[WAR II] Pixel Art

[Suicune's Fire]

LOL I SO KNEW THIS WOULD BE THIS WEEK'S THEME. I'm keen. I really wanted to do this. xD

[Caite-chan]

As usual I'm totally screwed....lol. Let's see what I can screw up and botch this week.

[Suicune's Fire]

Caite, have more faith! xD I'm sure you can do well. c: Especially if you see something in a silhouette that you think you could smash out really well!

[Caite-chan]

Caite, have more faith! xD I'm sure you can do well. c: Especially if you see something in a silhouette that you think you could smash out really well!

Sooooo another Electrode.....lol.

[Suicune's Fire]

xD Your electrode wasn't even bad! Besides, it was your first pixel over. Wanna see my first? NO, YOU DON'T. BECAUSE I'M PRETTY SURE YOU WANT TO KEEP YOUR EYES.

[Noblejanobii]

@Speed-X

[ninjaskarmory]

@Speed-X


jk jk. I'm actually kind of excited for this!

[SassySnivy]

Scoring

Sorry for the wait; it's finally here! I was seriously impressed by the entries this week along with just the sheer number of entries. Keep up the great job you guys!

Spoiler:

Sou Cleife

@Sou Cleife

Spoiler:

First Impression: 8/10

Sou, I am REALLY impressed with the final result of your entry. You fixed it so much since that very first entry, showing how dedicated you are. That's really awesome. Needless to say, this version looks much better. It looks very bright and colorful, which is very suiting for Sylveon. I also love the stylistic choice with the shading; by this, I mean making the shading look so glossy. It's a really nice signature that also really matches with Sylveon.

Quality: 12/15

As I said: you've fixed it up a lot, but there are still some rough patches. The shading on the tail is very banded..."but wait," you ask. "none of the pixels are hugging each other, so it's not banding, right?" This is a different kind of banding, and it's very, VERY tricky to break. All of your shades and your highlight color on the tail all follow the same pattern. See also: gradient. ^^; (I swear I was not trying to sound snarky by saying it like that) In the end it ends up making it look a little tacky; but like I said, it's a very hard habit to pull because that's just how our brains work. We seem to like gradients for whatever reason.
But you know what? You followed all of the advice I gave you to the best of your ability. We can still work on polishing this up some if you'd like, but that's all up to you! I especially love how you followed my line-tapering example; wunderbar!! <3
But...you made some color mistakes again. you have a bunch of doubles of your dark pinks, bringing your total up to 25 colors from the earlier 16-18. I know this is more of a nitpick than anything else, but you really gotta watch out for that! Does index color mode work to show you what colors are in the image in Photoshop?

Originality: 4/5

I really like your approach with this. Again I love the bubbly, bright colors and the glossy shading because it matches Sylveon's disposition so well.

Relativity: 5/5[/indent]

Total: 29/35

lorii

@lorii

Spoiler:

First Impression: 7/10

Same with you, lorii: even before I gave you direct advice and crits, you STILL learned from others' mistakes and successes and improved your entry significantly...without my direct help, even! I really enjoy the hue-shifting, and again, I feel like the bright shading style really matches Hoppip's disposition. It looks bright and happy; just like Hoppip!

Quality: 13/15

You've made some severe improvements, but it is still a little rough around the edges. Some areas of the line art still are in need of polishing: mainly the ears. You also have a slight problem with banding with the shading similar to the problems Sou was having (check out her review if you want to know exactly what I'm referring to). It's really just around the body, though, and it's something that's tough to avoid with round shapes, especially. I like that little bit of backlight. Not necessary, but it does give it more depth! I also love that you didn't totally get rid of the dithering; you proved that you can have JUST ENOUGH dithering that it isn't excessive but creates a subtle but interesting texture. In specific, the dithering on the highlights. I also love you for not using pure black and going so far to re-use the "black" color (That dark yellowish-brown) on the leaves, even.

Originality: 3/5

There isn't much to say here since there wasn't much you could do to earn points here. Actually to be totally honest I'm not even sure what to say. I guess I really don't have any comments / things that stick out to me in this aspect?

Relativity: 5/5[/indent]

Total: 28/35

Brettles

@Brettles

Spoiler:

First Impression: 2/10

I guess it really was my fault for not communicating what a pixel-over was; I assumed that 95% of you knew what it was and if not I assumed you guys would be able to go ahead and Google it. Sorry for making assumptions; I can assure you that won't happen again.Still, I do feel a little sad that you didn't see the tutorial I posted a link to (at least I don't believe you did) in the post just below yours; it shows you basically what a pixel-over is. To be honest I'm not sure what you did here; it looks a little like you shrunk the original Global Link artwork (recolored, though) down and just added some dithering. Apologies if that's not completely what you did; it's just what it looks like. A pixel-over is meant to basically be a trace / overhaul of original artwork, except in a 100% pixel form. There are 1,739 colors in this image, which is also why I'm going under the impression that you just shrunk the artwork and added some dithering / shading.

Quality: 2/15

This goes hand-in-hand with what I typed above. Sadly this is hardly pixel art, but you have no idea how much I appreciate the fact that you entered and you did try!

Originality: 2/5

The shading is pretty much the exact same as the original image, minus dithering. The original flat colors and lines from the original image are all still there.

Relativity: 2/5

I know you gave it a shot and I know that I made a big mistake by not communicating exactly what I wanted. I'm sorry about that last one.

[/indent]

Total: 8/35 (Don't give up!!!!)

TheoreticalSelkie

@TheoreticalSelkie

Spoiler:

First Impression: 9/10

Your works are as awesome as always, Selkie. For some reason, though, this didn't really strike me that much. I guess because even though you shaded it very skillfully and used good colors, it just doesn't feel all that adventurous to me. I do like the sharp highlights on its head, though; that gives it a really nice touch, portraying the dorsal part of Scolipede's body to be a hard exoskeleton.

Quality: 15/15

The really only big mistakes are the one(s) that I mentioned in the GSS. I know that you kinda had to rush your entry because of a vacation, and probably didn't have time to edit it. Otherwise there are no actual "big" mistakes!

Originality: 3/5

I guess this is a big reason that the first impression scored an 8 for me: it just doesn't really strike me all that much. It just feels really standard. I think it would have been awesome if you would have taken time to play with the colors more. I know what you're capable of!

Relativity: 5/5[/indent]

Total: 32/35

Pokemon Trainer Sarah

@Pokemon Trainer Sarah

Spoiler:

First Impression: 8/10

Nice job! I really like this because you picked something that has a lot of detail and is really busy. I also like that you tried to go outside of your comfort zone by using some more advanced techniques that you aren't too familiar with. That shows dedication. Most of all, I really hope you learned something from this! <3

Quality: 12/15

It's a BIG improvement from your last version, but it could still use some more polishing-up. For instance, the anti-aliasing in the glasses. You had the right idea; you really did! Sometimes in order to fix jagged lines, though, you need to do more than just anti-alias outside of the lines; you may need to anti-alias inside the actual lines, as well. RHLPixels made a very comprehensive tutorial about different types of anti-aliasing and different situations in which to use it and in what way; you can check it out here! It's awesome. Just for reference, I'll show you what it might have looked like using that anti-aliasing technique in specific. ^^
Some of the shading could also still use some work: I know, I didn't point that out in my original crit, and I'm sorry for that. I shouldn't have even had you have to ask for a re-crit: I should have been on that like a wolf. Your light source is very unclear; the highlights suggest it's coming from directly above, but the shading on Pikachu's head suggests that it's coming somewhere from the right at an angle. Make sure to be careful of those things; maybe even add a ball and some lines / rays of light coming off of it for where you want your light source to be? It really, really helps because it gives you a simple but effective visual guide so you're less likely to unintentionally screw that up.
I also feel like maybe the jacket is shaded a little odd, too. There's almost these cast-shadows at the bottoms of the jacket that seem to come from nowhere, and there are no bends with the fabric. :< Fabric is very tricky, though.

Originality: 4/5

I don't really have many comments, here. I definitely didn't expect one of the cosplay Pikachu, though. Nice choice!

Relativity: 5/5[/indent]

Total: 29/35

Suicune's Fire

@Suicune's Fire

Spoiler:

First Impression: 10/10

Xanthe, I am going to do something that is probably totally unforgivable and it's not something that I just throw around. You totally impressed me with your entry this week. What's the crazy thing I'm about to do! You'll see.

Quality: 14/15

I. Absolutely. Love. This. It's just so blah and IN YO' FACE. The light source that you choice furthers Tyrantrum's incredibly dynamic stance and makes it feel so much more dramatic. What killed that last point though, was that that ridge by the eye is still really banded. DX But I don't mean your standard banding. See, the shading creates a straight line that really doesn't have much of a place and really sticks out to me. And your color choice and hue-shifting are wonderful, and how you were able to both use the orange to shade AND to differentiate Tyrantrum's differently-colored markings is awesome.

Originality: 5/5

I love the Pokemon you choice, and a lot of it had to do with how complex it is, how well you managed to pull that off, and just how dynamic this is. You took the tone / mood of this artwork and just ****ing MAGNIFIED it by a hundred-fold. Also I like the fact that the neck scales are portrayed as warts; not 100% accurate, but who cares in this case? It works. It works really well.

Relativity: 5/5

Okay. So I did something ALMOST unforgivable but I didn't quite do it. I ALMOST was able to give you a perfect score had it not been for that one little flaw that sticks out like a sore thumb to me. Congrats, though!

[/indent]

Total: 34/35 (So close!!!)

PTGigi

@PTGigi

Spoiler:

First Impression: 8/10

Gigi, you're always surprising me with your skill that I never really suspected you had with pixel art! Great choice of Pokemon, AND you were able to pull it all off with one hue (well, two if you count the eyes). That's kinda a given when it comes to Mewtwo, though, but it still is awesome.

Quality: 13/15

Very nice! Though like with lorii and Sou, you've got some serious banding going on with the shading. Not banding where the pixels hug, but banding where each shade pretty much follows the same shape. It's a hard thing to avoid, but maybe if you only can shade in that one shape, use fewer shades next time? Your line art is pretty smooth, but there were some jagged pixels in your shading, and a lot of pixel placement that didn't make much sense to me. You also have quite a bit of ACTUAL banding going on: the tip of the "tail," the back of its head arch, and a few of the toes, to name a few.

Originality: 4/5

I do like where you went with this; I really am enjoying the glossy shading style. It's a subtle glossy, but I can still see it clear as day. I also like your newer one versus your older one in the sense that the colors are more vivid in your newer one.

Relativity: 5/5[/indent]

Total: 30/35

purple umbreon

@purple umbreon

Spoiler:

First Impression: 2/10

I like that you gave it a shot; I really do. However, your submission is suffering a lot of the same problems that Brettles; is. Ignoring the fact that it looks to be jpeg'd, it looks like you just took the original art and painted over that. I can understand where that misunderstanding would come from, though, and I am a lot to blame for the miscommunication. I know I had posted that tutorial up, but I really should have added it to the OP. sorry

Quality: 3/15

There isn't much to say here. I can see where you made the edits, but it's so terribly blurry likely due to the format you saved it in.

Originality: 3/5

Despite being NPA (non-pixel art), I do like the direction you tried to take with the shading here. The idea of the flames being the only light source was a nice choice; I feel that the fact that it goes from dark tan straight to black, however, is a bit too much in terms of contrast.

Relativity: 1/5

I can't even see the differentiation of each pixel cluster in this one. I'm sorry for causing any misunderstanding.

[/indent]

Total: 9/35 (Keep at it!!!)

Corrupt_Voidlich

@Corrupt_Voidlich

Spoiler:

First Impression: 6/10

Pretty nice! Nice choice of Pokemon and I like how you used a light blue-violet for the highlights for the red parts of its body instead of just light red or pink. It makes it feel like the light source is slightly blue. Plus, it's a pretty nice hue-shifting trick.

Quality: 8/15

You made a really nice try. You really did! Still, though, it does look rather messy on a pixel-level. It needs a lot of polishing. The thing that stuck out to me the most is how pillow-shaded it looks, ESPECIALLY in the tentacles. Make sure you figure out where your light source is coming from next time or else you might fall into that pillow-shading pithole! As I suggested to Sarah, it really helps to make a temporary visual guide to help you not fall into that really common mistake. The line art also feels pretty unpolished in a lot of spots, which I feel like was caused by not going over your line art and fixing it along the way (again, I apologize if it sounds like I'm trying to make any accusations). The arm-like tentacles, where they're intended to be rounded, look very squareish and a bit awkward. It's totally alright to use the line / curve tools, just have to make sure you check if the final product is up to snuff, is all! Also, I'm not sure that you needed a whopping 51 colors. .-. I see some areas--namely in the blue hues--where the colors could have been re-used elsewhere. Try to optimize your colors a little more! If you find some redundant ones, then try to correct that. :> It also may have helped to work at a slightly smaller scale, too! ^^

Originality: 3/5

Love your Pokemon choice and I do like how smooth the hair-tentacles look, despite the pillow-shading. Again with the blue-tinted highlights; that's a really nice little addition.

Relativity: 5/5[/indent]

Total: 22/35

Caite-chan

@Caite-chan

Spoiler:

First Impression: 6/10

CAAAAAIIITE. It's not as bad as you think it is; really! You've not done stuff like this before anyway, right? EVERYONE STARTS SOMEWHERE!!! :D Don't be so hard on yourself especially since you're just starting. Try not to compare yourself to others because we all started out pretty shitty. I like that you decided to use the shiny colors for this.

Quality: 7/15

I do think it would have been cool to try to make the light come from below (you could have done that by flipping it upside-down, shading it as if the light were coming from the top, then flip it back), but it's alright. I can still see that there's some highlighting up top...but barely. I also feel like you could have used maybe a shade or even two to help ease the contrast between the off-white and dark grey.
I don't think that Electrode's teeth are in an indent that far into Electrode's body (that's what the cast shadow there is portraying), but I do see what you were trying to do with that. I also wouldn't have added cast shadows under the eyebrows myself, but you know what? It actually works. It gives Electrode that extra depth that it needs.

Originality: 2/5

Unfortuantely despite the fact that you're a beginner at this and wanted to start out slow with something easy, there aren't many originality points I can give for using Electrode and not shading it in some crazy innovative way. but like I said: IT'S DEFINITELY A START!!! :D

Relativity: 5/5

Don't be so insecure! Be a little more adventurous each attempt you make. You are off to a great start! I really hope to see you submit entries for the future weeks, too.

[/indent]

Total: 20/35

Winners

Spoiler:

First Place: Suicune's Fire of Jupiter Mining Corp.!
You get 3 points for your team!

Second Place: TheoreticalSelkie of Phoenix Battalion!
You get 2 points for your team!

Third Place: PTGigi of The Prism League!
You get point for your team!

Congrats to all the winners. And congrats to everyone else, as well, for being dedicated enough to keep trying!

[Sou]

@Speed-X~ Thanks alot for the critique here Speed! and yeah I'd like to polish probably after the war possibly or if i find some time this week xD
and unfortunately, no it does not. Its actually REALLY weird. I was talking with Lorii even to see if we could figure out the problem. The strange thing? We did the exact same settings, and on her computer, it shows the color, but on mine, it does not. This happened when switching from Restrictive to Perpetual. In Restrictive, it shows me some colors but everything appears really off (it changes the colors), but when I switch it to Perpetual, the colors show up perfect! But then it doesnt show me how many colors I have, it disappears. It shows no matter what for Lorii, but for me, nothing.

[PTGigi]

@Sou Cleife Restrictive is ONLY Web-Safe Colors (a list of 256 colors, hence the weirdness). The other three modes change the colors depending on certain factors I'm forgetting at the moment, but DON'T have a set list of colors. If our versions are similar, in the top-right in the "Save for Web & Devices" window should be a dropdown/textbox where you can change the color count. Below that a ways should be a Color Table where you can even further control the colors chosen if you so wished.

@Speed-X This week's theme looks pretty fun. Really neat idea! =P One question I do have though (that I forgot to ask last week, oops...) is what is the "pixel-limit"/max color count? XD I guess maybe "max" might not be the right word, but I guess the ideal amount we should aim for?