drawing a quick edit.



Changes:
- Reduced palette to 12 colors (not counting background color)
- Changed your colors to heighten the contrast between the 2 shades per area
- A lot of pixel tweaking

Hope you like it.

That latest screenshot reminds me of the prison structure in Grim Fandango. The lighting is very moody also. Good work so far! I'm curious what the characters will look like.

It'll be nice to see someone of African descent as the lead in an adventure game. Actually, is this a first?

Strangely enough, I actually prefer the classic simplicity of the 16-color EGA version of that background.

The stlye of the cottage picture looks a lot like that of a Thomas Kinkade painting.

[khrismuc's Thor]

Wow, some great entries here! I'm seriously surprised by the number of entries, but I'll do my best to judge.

SpacePirateCaine: With its size and colors, your sprite is very usable in a game. I like the piece of fruit she's holding, it makes her character a little more recognizable. I didn't have a problem with her outfit either.

Donttreadonme: Pan was definitely a good choice for a sprite, and I like the way you pulled him off with non-traditional colors (like the grey skin). However, it'd be nice if the shape of his legs were a bit more defined since it's slightly hard to make them out.

Progzmax: (I'm assuming the third sprite you posted (Hades without the background) is your entry) Very nice job on the color choice and shading. However, I'm not thrilled how his pose is very symmetrical (almost mirrored).

Seleceus: You did a good job making everything very recognizable (bird, sword, shield) without getting caught up in the details. It would be nice to see a little more shading though, especially on Odin himself.

Loominous: Impressive execution! I do like the subject, too. It's a little hard to see that the white bits over her right shoulder are arrow feathers (and where's the strap to the quiver?), but your shading is masterful.

khrismuc: Another impressive sprite! I'm a little unsure of what he's standing on (rock or cloud?), but I like his dynamic stance. The coloring is good, but you should make the values of his skin tones farther apart to improve the contrast.

BoG: Nice pick for an entry. His shoulders seem a bit big and his head a bit small, but the scales look pretty good. With a little more shading, the piece could gain some depth.

Ghormack: I'm not really sure who this god is, and what makes him special. Right now he kinda looks like a plain old man with a stick. I like the non-saturated colors you chose, though.

Pelican: You should put some darker shades in this picture to give it definition, and maybe change her pose so it isn't too symmetrical.

Venus: The pose is very classical and I like the detailing on the shell. I think the waves should have been less shaded to keep them from stealing the focus away from the goddess herself. 

Potter: Hermes is definitely a good pick. You could have done a little more with it though. As it is, I'm a bit unsure what's on his head (is it hair or a helmet?). It could use a few more shades in it as well.

The result: I wanted to see someone emphasize the larger-than-life aspect of mythological gods and goddesses. These characters are the superheroes of old, so the sprite should reflect that. I also wanted to see a character that was instantly recognizable to me. I know this hidden criteria may seem unfair, but it'd be so hard to judge between these pieces without it. 

Basing my decision on the above requirements, I pick khrismuc's Thor as the winner. It's a tough decision to make, especially when confronted with the technical expertise and artistic talent Loominous displayed in his Artemis sprite.

Thanks to all the people who entered!

Send him a letter and threaten legal action based on the concept of implied warranty.

Maybe try using colors that have lower saturation levels?

The texturing on the green jackets from the top screenshot make them look like rocks (especially the wrinkles). Also, the proportions are very off (upper arms are too short/thin, midriff too wide, etc.) and their heads seem pasted on at a different angle than their posture might suggest.

I'd recommend drawing from photo references and focusing on the composition rather than the fiddly details. Remember, when you draw it, you're zoomed in about 95%+ of the time. The person playing your game will never see your image zoomed in, so you should make it look best at full size.

[*Your favorite Greek/Norse god/goddess in sprite form*]

The rules for this week are:
*Your favorite Greek/Norse god/goddess in sprite form*

Anyone from Loki to Athena is eligible. I would like to see a style that would be usable in an AGS game, so keep that in mind.

For inspiration, here are several random sprites taken from Capcom's "King of Dragons", shown at double size.


Limitations:
Size: 75x75 pixels
Color: 25

Well, there is something known as "Myst Madness" (because I just made it up).
It's a syndrome where the afflicted person runs around in their house, turning light switches on and off in every combination to see if anything happens.

Wouldn't it make more sense (from the perspective of someone who had to live in that room) if the couch faced the tv (or vice-versa)?

It's a pity you didn't work out a contract beforehand to guarantee a percentage of your commission upfront.

As for the background itself, I think you should focus more on the shapes of and tangents created by your objects. Right now, they seem very distinct and separate from each other. If you overlap them, it'll create more interesting positive and negative space. 

Also, I would darken the objects in the foreground (the two desks) and keep most of my detail in the middle ground.

Shouldn't "The Historical League of Bouncy Boxing" qualify as a non-adventure game?

Maybe it'd help if you showed both pockets....well, then that would basically be drawing the whole butt. Maybe the side pocket on the pants would be more recognizable.

Here's my take on Hellboy. It took me about 2 hours to complete.
14 colors, 2x zoom

I would definitely second the motion. The second picture looks very well done, almost painterly. However, it may look jarring to see Roger walking across that scene. I would consider redrawing the sprites also.

http://www.spywareinfo.com/~merijn/downloads.html

This place is really helpful.

Why not post it here? I'd be really curious how it'll look, since it'd take a lot to beat Jayel's walkcycle.