Tree
Printed From: Pixel Joint
Category: Pixel Art
Forum Name: WIP (Work In Progress)
Forum Discription: Get crits and comments on your pixel WIPs and other art too!
URL: https://pixeljoint.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=24827
Printed Date: 10 June 2026 at 1:23am
Topic: Tree
Posted By: Axteryo
Subject: Tree
Date Posted: 11 January 2016 at 4:31pm
Any suggestions for improving this. I'm really struggling with this one.
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Replies:
Posted By: NancyGold
Date Posted: 11 January 2016 at 4:37pm
| Unless that is your style, a better palette (cone forest is evergreen) and popping out branches would be a good start. Currently it looks like a cone with several noisy circles on top of it. |
Posted By: Axteryo
Date Posted: 15 January 2016 at 7:17am
Ok i redid it in a different size. How can i improve this? Also i'm using a limited palette as an exercise.
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Posted By: NancyGold
Date Posted: 15 January 2016 at 7:40am
some better palette and lighting
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Posted By: Axteryo
Date Posted: 15 January 2016 at 1:40pm
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I decided to make my light source from above. This is just a start. i'm not sure how many colors i should use.
would you consider this pillow shading? 
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Posted By: eishiya
Date Posted: 15 January 2016 at 5:16pm
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It's not pillow shading, but seems to place lights, darks, and highlights without regard for a light source or the form of the object, similarly to pillow shading. Think about the branches on this tree. You don't have to draw them out, but you should suggest that they're there. Since your light source is from above, that means that the upper parts of the branches should be lit, and they should be casting shadows on branches below. Don't worry about the colour count just yet, since you're still figuring out how to actually draw what you want to draw. Use as many as you need for now, then simplify your palette later, making pixel-level tweaks as needed. It may help you to do some drawings at a larger size using reference images (and maybe on paper, if you're not comfortable drawing large on the computer) so help you get a feel for how to draw fir trees (and maybe trees in general). Even if your goal is to make a cartoony tree, taking the time to understand how real ones work will help you a lot. You can't effectively simplify something without understanding it. |
Posted By: AshCrimson
Date Posted: 16 January 2016 at 2:39am
Echoing what Eishiya said, although i don't know alot about trees nor shading in general, so please take my edit with a massive pinch of salt: Hopefully not too pillowshadeish. |
Posted By: RebeaLeion
Date Posted: 16 January 2016 at 4:43am
| I won't contribute as I never tried this kind of tree (but one unsuccessful mockup). But this will help me greatly as well! I think replies in this thread covered how to draw and lit pines so far. |
Posted By: Friend
Date Posted: 16 January 2016 at 11:08am
| i prefer the original. it has style |
Posted By: NancyGold
Date Posted: 16 January 2016 at 10:18pm
Here is a nice example from a famous game
notice how artist highlights each branch, instead of pillow shading or highliting outlines. And how there are soft shades under the branches (ambient occlusion). |
Posted By: Artifice Machine
Date Posted: 30 January 2016 at 7:22pm
I quite like the original, although it does need work. Here's a partial edit. I added detail to the trunk and roughed up the edges of the branches.
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Posted By: bluedxca93
Date Posted: 31 January 2016 at 7:37am
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the one from snv i like very much. but yeah the example from the game i don't like.
the tree outer shape looks too symmetric in some versions. the last ones bottom is great. (not just a brown line) |