Level art contest

Well, for my Crystal Egg artwork, I borrowed the side crystals from Labyrinth, but edited them a bit (colors basically)...

 

Yes, if you read my "Egg Ruins" post, you'd've(WHOAMG double contraction) found out originality is where it's at.

 

:D Alright, finally. This is a desert type level that I di in Paint Shop. The only art that isn't mine originally in this are the mountains in the background, they are from Hill Top. HOWEVER, I did recolorize them slightly. And if that's the only problem then I can re-edit the whole thing no sweat. Everything else is mine. Oh, and I forgot to seperate BG and FG, but I'll do that later... I just want some feedback first.

And without further ado, the slightlybetterthanapieceofcrap background/foreground, that I call Sunset Gulch...

http://img436.imageshack.us/my.php?image=sunsetgulch8yz.png

 

....Crud....what did I do wrong?

 

lol

I just saw the art myself. That's so MSPaint.

 

Yeah. When you show off the level art, its supposed to look Sonic-ish, like it would actually look on the genesis. Look at some other previous examples for ideas as to the style you're supposed to draw em in.

 

Hmm, I'm working on something that may look good in this project, though it's... unique. Do you want an ice level? I think it'll look best as an ice level, but it really could be used for anything natural depending on what "props" are used with it. I could also post it in its "bare" state if you want.

 

Do you have any tips? I feel really discouraged because of my Desert Attempt but I want to keeep trying. The only art programs I have are basic Paint Shop and Game Maker art editor.

 

Drawing a whole level pixel by pixer requires weeks of work (2 months at least). Here is some tips:
- Find a good idea that can fit a Sonic game.
- Think about this being possible to draw for and handle by the Genesis hardware.
- Think about pallets and colors. The less you need, the best it is. Try to "merge" some colors: a dark yellow can be used as a dark green as well. Some shade effects can be done with only 2 colors, by alternating the colors trought the pixels. Ex: I can draw a Christmas tree with only 4 colors, a good sand dune with only 3.
- Draw your idea on screen, taking your time, and the time it needs.
- Think about the VRAM space while drawing. You can easily flip horizontally or vertically some tiles to make huge pieces of art from almost nothing. Ex: my sand dune only requires 4 8x8 tiles. The whole floor set, including rocks and bricks and all their possible combinations, for my desert level, only requires 40 8x8 tiles. You really need to work on 16x16 tiles and never waste any space in VRAM.

You have no luck Rika. I have already something good in store for a desert level. Unfortunately, I keep that for myself. =P

 

Next chance I get (I.e. next 10 hours or so I have free) I'm gonna try at a mechanical level based off what I've heard about Genocide City Zone. Maybe when the Badnik results are in it won't be very useful but hell we all can dream. And I'll be sure to take Hachelle-Bee's spectacular advice.

 

The last attempt to contect Craig Stitt, I had made a lot of questions about how to make a Sonic level. I mostly wanted to know how Hirokazu Yasuhara explained to the American team how to think and how to process each idea into a working Sonic level. And what tools, and how they were put together as a group to stimulate the final product. Too bad this interview is still not ready. I hope ICEknight still has thoughts into this interview. I respect Craid Stitt's time!

 

*looks at the pic and creams*

Oh, fuck! Now I gotta clean myself up...

*smirks*

—I seriously think that image is great. I'd love to see it in your hack...

 

Two things:

- The area of the background either side of the mountain looks quite sparse; in-game, it'd be a good idea to place some smaller mountains around the background too, to break up the large areas of blank blue space.

- The bush to the right of the loop (interesting loop design, btw) looks a bit, uh, square. Dunno if that was intentional or not, but it kinda looks odd when all the rest of your level looks so organic-looking.

Aside from those aesthetic issues, it's very professional looking. ^_^ You've really got a talent with pixel-art, Rika.

 

I'm going to be totally honest.
This is good, but this can be better again. Your artwork is near perfect, but it still not looking professional because of these points:

- As stated before, the bush at the right is too square, but this is mostly because its trunc is too tall and not enough large.

- The trunc itself seems to stop right below the bush, it should continue until the top being smaller and smaller, and with some branchs here and there. You have to assume its transparency. Or the trunc should have two small branchs at its left and right (just like EHZ).

- The pattern of the bush BTW isn't very good. It looks flat and ugly this way. Make it all dark green, and then draw a lighter small round area at the top left to make it looks 3D (like EHZ).

- The far top right of the loop is too square. You should round this corner a bit (because it's grass here, not a brick wall).

- The grass behind the loop should be a bit darker in the right, where the grass pass "trought" the loop, to make the effect of 2 planes even more accurrate.

- There is a strange light brown line on your loop. Change this to a small floor of 4/6 pixels or delete it.

- Your pattern on the wall. The loop shouldn't be connected to the wall behind it. Draw a line between them with a darker color, or a gap to emphasize the difference of plane.

- Your pattern in the square gap in the wall at the right: Make the center the same color as the normal wall. Make the right lighter than normal. Make the bottom again lighter than the right. Then, make the left darker than normal, and make the top again darker than the left. Then, delete the brown diagonal line at the top left. A small detail that looks better this way, even if GHZ isn't designed like that (there is something else that you can see with the half squares for this level).

- The background: Not enough pieces of art. It reminds me the old background I had for my desert level. Make something else besides the huge mountain, and make something in the water (something with the sun light and the mountain shadow is more than enough. Look at EHZ).

- The background: Your clouds have a bad layout. Try to place them more randomly, and flip some of them horizontally and/or vertically to make a lot of different clouds. You can also cut a cloud into 2 parts and, by copying and flipping a part, make another cloud with little effort.

- And certainly other one or two I can't see at the moment.

This is details you will say. But that makes the difference between a good design and an excellent and professional design. You have to think all things in details... Good work anyway!

 

That level is looking great! The only things I would change:

-The bush design
-The clouds that seem to end too abruptly at the bottom.
-The top-right corner of the grass above the loop (you just have to move the grass pattern three pixels to the left).
-Perhaps that light floor in the upper parts of the loop could be made darker or something?

Oh, I had forgotten about it, so I guess he also has. Time for a little reminder.

You're disgusting.