So I'm slowly working on a 32x pack, and I came across the texture I will dread the most: sand. Sand sucks to texture. I can't get it right (especially since I've put a 5-color-per-block restriction on myself), and I can't get it nice and soft and wavy. How do y'all do it?
Sands not too bad but it can be a pain sometimes depending on your pack's style. You can also use Random-CTM if you want to use some of the MCPatcher/Optifine features. That really helps break up the repetition
Personally, I think it's textures like cobble that are a pain, because it's a pain to have good tiling and no repetition while still having good shading/coloring.
I always try to go for the wavy, dune, kind...I don't think I've ever got it looking that great; generally, I'd say that (assuming you're going to approach this as wavy-sand) a fair way to start is by simply making some wavy-lines over your mid-tone of your palette using the tone above it.
Like peyton said, contrast this by applying the tone below your mid aside the added highlight; facing away from the added shadow, at your highest higlight quite thinly over the top, and also add your darkest colour close or right against your mid-high tone you applied first.
If this is 16x, make about 2-4 waves; 32x make anything from 3-6. I'm assuming you're working in a low res. in that palette-limit.
You've got a bit of a tiling error with the texture (where the upper right meets the upper left of the next texture. It creates this repetitive horizontal line that's rather noticeable). Barring that however, I do think you have a nice base texture in the works. I think to get the look you want, you definitely should add shading - highlights at the "crests" and shadows in the dips to emphasize the waviness of the sand.
I'm going for something like beach sand. Sorta wavy and smooth, but not exactly rolling.
Hrm, maybe you should go with something without actual shading, but more of "accent" colors then? That's actually the style I was going for in my pack as well, maybe you can use my textures as a reference.
Instead of shading, I actually just used 3 colors. One for the base, then added some "swirly random pattern" on top, that was nearly the same color as the base. (a hair lighter) Finally, I added the brighter colors inbetween the base and top layer to give it a sort of "piled" look, and speckled all over the texture randomly with that same bright color. Final result was a sort of cartoony sand look. If you're also going for bright, colorful and cartoony, you can rip off my design and make your own version of it. If you're going for more realistic, gritty, or pixel-art style. Just add in some more colors of grit/sand grain, but leave the base and top color intact.
Hrm, maybe you should go with something without actual shading, but more of "accent" colors then? That's actually the style I was going for in my pack as well, maybe you can use my textures as a reference.
Instead of shading, I actually just used 3 colors. One for the base, then added some "swirly random pattern" on top, that was nearly the same color as the base. (a hair lighter) Finally, I added the brighter colors inbetween the base and top layer to give it a sort of "piled" look, and speckled all over the texture randomly with that same bright color. Final result was a sort of cartoony sand look. If you're also going for bright, colorful and cartoony, you can rip off my design and make your own version of it. If you're going for more realistic, gritty, or pixel-art style. Just add in some more colors of grit/sand grain, but leave the base and top color intact.
--snip--
Just my 2 cents. Good luck
Thanks! That helped a ton. I'm actually going to download your pack so I can get a better feel for what you're talking about, and I might try that effect with my sand. It seems to make sense.
So I tried that out, and it didn't quite suit the way I want to go with my pack. But how's this look:
Actually thats not a bad texture. Although I'm not sure if I would make it your sand texture. Maybe recolor it and make it your stone texture? I think it would fit it well?
..actually, it would make a good bark for oak or pine too. hmm...
Actually thats not a bad texture. Although I'm not sure if I would make it your sand texture. Maybe recolor it and make it your stone texture? I think it would fit it well?
..actually, it would make a good bark for oak or pine too. hmm...
What if I take the contrast out a bit to soften it?
hmm, I think No.1 is a better fit, its smoother, but still a little grainy. Maybe darken the darkest layer of No.1 by about 10~ or so, making the lighter layer pop out a tad more?
Here's my sand texture:
Personally, I think it's textures like cobble that are a pain, because it's a pain to have good tiling and no repetition while still having good shading/coloring.
Maybe you could give us a picture of what you have so far so we can tell what's wrong with it?
Updated the first post.
There's a billion styles of sand to use, but I'm not sure how to offer advice until I know what look you're going for
Hrm, maybe you should go with something without actual shading, but more of "accent" colors then? That's actually the style I was going for in my pack as well, maybe you can use my textures as a reference.
Instead of shading, I actually just used 3 colors. One for the base, then added some "swirly random pattern" on top, that was nearly the same color as the base. (a hair lighter) Finally, I added the brighter colors inbetween the base and top layer to give it a sort of "piled" look, and speckled all over the texture randomly with that same bright color. Final result was a sort of cartoony sand look. If you're also going for bright, colorful and cartoony, you can rip off my design and make your own version of it. If you're going for more realistic, gritty, or pixel-art style. Just add in some more colors of grit/sand grain, but leave the base and top color intact.
Just my 2 cents. Good luck
Thanks! That helped a ton. I'm actually going to download your pack so I can get a better feel for what you're talking about, and I might try that effect with my sand. It seems to make sense.
Actually thats not a bad texture. Although I'm not sure if I would make it your sand texture. Maybe recolor it and make it your stone texture? I think it would fit it well?
..actually, it would make a good bark for oak or pine too. hmm...
What if I take the contrast out a bit to soften it?
EDIT: Or maybe more like this:
...But that's just my opinion.
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