First attempt at a Half Kaiser sprite.

[meian]

I'd like to think I'm a good spriter, but this hair and scarf looks like shit, but I can't put my finger on it.

http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p130 ... anky-2.png[/img]

It looks okay, to me, zoomed in, but then at 100% the shading is so, ugh, blah. But like I said, I'm not sure where I'm going wrong, or obviously, I'd just fix it myself.

I want to get this tonal problem hammered out before I continue to other, more complicated things. Help, plox?





Errr, umm, dunno if it's required at such an early WIP stage, but the base and palattes are Showkaiser's. Just don't want to get ban hammered my first serious time posting and not lurking.  :scream:

 

[Vinderex]

There appears to be no room for the chin beneath the scarf.  I'd recommend either putting his chin over the scarf, or shade more near the top of the scarf to make it look like it's extending more outward than inward.

 

[Grathea]

Well, see that central patch your pieces of hair are extending from? Instead of being on the top of the head, near the back, it's on the forehead, which is why it looks deplaced. Move it more centrally and back a touch, darken it a little and it should look better.

 

[busbuzz]

the shading looks good, but its true what gratheo and vinderex said, fix that and good luck, i think u will be a good spritter

 

[meian]

There appears to be no room for the chin beneath the scarf.  I'd recommend either putting his chin over the scarf, or shade more near the top of the scarf to make it look like it's extending more outward than inward.

Oh, I didn't even think of that! I wanted to have the chin on top, but for this character, it's supposed to cover almost half his face.

So I want to make sure about the shading - if I were to keep the placement of the scarf as is, to shade it correctly, I would want to make the top half light than the darker half, to show that it's jutting forward? And then underneath the crease, it'll be darker? I'm guessing that's how it should look.

Well, see that central patch your pieces of hair are extending from? Instead of being on the top of the head, near the back, it's on the forehead, which is why it looks deplaced. Move it more centrally and back a touch, darken it a little and it should look better.

I see EXACTLY what you're talking about here, but, I'm not sure how to move it up. I'll look myself, but do you happen to have a chunky-haired example where I can see where a better-placed part should look like?


And thanks guys, you're awesome. <3

 

[busbuzz]

Try looking at HK gallery here : http://www.pixelcocktail.com/HKCP/Gallery/

 

[meian]

Try looking at HK gallery here : http://www.pixelcocktail.com/HKCP/Gallery/

I did already, but it didn't really help. Not with how to place the spikes, at least. Though, I did get some inspiration for the back view.

But, thanks anyhow.

 

[Grathea]

I'd recommend looking at some of SK's sprites... I know he's got a guy with spiky blue hair.

 

[busbuzz]

yeah thats a good idea

 

[ultimaodin]

The spikes aren't the issue here. What the problem is that the roots start too high up on his forehead. Move the hair down 2 to 3 pixels and it will be fine! :wink:

 

[meian]

The spikes aren't the issue here. What the problem is that the roots start too high up on his forehead. Move the hair down 2 to 3 pixels and it will be fine! :wink:

I knew that, I meant that it's hard for me, not being "normal" hair in a "normal" part, to envision the part.

But I thought the part should be moving up, not down!

 

[Vinderex]

There appears to be no room for the chin beneath the scarf.  I'd recommend either putting his chin over the scarf, or shade more near the top of the scarf to make it look like it's extending more outward than inward.

Oh, I didn't even think of that! I wanted to have the chin on top, but for this character, it's supposed to cover almost half his face.

So I want to make sure about the shading - if I were to keep the placement of the scarf as is, to shade it correctly, I would want to make the top half light than the darker half, to show that it's jutting forward? And then underneath the crease, it'll be darker? I'm guessing that's how it should look.

Actually, what I was thinking was sort of the opposite. Mostly darker towards the top, with just a small section, maybe a pixel wide at the very top lighter.

Here's a crappy ASCII illustration.

.........--  Top of scarf. Light
...........|
........../  Chin.  Dark
.....---
.....\
........--- Neck. Light

So basically, what I'm trying to say is starting at the top and going down, lighten it where it slopes outward and darken where it slopes inward.

I hope that made sense.  :lol:

 

[meian]

Well, see that central patch your pieces of hair are extending from? Instead of being on the top of the head, near the back, it's on the forehead, which is why it looks deplaced. Move it more centrally and back a touch, darken it a little and it should look better.

(Just quoting this to respond to it):

I found SK's blue spiky-haired kiddo, and got him aligned as best I could with mine.

http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p130 ... fghjkl.jpg[/img]

I don't know if I'm doing it right, but the middle of his part looks a pixel lower than mine. But on the hand, his is bigger than mine. Which is somewhere where mine is going wrong, should it be more prominent?

Also, I did notice that his hair has an outline, a darker edge around the rim of the hair. My hair, towards the light, gets much lighter. I was following Venetia's tutorial, trying to get that softer glow, but now I'm thinking it just makes it look ill-defined. Is this where you were talking about making it darker?



I was going to go off of Vin's suggestion, but I wanted to try something relatively easier to sprite, to see if it's just this character giving me a headache or if I'm really losing my touch.

And thanks, guys, for letting me sounds so backwards. I appreciate your help. :3

 

[busbuzz]

do as ultimaodin says, the roots of the hair is the main problem look where the hair comes from to its right and use it as an example

 

[meian]

do as ultimaodin says, the roots of the hair is the main problem look where the hair comes from to its right and use it as an example

Isn't it the same place, though, in both? That's what the guide line was there for.
Again, I'm not trying to be flip or argumentative, I just don't understand what's wrong, even if I acknowledge that there is something wrong. What, specifically, is wrong with the roots of the hair in the first head but not the second?

Though, it looks more and more to me like the left side needs more shadows. But that's where the main lightsource is coming from, right? SK's lightsource looks like it's coming directly from the top.

 

[busbuzz]

http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h144/ ... anky-2.png[/img]

right: is the area where the hair should come out
middle: the pink marker is where the hair comes out when you fix it to a side
left: you can see where are the errors from the roots, where u missed hair and where you added that there wouldnt be

lower center an example of more or less how it should look like, dont look at the hair, just the roots, i didnt want to make a hairstyle just tell you how the roots should look like

open it in photoshop and zoom to examinate it

 

[meian]

You win quite a number of internets there, sir. Seeing is believing, or seeing, as it were.

Anyhow, now that I've seen it graphically, it makes a lot more sense. I'll probably just redo the spikes to correct it. I think this particular hair is a lost cause.

However, as I started working on another sprite, whose hair does not cover the area highlighted in black, I should ask, that same principal applies to female hair as well, right?

So, basically,

http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p130 ... johair.jpg[/img]

I hope not, I kinda liked this one. ><

Not done with the top right corner of her hair, if it wasn't clear already.

 

[ultimaodin]

Ok this is how I look at it: See how the two sections of the fringe meet up in a flipped 'v' shape?
Well we take that connection point as an ideal for the roots of the hair as it is the lowest point of hair visible to be conected to the head!

Now if you take a look at the human body in comparisson to the kaiser charset you will note that the roots of hair should only be a pixel or two above the eyebrows.

So simply select your hair and move it down roughly two pixels and it should match. If you want the roots to be higher tha what appears to be the interpreted part then move it down a further pixel to equal three! :thumb:



As for the scarf you are kinda right but don't just take from half way down and start the dark shades. Remember that often half of the item of clothing will be invisible due to curvature so you will actually want to bring the shadow up some to cover about the bottom 3/4's and then a slightly light shade will have to be present at the top (first couple of pixels) to give an impression of it curving inward!


That should fix up your sprite! :wink:


Edit: Yes that is right!

 

[meian]

That made a lot of sense with the roots that time, Ultima. And again, I didn't even think about the scarf being slightly hidden from view. Curse you, sprites-being-looked-at-with-a-slightly-downturned-perspective!

Anyhow, thanks again y'all. You guys are crazyawesomesexycool.

 

[ultimaodin]

Anytime mate! Spriting is my real talent!http://i99.photobucket.com/albums/l283/ultimaodin/whistle.gif[/img]

Anyway I should have said the part in the hair thing to bbegin with but I was lazzy! :lol: