The Meaning of Life, the Universe, and Everything.
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First off I hope this is the correct sub-forum for this, if not tell me so I can move it.
But anyway i recently started working on a few textures because I had some ideas and I've always thought about creating a texture pack. The most experience I had before this was just recoloring textures, and I didn't know just how much effort this stuff takes. I've spent about 12 hours total now and have only finished 4 textures, that I'm not even completely happy with. I would like to show off what I've got done and get some feedback from some artists(or non-artists I guess) .
I was very much inspired by PureBDcraft which I'm sure you'll be able to tell (and I'll even admit to color picking the oak plank color, shhhhhh) Also, some textures are 128x and some are 256x because I haven't decided which resolution to go with yet. Most likely will end up doing both, I work in illustrator anyway.
The sand texture is gonna get tweak and I'm definitely gonna look at the side grass texture again.
But yea I think that's all I have to say, here are some screenshots and the texture files. I'll set up a download soon after if you want to inspect them in-game:
The Meaning of Life, the Universe, and Everything.
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Thanks so much for the solid feedback! I'll probably go for x128 res since it's more accessible to more people.
I do quite like how the sand texture turned out. I have to redo it tho because I found a way better method for making it tile well. shouldn't change too much though. I was actually thinking I should make the darkest dots a little lighter so they don't pop as much.
Yea I wasn't happy with the side grass to start with. I'll probably retry that tommorow. In the future I plan to have CTM for the wood planks so that the borders are only on the sides, and have each plank type have different detailing on the individual planks.
I thought the tiling on the dirt blocks was fine. I layed some out and didn't notice anything, besides the repetitiveness that's hard to avoid without variant textures. Here's a better picture, pick out the errors for me if you would please. http://imgur.com/yCjSgtF
The Meaning of Life, the Universe, and Everything.
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SallyYan
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This is a very cool looking texture pack, good job! I don't like the PureBDCraft texture pack, so I was surprised to find that i actually love how this texture pack looks! I love the oak log texture, but I think you should texture cobblestone next, because in the image of the village house the cobblestone looks very out of place! If you add a download link for it then I'll look at it in-game, and give you some more feedback. Keep up the good work!
The Meaning of Life, the Universe, and Everything.
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Alright I have the first draft of the cobble texture. I did a bit of an unorthodox shape for the stones but I kinda like that aspect of it. The only thing I dont like atm is I think the light stones are a bit too light. That, or I put too many of them. I might also mess with the colors to make them contrast a bit more so it looks a little less flat. But let me know what you think! You might have a very different opinion. I don't think I want to put a download link until I have at least 15-20 textures done. But if you want, maybe I'll upload a very rough copy.
The Meaning of Life, the Universe, and Everything.
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OK I've been having a lot of fun with this! As I do more and more textures I'm figuring out exactly which direction I want this project to go. So here's more stuff I did. The birch log textures and I altered the cobblestone. Take a look and let me know what you think! Soon I'm going to update the OP to reflect the progress. I also need a name for the pack! Hit me up with suggestions.
The Meaning of Life, the Universe, and Everything.
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The cobblestone texture looks awesome! It really fits in with the house now! I love the birch log, but I think you should make the dark patches a tiny bit lighter, but other than that the new textures look great!
The Meaning of Life, the Universe, and Everything.
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More textures finished. I like the sort of sharp, angular theme I got going on.
I recolored the oak log for the spruce, dark oak and acacia trees. I think they look good. Spruce might get a unique texture in the future but this will do for now. I also made a unique texture for jungle logs. I didn't do the top of any of these logs yet because I think I'm going to change the shape. Recolored sand to make red sand as well and tweaked the color of the black spots on birch. Oh, and I did tall grass too which I actually really like. The color doesn't match the grass exactly, but I'll fix that once I finish all the textures that function off a colormap. It'll be easier to fix them all at once. Let me know how this is turning out!
Next I'm going to try a concept or two for stone and do the ores, and probably the tops of the logs. Sandstone might make it in too. By then I'll also have a to-do list together for a version 0.1 and a download link for bug testing!
The Meaning of Life, the Universe, and Everything.
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I love how this texture pack is looking so far, you have done an amazing job with it! Keep up the awesome work, and as soon as you release a download I shall test it straight away!
I've spent about 12 hours total now and have only finished 4 textures, that I'm not even completely happy with.
Yeah, texture packs take a huge amount of time.
Also, some textures are 128x and some are 256x because I haven't decided which resolution to go with yet. Most likely will end up doing both, I work in illustrator anyway.
That's not really a problem. Both of my packs, Lithos:Core and Visibility use a variety of resolutions. The point is to make it all look good together, not to match some number.
Some comments:
You are showing a sense of style, and some judgement, but I recommend you think more about the style for this pack. The existing blocks don't really show a consistent approach.
It is almost all flat edges, but then you use a lot circles for the sand.
Then you have a very abstract, geometric approach (sand, grass top), and then at the opposite end a detailed subtily shaded approach for logs and planks.
The logs have a nice style where you highlight edges with very thin lighter lines, but I don't see that elsewhere.
Some blocks have semi-transparent shapes, but most don't.
Some blocks have a few colors, all distinct, and other blocks have many slightly different shades that are almost a gradient.
------------
That's not to say that you can't adapt to the needs of the block you are doing, but all of this doesn't really hang together as a single style.
The Meaning of Life, the Universe, and Everything.
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I appreciate the reply, I'm glad to get some advice from a great artist such as yourself!
I've chosen to go with the with subtly shaded, geometric style. However, I don't want to use gradients, or atleast use them selectively( I've used a subtle glow effect in my glowstone texture which I think looks great). I find I like those textures the best (planks and logs). I've already resolved to redo the sand, dirt and grass because I informed of a pack that uses a technique similar to that and I don't want to be compared to that or poach on the style. I like those textures that I've made, I just don't think they fit in this pack. I also want to try to avoid using curves, but I think I will do so for certain things to give the block a softer looking texture. (Snow, for example.) I think breaking the theme for something like that is fine because there's a reason to do so and It doesn't exactly clash with everything else.
The highlights in the logs are supposed to give them depth and make them look indented. I never noticed this to clash with the rest of the pack but now I'm questioning it. O_o
I only use transparent shapes to add shadows in, which I'm getting more comfortable with and am starting to do with more of the blocks I create.
Distinct colors and contrast is a good way to add texture in my opinion. Textures that contrast naturally look rougher, like grass or cobblestone. on the other hand, smoother transitioning colors make it look smoother to the touch (like my planks) But in the recent stuff I've made I am moving away from highly contrasting shades of color where it is unnecessary.
Also, I'm curious: Why do you think having contrasting colors in some blocks and not others is a bad thing?
So anyway, that's my reasoning behind everything I've done. This is my first time texturing so I'm trusting your eyes slightly more than mine at the moment. My only background before was traditional drawing. I'm going to keep in mind everything you've said going forward, and probably revisit some textures in the future. I'm really enjoying doing this.
Also, I'm curious: Why do you think having contrasting colors in some blocks and not others is a bad thing?
I didn't exactly say that. Obviously some texture will by nature have higher contrast than others. But look at the planks: they look good, and though they use flat areas of color, it is extremely smooth, and at first glance seems like a gradient. Most other blocks are less smooth and the "chunkiness" of the color areas are much more distinct. Both are a stylization compared to the smooth continuous tone of reality, but the smooth style of the planks is at a distinctly different point of the stylization contiuum than other stuff.
And having a non-uniform style is perfectly normal for the beginning of a project. Unless you are copying something you've done in the past, it takes time to zero in on an approach.
First off I hope this is the correct sub-forum for this, if not tell me so I can move it.
But anyway i recently started working on a few textures because I had some ideas and I've always thought about creating a texture pack. The most experience I had before this was just recoloring textures, and I didn't know just how much effort this stuff takes. I've spent about 12 hours total now and have only finished 4 textures, that I'm not even completely happy with. I would like to show off what I've got done and get some feedback from some artists(or non-artists I guess) .
I was very much inspired by PureBDcraft which I'm sure you'll be able to tell (and I'll even admit to color picking the oak plank color, shhhhhh) Also, some textures are 128x and some are 256x because I haven't decided which resolution to go with yet. Most likely will end up doing both, I work in illustrator anyway.
The sand texture is gonna get tweak and I'm definitely gonna look at the side grass texture again.
But yea I think that's all I have to say, here are some screenshots and the texture files. I'll set up a download soon after if you want to inspect them in-game:
A few more in this album: http://imgur.com/a/1468P
Give me some input, let me know if I should do more, and nit pick all the things please.
EDIT: That is not the shadow of a male genitalia, that's just me holding a block. Disregard.
Thanks so much for the solid feedback! I'll probably go for x128 res since it's more accessible to more people.
I do quite like how the sand texture turned out. I have to redo it tho because I found a way better method for making it tile well. shouldn't change too much though. I was actually thinking I should make the darkest dots a little lighter so they don't pop as much.
Yea I wasn't happy with the side grass to start with. I'll probably retry that tommorow. In the future I plan to have CTM for the wood planks so that the borders are only on the sides, and have each plank type have different detailing on the individual planks.
I thought the tiling on the dirt blocks was fine. I layed some out and didn't notice anything, besides the repetitiveness that's hard to avoid without variant textures. Here's a better picture, pick out the errors for me if you would please. http://imgur.com/yCjSgtF
Thanks again for the tips!
I dropped a log. The side of one at least. Might up the saturation a bit.
(I figured out how to embed images by the way. Maybe you noticed)
I did more stuffs. Top of the oak log and made the grass side better.
This is a very cool looking texture pack, good job! I don't like the PureBDCraft texture pack, so I was surprised to find that i actually love how this texture pack looks! I love the oak log texture, but I think you should texture cobblestone next, because in the image of the village house the cobblestone looks very out of place! If you add a download link for it then I'll look at it in-game, and give you some more feedback. Keep up the good work!
-SallyYan
Thanks! Maybe I'll give cobblestone a go tomorrow and post a picture of that same house.
Alright I have the first draft of the cobble texture. I did a bit of an unorthodox shape for the stones but I kinda like that aspect of it. The only thing I dont like atm is I think the light stones are a bit too light. That, or I put too many of them. I might also mess with the colors to make them contrast a bit more so it looks a little less flat. But let me know what you think! You might have a very different opinion. I don't think I want to put a download link until I have at least 15-20 textures done. But if you want, maybe I'll upload a very rough copy.
OK I've been having a lot of fun with this! As I do more and more textures I'm figuring out exactly which direction I want this project to go. So here's more stuff I did. The birch log textures and I altered the cobblestone. Take a look and let me know what you think! Soon I'm going to update the OP to reflect the progress. I also need a name for the pack! Hit me up with suggestions.
The cobblestone texture looks awesome! It really fits in with the house now! I love the birch log, but I think you should make the dark patches a tiny bit lighter, but other than that the new textures look great!
-SallyYan
Thank you
More textures finished. I like the sort of sharp, angular theme I got going on.
I recolored the oak log for the spruce, dark oak and acacia trees. I think they look good. Spruce might get a unique texture in the future but this will do for now. I also made a unique texture for jungle logs. I didn't do the top of any of these logs yet because I think I'm going to change the shape. Recolored sand to make red sand as well and tweaked the color of the black spots on birch. Oh, and I did tall grass too which I actually really like. The color doesn't match the grass exactly, but I'll fix that once I finish all the textures that function off a colormap. It'll be easier to fix them all at once. Let me know how this is turning out!
Next I'm going to try a concept or two for stone and do the ores, and probably the tops of the logs. Sandstone might make it in too. By then I'll also have a to-do list together for a version 0.1 and a download link for bug testing!
New images:
Full Album: http://imgur.com/a/u7Jww
I love how this texture pack is looking so far, you have done an amazing job with it! Keep up the awesome work, and as soon as you release a download I shall test it straight away!
-SallyYan
Thanks for the kind words, they keep me motivated
Your welcome!
-SallyYan
Yeah, texture packs take a huge amount of time.
That's not really a problem. Both of my packs, Lithos:Core and Visibility use a variety of resolutions. The point is to make it all look good together, not to match some number.
Some comments:
You are showing a sense of style, and some judgement, but I recommend you think more about the style for this pack. The existing blocks don't really show a consistent approach.
It is almost all flat edges, but then you use a lot circles for the sand.
Then you have a very abstract, geometric approach (sand, grass top), and then at the opposite end a detailed subtily shaded approach for logs and planks.
The logs have a nice style where you highlight edges with very thin lighter lines, but I don't see that elsewhere.
Some blocks have semi-transparent shapes, but most don't.
Some blocks have a few colors, all distinct, and other blocks have many slightly different shades that are almost a gradient.
------------
That's not to say that you can't adapt to the needs of the block you are doing, but all of this doesn't really hang together as a single style.
• Follow Lithos on Twitter for release announcments
* Join the Lithos Discord for previews and to help
I appreciate the reply, I'm glad to get some advice from a great artist such as yourself!
I've chosen to go with the with subtly shaded, geometric style. However, I don't want to use gradients, or atleast use them selectively( I've used a subtle glow effect in my glowstone texture which I think looks great). I find I like those textures the best (planks and logs). I've already resolved to redo the sand, dirt and grass because I informed of a pack that uses a technique similar to that and I don't want to be compared to that or poach on the style. I like those textures that I've made, I just don't think they fit in this pack. I also want to try to avoid using curves, but I think I will do so for certain things to give the block a softer looking texture. (Snow, for example.) I think breaking the theme for something like that is fine because there's a reason to do so and It doesn't exactly clash with everything else.
The highlights in the logs are supposed to give them depth and make them look indented. I never noticed this to clash with the rest of the pack but now I'm questioning it. O_o
I only use transparent shapes to add shadows in, which I'm getting more comfortable with and am starting to do with more of the blocks I create.
Distinct colors and contrast is a good way to add texture in my opinion. Textures that contrast naturally look rougher, like grass or cobblestone. on the other hand, smoother transitioning colors make it look smoother to the touch (like my planks) But in the recent stuff I've made I am moving away from highly contrasting shades of color where it is unnecessary.
Also, I'm curious: Why do you think having contrasting colors in some blocks and not others is a bad thing?
So anyway, that's my reasoning behind everything I've done. This is my first time texturing so I'm trusting your eyes slightly more than mine at the moment. My only background before was traditional drawing. I'm going to keep in mind everything you've said going forward, and probably revisit some textures in the future. I'm really enjoying doing this.
I didn't exactly say that. Obviously some texture will by nature have higher contrast than others. But look at the planks: they look good, and though they use flat areas of color, it is extremely smooth, and at first glance seems like a gradient. Most other blocks are less smooth and the "chunkiness" of the color areas are much more distinct. Both are a stylization compared to the smooth continuous tone of reality, but the smooth style of the planks is at a distinctly different point of the stylization contiuum than other stuff.
And having a non-uniform style is perfectly normal for the beginning of a project. Unless you are copying something you've done in the past, it takes time to zero in on an approach.
• Follow Lithos on Twitter for release announcments
* Join the Lithos Discord for previews and to help
Hm, ok. Thanks. I'll make an effort to conform to a single style.