Hello I am NavyKiller252. I know an introduction wasn't needed but I felt it was necessary considering I'm fresh to this website. Anyway I have been playing Minecraft for about a year now, PC and Xbox. I enjoy all things from Mob traps to my various redstone contraptions. But the one thing that I am not any good at is making my builds looks decently appealing. Any advice you can pass on?
Yup. Don't build a structure out of a single material like wooden planks or cobblestone. Mix it up. Build with logs, planks, and cobblestone or any other mix of materials.
Ok I've had this like REAL obsession lately with sandstone and nether brick. I basically destroyed a huge portion of my fortress (that was way too far away from my home base ANYWAY so ... I kinda moved my netherwart farm) and got a massive pile of bricks, stairs, fencing.
That, with wool and obsidian details looks amazing together.
Now if I can just get my builds to look how I want them to...
That'll give you a general gist of how they look together.
That's my main problem, I have have no idea what looks good together, I try to experiment but nothing seems to look appealing
Keep experimenting. You could google some images and probably get some good ideas. There are also a few "Let's Builds" on YouTube that can give you greeeeat designing tips.
Any my protip is to never make a wall too big without adding some features into the wall that break up the monotiny.
Ie if you build a big house make windows, patios, struts, wool, etc etc etc.
Well the only advice I can offer is with structure.
Take a look at what humans have accomplished. Classical, Roman, Renaissance, Modern.
Now forget everything. Take a few moments to think of something entirely original, and the build will feel a lot more personal, and have a slice of your soul put in. Even if it's a failure, you'll still be the first, and people respect originality. Plus, you can go back to those ideas, and refine. Experimenting can prove useless if you learn nothing. If something failed, ask yourself why, and if you don't have the answer, ask someone who does. It takes a lot of work, elbow grease and whatnot, but is far more worth it when you have... I don't want to say anything to spoil the creativity.
TL:DR, Build, and then think why it works or doesn't.
A good tip is to keep your build's foundations logically-sensible. That's what I try to do with my builds. It looks more natural that way and I feel it makes the building easier because it "makes sense" to put certain blocks in a specific place.
A good tip is to keep your build's foundations logically-sensible. That's what I try to do with my builds. It looks more natural that way and I feel it makes the building easier because it "makes sense" to put certain blocks in a specific place.
Thats kind of limiting though. I sometimes design wizard towers and the like to look unreal to give it a magical kind of feel. If you dont mind taking some extra time just go with a good base sort of design then take a look at it, see whats wrong with it and go on to add features and designs that go along with the feel you want your build to have.
Well the only advice I can offer is with structure.
Take a look at what humans have accomplished. Classical, Roman, Renaissance, Modern.
Now forget everything. Take a few moments to think of something entirely original, and the build will feel a lot more personal, and have a slice of your soul put in. Even if it's a failure, you'll still be the first, and people respect originality. Plus, you can go back to those ideas, and refine. Experimenting can prove useless if you learn nothing. If something failed, ask yourself why, and if you don't have the answer, ask someone who does. It takes a lot of work, elbow grease and whatnot, but is far more worth it when you have... I don't want to say anything to spoil the creativity.
TL:DR, Build, and then think why it works or doesn't.
Okay, Howard Roark.
I have a decent thread for building in Minecraft. Click here.
One thing to keep in mind is contrast... As some blocks don't really contrast well with each other. Sometimes blending colors or shades there of could work, but then it would all look like one wall of color; ie Rainbow effect. So in these instances it is better to get a similar color and work with an almost opposite... One person mentioned nether bricks and sandstone. the reason those contrast well is due to one being a dark color and the other being a light color; think Vanilla and chocolate. The things you want to stand out in features should be done this way while the ones you don't should in a way have a blending effect. That is if you have an eye for color, as not everyone does. This does not mean it is impossible just more tricky to blend things together when and where needed.
also keep note that something too dark with something extremely bright colored might not be appealing since that might detract from it and overpower the color tones in what you are building. Also look at how each design on the blocks are; ie like stone brick and similar some would go together in a blend but might not be the same as making the whole build that way, as it would have a rainbow blending effect and look like a flat wall. Not always the case, but in quite a few instances it is best to find a separate block that will add to the depth of the build rather than using a select few of the same color.
Build with function in mind might help as well. The dotes on what wolfeuk has said.. Not all buildings are square, even if the first you build happens to be, you can always add to the build to make it not so squarish. It is kinda what I did in my own builds, well the ones that actually use to be just a pile of blocks in a rectangle/square shape. I just added to the outside somewhat to at least add the illusion that there is more to the buildings. Also in mine it kinda gave it a certain style...
Shadows can be another thing you could play around with as well. I have made my fair share of semi-hidden lighting. Think of how shadows will affect a build, since in places it might be best to light it up but you don't want a torch or the lighting used to be singled out. Creating shadows in the build could help make the build stand out pretty well from the rest. This part of any build can be a bit tricky, especially if you don't really know how you want to go about the lighting itself beyond the shadow playing...
Well I hope this at least gives an idea of how to approach a building when planing the structure and overall look. As i am basically just adding to what everyone else has said. This is basically how I go about my own builds... Usually, since I build as I go and must think before hand to have in mind want I want something to look like, and then plan out how i want to go about it...:D
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My First World, always getting back to is a pleasure I enjoy with each new update that brings in more things to add in.
That's my main problem, I have have no idea what looks good together, I try to experiment but nothing seems to look appealing
Set up a creative world and then set up piles of various different blocks in different combinations with each other. That way, you can go back into the world periodically to pick out the various block combos you want to try use particular builds. When choosing, try to view the various block stacks at different times of the day and when it's raining. The blocks may look quite different together in different lighting situations.
/\ Stolen from Daemon67, who stole from Axxe127, who stole from awshox, who stole from switchs, who stole from Badgerz, who stole from Tirin.
That, with wool and obsidian details looks amazing together.
Now if I can just get my builds to look how I want them to...
That'll give you a general gist of how they look together.
Keep experimenting. You could google some images and probably get some good ideas. There are also a few "Let's Builds" on YouTube that can give you greeeeat designing tips.
Any my protip is to never make a wall too big without adding some features into the wall that break up the monotiny.
Ie if you build a big house make windows, patios, struts, wool, etc etc etc.
Take a look at what humans have accomplished. Classical, Roman, Renaissance, Modern.
Now forget everything. Take a few moments to think of something entirely original, and the build will feel a lot more personal, and have a slice of your soul put in. Even if it's a failure, you'll still be the first, and people respect originality. Plus, you can go back to those ideas, and refine. Experimenting can prove useless if you learn nothing. If something failed, ask yourself why, and if you don't have the answer, ask someone who does. It takes a lot of work, elbow grease and whatnot, but is far more worth it when you have... I don't want to say anything to spoil the creativity.
TL:DR, Build, and then think why it works or doesn't.
Thats kind of limiting though. I sometimes design wizard towers and the like to look unreal to give it a magical kind of feel. If you dont mind taking some extra time just go with a good base sort of design then take a look at it, see whats wrong with it and go on to add features and designs that go along with the feel you want your build to have.
Okay, Howard Roark.
I have a decent thread for building in Minecraft. Click here.
also keep note that something too dark with something extremely bright colored might not be appealing since that might detract from it and overpower the color tones in what you are building. Also look at how each design on the blocks are; ie like stone brick and similar some would go together in a blend but might not be the same as making the whole build that way, as it would have a rainbow blending effect and look like a flat wall. Not always the case, but in quite a few instances it is best to find a separate block that will add to the depth of the build rather than using a select few of the same color.
Build with function in mind might help as well. The dotes on what wolfeuk has said.. Not all buildings are square, even if the first you build happens to be, you can always add to the build to make it not so squarish. It is kinda what I did in my own builds, well the ones that actually use to be just a pile of blocks in a rectangle/square shape. I just added to the outside somewhat to at least add the illusion that there is more to the buildings. Also in mine it kinda gave it a certain style...
Shadows can be another thing you could play around with as well. I have made my fair share of semi-hidden lighting. Think of how shadows will affect a build, since in places it might be best to light it up but you don't want a torch or the lighting used to be singled out. Creating shadows in the build could help make the build stand out pretty well from the rest. This part of any build can be a bit tricky, especially if you don't really know how you want to go about the lighting itself beyond the shadow playing...
Well I hope this at least gives an idea of how to approach a building when planing the structure and overall look. As i am basically just adding to what everyone else has said. This is basically how I go about my own builds... Usually, since I build as I go and must think before hand to have in mind want I want something to look like, and then plan out how i want to go about it...:D
Set up a creative world and then set up piles of various different blocks in different combinations with each other. That way, you can go back into the world periodically to pick out the various block combos you want to try use particular builds. When choosing, try to view the various block stacks at different times of the day and when it's raining. The blocks may look quite different together in different lighting situations.
Maybe so, but an intricate build in survival definitely deserves props.