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I love the second screenshot ("arresting the suspect"). Keep it up, Blake!

Great strip, Helm! I'm dying to see the original.



Hope you all like it.

Mats, I kept you in mind as a guy lacking in sense of humor. You haven't changed not a little.

You can't notice the difference much because his arm covers the back so you can't see it very well.

Well, sorry but I sense nonsense here.

Consctuctive criticism? Nobody will critique your work in a "conscructive way" if you're so afraid of experimenting. I don't want to write "Hey, yes! It's a hell better!" post (only to satisfy your ego) if I don't see any essential difference between the lastest paintovers. If I give you some tip, you won't use it anyway. After all, it isn't traditional art where you have to worry about almost every line you draw. Standing still isn't rather good so take your (Paint)brush and try something new.

Just btw, two-frame animation wouldn't look nice in a high resolution.

Good luck with the game, Mats!

As always, I recommend Andrew Loomis' books, which used to be available for free online, but has been removed as of late. Due to their popularity, it's not hard obtaining them anyway.

http://www.fineart.sk/index.php?cat=1

Np, dkh. I've found all of them in a while and they seemed right at the first look.

Now I'm doing pixelart as well (sprites for a small game which I working on) so maybe I'll shoot a paintover to explain you some things in a clear way, but don't know when. I'll also try to get at the graphic studies that year (I have to learn art history, techniques and practice) - there's a lot of work and no time at all.

Anyway, if I get a short break I'll do that for you.

Sh*t, I've written a whole page for that post, but an Explorer error ruined all my work. So again...

Now the shading looks better at the first character, but the second one for sure needs some improvement.

The first thing to understand the shading issue is to get to know about proportions. Take a look in the mirror, at your friend or whatever and try to count how many heads you will need to build the whole character. Average number is seven and a half, sometimes eight but that's just perfect. Average width for an usual human is two heads. Check out on which position the chest, croth or knees are placed, compare the head height / width to other parts, the other parts to the other other parts and so on - that's the way to learn proportions. It's all about realistic style and your is cartoony, but it's good to know anyway.

And the shading itself. You highlight and darken some elements to make the depth (simulate the light) and dimensional look for the figure. It all depends on it's shapes and the light source. That was the point in the part above - make more realistic shapes for your character and he will be easier to shade.

There are some tutorials to look at (mostly found with Google, my best friend):

http://www.rebekahlynn.com/free/tutorial/shading_tutorial.html (rather for traditional art, but look up anyway)

http://www.spriteart.com/tutorials/03_fighter_sprite.html
http://pixel-zone.rpgdx.net/shtml/tut-coloring.shtml
http://www.gawzu.idv.tw/sprite_1.html

And the whole page with hotlinks: http://www.wesnoth.org/wiki/External_Tutorials#Cell-shading.2FComic_Art_Styles

Happy pixelating!

Sorry if all my critique sounds kinda harsh but I've learn that if you really WANT to make something, you MUST be self-critical, even picky. That's why I throw away almost everything I do .

Hmm... I just can't seem to find any tutorials on shading sprites. Almost 80% of the tutorials in the sticky here are broken or not relevant. Can you or anybody else post the direct link to one or more of the tutorials that helped you the most?

I'd put MrColossal's tutorials (http://kafkaskoffee.com/tutorials.shtml) as the finest example but bet you've already seen that site. These tutorials are really helpful and also well-written!

I've learn bunch of shading methods mostly from the games which I played, and there's probably no better advice to give. Just watch the sprites carefully and make your own similar. Shading isn't that hard to make as it seems.

Good luck with your sprites!

Well, first of all, you NEED to spend some time on learning the shading rules. There's so many illustrated tutorials, even on the TUTORIALS board here, that you'll find something easy and valuable for sure.

What can I say? Your sprite is shaded in a very messy way. Try the line shading (or whatever you call it), not irregular dithering (it will come handy in the future). Cartoon style must be kinda clean and neat.

And... no MORE colors, use LESS in a correct way. Adding palette to every pixelart has the reason - use only these essential ones.

Good luck!

Hmm... interesting topic, maybe I`ll draw something for practise, as well without tablet (damn, I really need it).

This one is a lot better, Afflict. Kinda messy, but better.

Well, redo the grass (Is that a hill or a path?) and it will be really neat background.

Try some grass / perspective tutorial.

`ello, Babar!

These stones doesn`t look so bad and they seems to fit the style pretty well. Anyway, `Google` search, as always, would be helpful.

http://images.google.pl/images?q=stone+wall
http://images.google.pl/images?q=stonewall

Give them reflection and more oval shape (in the way of shading). Sorry, I don`t have the time to make a paintover by myself .

Dithering... It`s the finest thing in pixelart in my opinion, and if you think of making an old-school game you should as well think of that. Try some more curved / twisted shapes for the clouds.

Great game, Bernie! One of my favourite, tbh. Pity that there`s no `picks of the month` anymore, the game should be mentioned at the main page.

Hi, I was hangin` out here and there, but I`d like to stay for the next few months again.

Cheers!

Well, generally the winner is decided by vote, but this time we've only one entry. Congratulations, Azure, I liked your try anyway.

But I'm having an eerie feeling that only a few people are still interested in the voice competition. Tell me: didn't you like the subject or just didn't have time to record an entry? I don't want to say I'm not satisfied from Azure's entry, I am, but there's no competition spirit and not to mention that it happens the third time.

Wow! I didn't expect such a quick reply! Very well!

Hmm... hi and welcome!

I'm all out of the good ideas, so this time let's do something easy: some quotes from MadTV's Terminator 3 parody. Have you ever watched it? I know you have! And if not, it's even better! The rules are, as well, easy. Record the text using only your own voice. The winner will be decided by vote. Oh, and a new thing here: you can use some sound samples and, like in the previous compo, voice-recording software.

Hope you'll have a good fun and we'll have more than one entry!

If you want to see the movie before, here it is: http://movies.yoyostile.de/?id=19. But please, don't copy the original - try to be creative.

Text (J is Jesus and A is Arnie, the italic lines are my comments):

(the last supper, Jesus and all the apostles gather around a table)
J: Brothers, my time with you is almost over.
J: But for now,
J: Let us eat!
(Arnie enters the screen with a reloaded shotgun and shoots Judas)
A: Eat this!
(...)
J: You just don't get it, do you?
A: You have been targeted for termination
J: I already told you
J: I'm suppose to die for the sins of mankind
(Jesus heals Judas, he wake up and...)
A: I'm programmed to protect you!
(...and Arnie shoots Judas again)
J: Stop!
(Jesus is now frustrated, he also heals Judas again)
J: Stop killing Judas!
A: But he's going to betray you!
J: I know!
J: Look, look!
J: I've got a lot on my mind right now and you really trying to stress me out! Okay? Okay?
A: Pontius Pilatus at 10 o'clock!
(hope I don't have to tell you what Arnie does after that...)
J: Give me that thing!
(the screen fades)

Hasta la vista, Baby Jesus!

Thanks Czar!

edit: fixed link

Hah, thanks. Only one entry? Pity but ah, it doesn't matter in all. The next compo soon.

Ah, I don't believe I didn't post anything in this thread before. I saw the trailer and listened to tracks a few months ago and as it wouldn't pass in English, I say it simple in Polish: "Wykurw!".

Donna's probably the only game who really scares me. I almost pissed my pants when I was watching the trailer at night, home alone. It's strange, odd, it's mysterious. Bloody great job, Goldmund, buddy.

Good to hear you're slowly finishing it, good luck and keep posting!

Yesterday I watched Frank Miller's "Sin City".

Ok, here it is, my first attempt at the voice compo... and I like it!

If you're intrested, I'm using FX Box 2.6 (with pitch and reverb effects on in that case).

http://www.geocities.com/fe2o3_ironoxide/trashbin/output.mp3

Please, say something about it!