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I agree with the head. Cobra's edit is very good!

One thing I would say though, is that this statue is very big, right? In a weird way it doesn't look very big. I'm not sure whether this is because the rest of the background isn't finished or not.

If it isn't because of this I would have coloured the statue in a greyer colour and then used the greens to highlight areas that have deteriorated, like a statue in real life. Then, maybe shadows need to be added to show the affect of a large light source like the sun. I think this would give the illusion of a much larger object.

P.S. Very nice as usual! How did that other background turn out, with the buildings and city scape in the background?

I think the pops add to the feel of the piece. It sounds like an old recording, and the style of the music suits that.

ProgZ edit is brilliant.

My advice would be to get rid of the patterned walls, and the textures. You can more easily add dynamic lighting then, even from the window you describe if you like.

At the moment however, the window lighting doesn't seem to have any affect on the room, besides a reflection in the floor (maybe darken the room, add shadows then pick out the bits the window would highlight). Also, you want your light source from the window, however the room would still have lighting, even if it was currently turned off (I don't see any, and it has a light switch!).

A quick thing you could do is to lighten up the whole room: furniture and wood floor like ProgZ has done, this gives a more natural feel, as at the moment the colours in the room seem to clash.

My advice on the high entrance to the kitchen would be to go for half way between the two styles. Maybe a high arched entrance?

Anyway, you have the beginnings of a great background.

All lovely, just one thing: (besides the other things mentioned)

I know lucasarts' talking anims always make the heads lean back a bit, but in yours he appears to be totally disconnected his neck. Maybe just make this a little less exaggerated?

Again, apart from that I think you have done a good job. Can't wait until someone makes Indy look drastically different though, or draws him in a completely different style.

Click the desired option's button to restore its default?

All good I reckon, I'm really impressed. Greying out the background for the options page would be cool, but I don't think it is essential.

Well, i have a Trust tablet at home and i can say: drawing with tablet is god damn hard, i have had it for about 5 months but havent got the time to learn it.

I agree, I have a tablet, and my attempts with it are dire. However with a real pen and paper I'm pretty decent. It frustrates me!

So, congrats for getting the hang of it so quick. I think we'd like to see some original backgrounds now, this is promising.

Looks interesting, though I prefer the original resolution you posted in, as it is less messy.

Only concern is whether you can maintain the style, as obviously when drawing you can draw any environment, whereas you will have to go out an d photograph it.

I don't like the graffiti. It just looks like a quick splodge of spray paint on MSPaint, which it probably is, and doesn't fit the neat and clean style you have in the rest of the background. So much could be done with it, too.

Still, looking forward to the game!

I agree, but you seem to have acquired a smudge that needs to be dealt with, it looked better with cleaner edges.

I've been thinking the same thing a lot lately. I don't want to sound like a late-comer snob, but I'm not particularly familiar with a lot of the games on the banner. I feel it could better reflect the quality games produced with AGS and I also think that it could show a good range of graphical styles with a consistently high quality.

Seconded.

I like the first one. It would be an interesting perspective to work from. Not so sure about the second, to which TerranRich's comment applies. I definitely prefer the first.

Also, if you use the first one, this "neat" style works quite well I think.

To do walk cycles, keep trying! They are really hard to get right. Also, don't be afraid to copy and paste bits and pieces from the original sprite to create the different positions. So long as the gaps are filled, etc it'll look fine. You don't have to redraw the sprite over each frame.

Also, the website suggested by Big Nerd is very good, but the walkcycles tend to be a little extreme. You could also try capturing your favourite game and breaking it down into say 10 frames, using this as a guide. There are lots of ways to do it.

Is there going to be a scene in it where Caine saves 100 prostitutes from a foreign drug baron?

Also, is the killer going to be nailed by the semi-partial imprint on the victims left cheek bone that was left when the killer punched him with his 18th birthday, completely unique ring on?

Will this further be backed up by half a finger print left on a chocolate wrapper they happened to stumble across in the park where the murder took place?

Is Caine is also going to shoot every foreign looking person who ever walks his way?

...because without these things it wouldn't be CSI:MIAMI.

That is incredibly well done. It looks very close to real (which I presume it isn't? ). The reflections are excellent.

Letting it rest is the best way, but mirroring your saved image horizontally also works. It is a fast and easy way to get a new perspective on what you have done so far.

Ah, yes, I forgot about that one. A great tip indeed- little effort, and great results!

I've never used this as checking before. Problem is you can change stuff, then in switching it back it can look wrong again. It is all about checks and balances, and compromise. After all, the are creating a representation of something, but it is essentially like all art - a manipulation of real ideas to suit your needs and aim.

Also, I have a tip on drawing objects you are not familiar with (although, be careful how literally you use it): If say, you want to draw a small pot plant... Look up "pot plant" on an image search and pick one that best matches what you want. You can then use the scaling tool to resize the pic to the size you want. Keep this picture next to the one you are drawing. It may look pixely and indistinct, but you will be able to copy the shape and arrangement of important pixels for your own little pot plant.

Works for me anyway. Not a tip on perspective, but on objects and props, which are very important for conveying size, etc.

Hope all this is useful. Sorry I didn't have time to do an example.

left to right:

Spoiler

hard without colour but meat, corn, water/tap, alcohol (beer), alcohol (spirits), wood, petrol, pistol, sniper rifle, sawn-off, truck, horse, walkie-talkie (radio), another horse.

[close]

I think they are really nice. Are you keeping that style, or colouring them? I like the style and colours now.

I think Rockstar are deliberately trying to be controversial, which makes this an unfair example. However, if a good game, that people had put a lot of effort into was banned I would be outraged. Games, after all, are art. I think that freedom when it comes to art is important, people don't have to like it, but it would be nice if they were tolerant of it.

Also, games like this, released console on only, clearly appealing to young people who want to get hold of them illegally to play are a bad representation of gaming, and it angers me. Stories like this cause the public to frown upon games and dismiss them as violent rubbish that 12 year old kids play on Playstations. This forum is clear proof that games are more than that, they are a wide, interesting and creative media.

There is no conclusive proof that games, nor films, nor TV affect people directly.

These news stories are just the new generation of the Mary Whitehouse brigade, hopefully like that rubbish, it will pass.

It is supposed to be the TV series in that style. Plus, I'm pleased with the left head.

I think the jacket looks really messy, that may be where I will have to break away from the TV series reference.

This was originally going to be my entry to the recent sprite jam. But I'm not sure it is really a sprite. I used a couple of reference photos, but I can't seem to get the right head looking consistent and I've hit a wall generally.

Any advice on how to progress, or general criticism is welcome. Thanks.



x2

I shall post it on in the Critics Lounge I think. I just can't get some of it right.