Its a texture with two colors so there wasn't much I could do with it, but funny how some things work out like that.
Here's a screenshot though:
-snip-
Don't worry I already changed the leaves. I think I'll change the glass color too. I really like this, especially with the C64 restrictions I've placed on myself. I think it may be a cop-out to go with pure green for grass and pure white for snow, but I like the way it looks and don't want to bother with them.
I think it would also be interesting to make the background color black but maybe I'll do that after finishing this pack. (this may not sound like a big deal, but with C64 restrictions, it can be huge)
Looks good. By C64 restrictions, do you mean that you are only using four colours in each quarter of a texture?
Also, my stuff so far.
Simple 16x16, with a top-down light source, inspired by the game Mutant Mudds.
What changed so much? And Drazile has a good point. You don't have to test the textures in Alpha, just take your screenshots in Alpha.
Well, I wasn't too keen on it in the first place, I don't usually do challenges. It was like "so easy it just might work".... the nether stuff is sort of a dealbreaker because I hadn't accounted for it when I made my palette.
Plus I have college to worry about soon as I still need to set up for that, and I still need to work on my own pack.
I'd really like to do testing or even just the final screenshots in that versions, but even just that I think would require serious dedications when it comes to getting diamonds, obsidian, and finally going to the nether.
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"I'm an outsider by choice, but not truly.
It’s the unpleasantness of the system that keeps me out.
I’d rather be in, in a good system. That’s where my discontent comes from:
being forced to choose to stay outside.
My advice: Just keep movin’ straight ahead.
Every now and then you find yourself in a different place."
-George Carlin
Looking good! I feel like the stoneslab looks odd next to other, could look better with sharper edges. Its the dithering that makes it too different from others i think. Cobblestone and planks looks real good.
Thanks! I'm glad you like the planks, I'm surprised how well they turned out, considering I've never tried pixel art planks before (of that style).
The stone slabs do look weird, having so much dithering. They were from me experimenting with pixel art stone bricks awhile back, and I never used them for anything, so I realigned them and adjusted them to fit my palette, but because they weren't made now, or with this current style in mind, they don't look the same. They also looked much better as stone bricks, because the soft corners didn't line up.
So I sharpened the corners to make them feel more connected. How do they look now?
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Fare well everyone! My time to retire has come! "And with that, POW! I'm gone." ---Lord Crump
Here's an example what i've meant. It looks a tad sharper now but the dithering smooths it out too much for there to be too much of a noticable difference. I feel like the dithering is there just because, and it doesn't form any kindof shape for the brick. It certainly gives it much more of a stylistic look than one with no dithering. It also seems you used dithering to make it look "rougher" like a stone would look.
If you don't it to look as smooth as in slab n.1 you can give it some dents like in the 2. making those are pretty easy keeping the lightsource in mind. In three i gave it some dithering to make it look a bit concave in the middle. The last on might be a bit overdone, since it looks like it's been beaten with a hammer looking at it now. Dithering is nice, but overdone it can look a bit messy. You don't really need to give it a shape like this, this is just how i feel it could look better and more "defined". As you said i too think the round shape would work better as stonebricks.
I wasn't sure if it would work out, using those for stone slabs, but you're definitely right, they just don't work with the dithering. I want to give that texture a use, but this challenge has no Stone Bricks.
I did add the dithering inside kind-of to make it rough, but only because it seemed weird with nothing going on around the inside. The first example definitely is too simple, and while the last one is the most detailed, I still find that example lacks something in the centre. The edges look too rough because it is contrasted against the smooth looking face inside. I don't know if that is something you are supposed to do with pixel art, because I'm still a pixel art novice, but it seems unfinished with the inside empty. I had that problem when I was making my Stone Bricks, so I added some dithering on the inside, which, after reading what you said, does seem to be the wrong method. So, should I decrease the dithering inside, replace it with something, or just leave a smooth face on it? (I will probably redo it, but if I can fix the current slabs/stone bricks, it would really help me in making the next ones)
The diamond is a bit difficult to see, being so small... Perhaps adding another bigger one somewhere?
That is a really unique stone texture though, and pretty cool looking as well!
I'd say decrease the dithering. You can and should use dithering, but try to think were to use it. If the contrast was lowered the dithering might work better, but i don't know if its possible with the palette you're using. I was looking for round stone bricks on google but didn't really find a good one. I think a good exercise in this would be to work on the texture and not relying on color to convey what the texture is. so make the texture and try to look if it still comes across as stone in different colors aswell.
Here you can see how in red and purple your texture resemble a lot like wool, while mine still has a somewhat stoneish look to them because they have elements like stone usually has. Cracks, dents etc.
I hope i don't sound too harsh, you did mention you're a novice at this and considering that i think you're textures as a whole are above novice. You have shown interest in pixelart previously too and since people have liked my stuff i thought i'd share my thought process in texturing. Mostly what i've said is what others have said to me, and it really has helped me improve a lot so i feel like i'm passing the torch on to others.
That is an interesting, effective take on it. I was actually going to say mine looked like wool before I even got to that part.
I'll try lowering the amount of dithering and try for a more 'solid' feel, which should more resemble stone, I do see what you're getting at. After taking a closer look at yours, I think mine also needs more solid chunks of shading, because all of mine break up into soft dithered edges, which definitely doesn't contribute to a solid stone look.
And no, I'm definitely not offended, you give good critique and advice. After all, getting good feedback is how I got to the pixel art I'm making now from the bucket fills I made when I started.
Edit: I've decided to just put the stone bricks back as stone bricks, and just start the new stone slabs right away. So, here's what I have at the moment regarding the stone bricks, with red and purple variants. I personally think the stone material is conveyed, much more than my previous ones, at the very least.
So, this is the preview design I will use here then. I will just add vertically. This layout allows me to give a regular, close up, and tiled preview of each.
I'm thinking of calling it Wistful Wilderness, because of my longing (wistfulness) for my textures to work out, and the weathered jungle ruins feeling I get from the planks and especially cobblestone.
I've added the new stone slabs, stone, and bricks. I know stone has a slight tiling error, but I've been working at it for hours and it will never completely go away.
Also, my stuff so far.
Simple 16x16, with a top-down light source, inspired by the game Mutant Mudds.
(with my own palette)
Well, I wasn't too keen on it in the first place, I don't usually do challenges. It was like "so easy it just might work".... the nether stuff is sort of a dealbreaker because I hadn't accounted for it when I made my palette.
Plus I have college to worry about soon as I still need to set up for that, and I still need to work on my own pack.
I'd really like to do testing or even just the final screenshots in that versions, but even just that I think would require serious dedications when it comes to getting diamonds, obsidian, and finally going to the nether.
"I'm an outsider by choice, but not truly.
It’s the unpleasantness of the system that keeps me out.
I’d rather be in, in a good system. That’s where my discontent comes from:
being forced to choose to stay outside.
My advice: Just keep movin’ straight ahead.
Every now and then you find yourself in a different place."
-George Carlin
Kind of a new face around here, was lurking and saw this awesome thread. Just wanted to give it a shot that's all.
http://www.pixeljoint.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=12795
Click it to make it full size, I made it really wide to fit it all on.
"And with that, POW! I'm gone." ---Lord Crump
Thanks! I'm glad you like the planks, I'm surprised how well they turned out, considering I've never tried pixel art planks before (of that style).
The stone slabs do look weird, having so much dithering. They were from me experimenting with pixel art stone bricks awhile back, and I never used them for anything, so I realigned them and adjusted them to fit my palette, but because they weren't made now, or with this current style in mind, they don't look the same. They also looked much better as stone bricks, because the soft corners didn't line up.
So I sharpened the corners to make them feel more connected. How do they look now?
"And with that, POW! I'm gone." ---Lord Crump
32x. Calling it Crystalline.
I wasn't sure if it would work out, using those for stone slabs, but you're definitely right, they just don't work with the dithering. I want to give that texture a use, but this challenge has no Stone Bricks.
I did add the dithering inside kind-of to make it rough, but only because it seemed weird with nothing going on around the inside. The first example definitely is too simple, and while the last one is the most detailed, I still find that example lacks something in the centre. The edges look too rough because it is contrasted against the smooth looking face inside. I don't know if that is something you are supposed to do with pixel art, because I'm still a pixel art novice, but it seems unfinished with the inside empty. I had that problem when I was making my Stone Bricks, so I added some dithering on the inside, which, after reading what you said, does seem to be the wrong method. So, should I decrease the dithering inside, replace it with something, or just leave a smooth face on it?
(I will probably redo it, but if I can fix the current slabs/stone bricks, it would really help me in making the next ones)
And it's a pretty sexy one at that! I love the warm tone and the amount of browns. With your pixel art skill, it should look great!
The diamond is a bit difficult to see, being so small... Perhaps adding another bigger one somewhere?
That is a really unique stone texture though, and pretty cool looking as well!
"And with that, POW! I'm gone." ---Lord Crump
That is an interesting, effective take on it. I was actually going to say mine looked like wool before I even got to that part.
I'll try lowering the amount of dithering and try for a more 'solid' feel, which should more resemble stone, I do see what you're getting at. After taking a closer look at yours, I think mine also needs more solid chunks of shading, because all of mine break up into soft dithered edges, which definitely doesn't contribute to a solid stone look.
And no, I'm definitely not offended, you give good critique and advice. After all, getting good feedback is how I got to the pixel art I'm making now from the bucket fills I made when I started.
Edit: I've decided to just put the stone bricks back as stone bricks, and just start the new stone slabs right away. So, here's what I have at the moment regarding the stone bricks, with red and purple variants. I personally think the stone material is conveyed, much more than my previous ones, at the very least.
"And with that, POW! I'm gone." ---Lord Crump
I like this, it's like the Simple Pack Showdown, only with about half of the amount of things to texture!
I'm thinking of calling it Wistful Wilderness, because of my longing (wistfulness) for my textures to work out, and the weathered jungle ruins feeling I get from the planks and especially cobblestone.
I've added the new stone slabs, stone, and bricks. I know stone has a slight tiling error, but I've been working at it for hours and it will never completely go away.
Thanks! The idea of making it more 'solid' definitely helped, and is a lot easier to do than just improving it.
"And with that, POW! I'm gone." ---Lord Crump
Considering I'm used to working with 16x now, I don't think I did too bad.
The stone looks like jellybeans.
I really like the non mossy version. However, the way the moss is now makes it look messy and improperly shaded.
32 colours, sort of a "refined" version of the one I posted on the TAU a while back. Have fun.
Redstone, coal, gold, and iron ore, as well as mossy and cobblestone.