Well supporting cast is wrapped up in the next day or two. What I'll do then is finish up a background and plug the protagonist into it and we'll see how it turns out.
Scared Citizen without white color adjustment or shading.
Scared Citizen with white color adjustment and shading.
I can tell right now I'm going to have to do several passes to darken the shade tints. Though, to be honest, I probably won't be shading the individual characters, and will likely do so only for the backgrounds.
Today I passed my Master's Comprehensive Exam, freeing me from much of my duties that have held me from working on the game. Also, pretty much earning me my master's degree. In honor I present the final supporting character! Time to start work on backgrounds!
This will be the first and only time I do progressive updates on backgrounds like this, since I don't want to blow the whole game's magic. I just want to illustrate the progress over several days of my first attempt.
To be wholly truthful, I wish I were better with the backgrounds than I am. I've never used PSP to paint anything in terms of shading and contours, so this is my first time through using this process. At any rate, the next time I work on one this it will be finished, and then I'll start putting together a brief, one room demo in this room.
Alright so the game's not close to dead, I'm just in background touchup.
What happened between last time and this time:
First, I felt a lot of the backgrounds weren't 'busy' enough. They were in some respects but not others. In particular, the above picture lacked for wall details in the bottom, partially colored version. I've partially corrected this in the top picture. However, I've also redefined the way rocks and stones feel in order to gain more definitive lines and shapes.
The backgrounds in general are getting 'busier' as I ink them. The topmost picture is an example of the direction I'm going as far as shaping the backgrounds.
Coloring wise I'm trying to move away from what are essentially gradient fills to something more dynamic, by far the more difficult of the two tasks given my disinterest in painting.
I've also moved to a different type of paper and pen in order to achieve cleaner strokes and lines. Maybe not noticeable to anyone else, but to me, in touchup, thick lines are killing me to clean.
It depends on the mood you're trying to convey. Should this be a bright scene or a dark, foreboding scene?
If you make it dark, the important thing is that special objects should either be brighter or have a very distinct color. Some people have their monitor brightness set lower than yours, and they won't see things in the dark as well. One of the scenes in Myst that annoyed me was a very dark scene, that I had to turn my monitor brightness all the way up to see anything. Good adventure games don't make you adjust your computer settings to solve them.
It depends on the mood you're trying to convey. Should this be a bright scene or a dark, foreboding scene?
If you make it dark, the important thing is that special objects should either be brighter or have a very distinct color. Some people have their monitor brightness set lower than yours, and they won't see things in the dark as well. One of the scenes in Myst that annoyed me was a very dark scene, that I had to turn my monitor brightness all the way up to see anything. Good adventure games don't make you adjust your computer settings to solve them.
That's a great point. I didn't think about that. Thanks.
Hey gang. As you all know, this is on the backburner until my master's paper is done. About 3 more weeks. I'm working on inking the backgrounds. I'll be able to start coloring the backgrounds in May.
It's great how determined you are to actually get this going, making a game is an unholy amount of work, I really wanna see how this all pans out and someday play the finished product
Update: I'm not satisfied with some of the backgrounds. They're not 'busy' enough so I'm doing a second layer to impose on the first background. It consists mostly of additional items like bags, chairs, etc. Will ink those, scan both in, layer them on each other and come out with a final print suitable for coloring.
Comments
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IyPURnM-CKI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YYOG6eZtABs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t41ZK9tSyxs
The Butcher, someone you'll have to navigate in order to progress. In case you missed his theme song, here you go:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LNt3dNc_cNM
Think we have... three more to finish up!
The countdown is on! Only two more to go!!
Scared Citizen with white color adjustment and shading.
I can tell right now I'm going to have to do several passes to darken the shade tints. Though, to be honest, I probably won't be shading the individual characters, and will likely do so only for the backgrounds.
Apologies again that these last few characters are coming so slow, I've got my final comprehensive this week.
BUT! ONLY ONE SUPPORTING CHARACTER LEFT!!!
The finished thing is going to be ultra awesome.
Seriously though, looks great.
This will be the first and only time I do progressive updates on backgrounds like this, since I don't want to blow the whole game's magic. I just want to illustrate the progress over several days of my first attempt.
To be wholly truthful, I wish I were better with the backgrounds than I am. I've never used PSP to paint anything in terms of shading and contours, so this is my first time through using this process. At any rate, the next time I work on one this it will be finished, and then I'll start putting together a brief, one room demo in this room.
Alright so the game's not close to dead, I'm just in background touchup.
What happened between last time and this time:
First, I felt a lot of the backgrounds weren't 'busy' enough. They were in some respects but not others. In particular, the above picture lacked for wall details in the bottom, partially colored version. I've partially corrected this in the top picture. However, I've also redefined the way rocks and stones feel in order to gain more definitive lines and shapes.
The backgrounds in general are getting 'busier' as I ink them. The topmost picture is an example of the direction I'm going as far as shaping the backgrounds.
Coloring wise I'm trying to move away from what are essentially gradient fills to something more dynamic, by far the more difficult of the two tasks given my disinterest in painting.
I've also moved to a different type of paper and pen in order to achieve cleaner strokes and lines. Maybe not noticeable to anyone else, but to me, in touchup, thick lines are killing me to clean.
Have been playing with 'levels' in the meantime, affecting shade and lighting. If you have an opinion, please share.
Old
New
If you make it dark, the important thing is that special objects should either be brighter or have a very distinct color. Some people have their monitor brightness set lower than yours, and they won't see things in the dark as well. One of the scenes in Myst that annoyed me was a very dark scene, that I had to turn my monitor brightness all the way up to see anything. Good adventure games don't make you adjust your computer settings to solve them.
That's a great point. I didn't think about that. Thanks.
Not that it's worth saying (y'know, again), but both look great.
I'll have all the inking done within a week, then I'll post updates.