Sprites o' Zilus

[shiremct]

The reason it looks better without the shadow for the sword is darkening that area cancels out the highlights that were there before, helping define the light source. Perhaps try adding the shadow to the other side of the sword, behind it, but if that looks bad, just forget about it. The highlights on the chest armor are more important to the overall image.

You could still do with darker tones on our left side of the image. Some areas, the left actually appears brighter than the right, which it should be the opposite.

While I quite like the hat and it's shading, I can't help but see it as a cowboy hat

[Zilus]

Okay, so i took the sword shadow on the inside and moved it to the outside (left), darkened up the left slightly. I also tried to make the hat look less "cowboyish" but truth be told i prefer it like that. Really, not just because im lazy, i actualy tried to change it but none of the changes looked as nice as the cowboy hat looking thing.
By the way, its one of those helmets designed to stop arrows, which do in fact look slightly like cowboy hats.

[Reepurr]

I can't believe everyone overlooked this rather important fact:

He's facing south. Wesnoth units, as a general rule, face southeast.
Also, the sword and shield are still grey. The difference in use of shades should set them apart, not the colour.
And, er, why did you TC his eyes?


That aside, quite nice. Problem is, you're using the palette badly.


Metal, being a pain in the bum to draw, revolves around really light bits and really dark bits. The shade you're using as an outline you should be using as a dark shade. And you should use quite a bit of it.
You should also use white slightly more than you are right now, scrap the dithering too.
For his right arm, you want the lighter shade in the middle for some obscure reason (mainline sprites do that). You might want to pluck a larger palette from the Spearman - the arm section's kinda large.

[Zilus]

hmmkay.. well i changed the position of one leg, and am trying to thin of ways to make him face south east without re-doing the entire sprite.
Put the light in the middle of the arm (Thats the sort of thing i actually meant when i said pillow shading by the way)
I don't see what you mean about the arm being too long, a normal arm hangs past your pelvis, your hands will almost touch your knees, this guys arms don't reach there, but i'll look into other sprites to get a feel for what you mean.

Also i changed the sword and shield twice, once with the same type of metal as the armor, and one copper. I think the shield looks fine the same as the armor, but i like the copper sword, what do you all think hmm? Maybe i should have a normal shield and a copper sword

Oh yeah, and guys thanks for all the critt, this forum is very helpful Just want to know I am really trying to implement what you say into my sprite (and soon to be Sprites)

[SFault]

The blue sword totally disappears to the blue armor background. Nevertheless, having just different color is not a good solution. The shape and contrast should do it. This can be tested with grayscale images.

Currently it seems that the light comes almost straight from our up-right. I would recommend to move the light source one step towards the camera/viewer, but not to the pillowshading position.

There is a rather big step from dark to light in the armor. Thus, the smaller changes pretty much disappear for the viewer. This makes it look like two colors and flat. Try to equalize the steps.

Also, there are several spots where shadow should be casted. E.g., the helmet blocks some light to reach the guy's eyes. Same thing in many joint spots. Beware, not to over-do the shadows.

[Zilus]

I think i got most of what you said except with the sword and shield, i've left them yellow so that they are easier to see for now, could you please explain hat you mean by grayscale images?

[Reepurr]

I think i got most of what you said except with the sword and shield, i've left them yellow so that they are easier to see for now, could you please explain hat you mean by grayscale images?

Grayscale means the entire picture is grey. (obviously.)

Most decent art software will let you put on a grayscale filter, which turns the entire picture grey. Then you can see how the different shades look without being affected by different colours.

Yet another quick paintover.

file-5.png (4.48 KiB) Viewed 3448 times

[Zilus]

-sorry i double posted-

[Zilus]

Aha! i found the grey scale button, when i pressed it i was able to tell everything apart, and still when there was color. I took the repaint you did and darkened up the sword and hilt slightly, i didn't like it so bright. Oh, i hope you don't mind me using that thing you did to his stomach, it makes him look 100 times better.

I think this particular sprite is drawing to a close, anyone else see something wrong with it? I've been staring at it so much i'm starting to struggle to see errors :/.

If no one finds any (notable) problems, then i'm going to try to animate him, or i will start the next sprite.

[Reepurr]

darkened up the sword and hilt slightly, i didn't like it so bright. Oh, i hope you don't mind me using that thing you did to his stomach, it makes him look 100 times better.

The sword is meant to be bright so it stands out.

I think this particular sprite is drawing to a close, anyone else see something wrong with it? I've been staring at it so much i'm starting to struggle to see errors :/.

How about the fact he's trying to fall over? (right leg straight forward)

[Midnight_Carnival]

Good beginning, I think the sword looks a lot better and the armor looks great. The head/face also shows improvement.
If you want to 'fix' this one, I'd suggest working on the way he's standing (the left shoulder is drawn as though facing S, while the legs are facing SE) and on the helmet.

Or you could draw another one, something different, just to get the feeling of what works and what doesn't. Unlike most of the forum, I believe that a well-drawn sprite facing S, or even N is still a well-drawn sprite, and so I'd advise you to practice drawing things in the Wesnoth style (or develop your own if you are prepared to draw all the sprites for a campaign -different looking units are ok, as long as they don't appear next to Wesnoth canonical looking units).
Enjoy making many more sprites.

[Zilus]

Working on trying to get this one to face SE, i COULD start on another one.. but A: I have no imagination XD.
And B: I want them all to look like they were made for wesnoth. (In other words, if put next to a mainline unit, although it would look carpy, it would still be obviously made for the same game.)

[Zilus]

OKAY! So i believe i have finally finished the swordsman, and am now working on a new.. guy. Im trying to get a coppery feel to his armor. Looks abit too yellow, but i'll try to fix that tomorrow morning.

*edit*

Noooo i painted over it D: oh well.