Style Study :: Kenneth Fejer
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=2707
Printed Date: 09 September 2025 at 5:58am
Topic: Style Study :: Kenneth Fejer
Posted By: Indigo
Subject: Style Study :: Kenneth Fejer
Date Posted: 03 August 2006 at 3:04am
well i decided that i'd do a style study on Kenneth Fejer since he's pretty high up there on my hero list. I wanted to see exactly how he does his stuff, and the best way to find out is to do it yourself. So while looking at lots of fejer art, I made this mockup mixing his style with a little bit of my own. things I learned: - with Fejer, its all about selout. Almost every element in his art uses lots of selout techniques. and black is used seldom - bright highlights are usually a no-no in this style, instead, think flat shapes that suggest 3d forms. - usually, you have a base-colour and a bright-colour for every element. you use those to shade with, and all the other colours go to the outline (which is usually 2 or 3) - Use simple shapes heavily, and keep it constant throughout the mockup (I could have done better at this). This also includes simple patterns well yeah, thats about it C+C as usual -Dan |
Replies:
Posted By: Skull
Date Posted: 03 August 2006 at 7:18am
|
What's to crit - It looks awesome. I just love this bright, childish style. Fantastic.
------------- |
Posted By: Monkey 'o Doom
Date Posted: 03 August 2006 at 8:31am
|
I love how the colors really stick out but don't hurt your eyes. Great emulation of his style. ------------- http://pixelmonkey.ensellitis.com"> 
RPG is numberwang. |
Posted By: jalonso
Date Posted: 03 August 2006 at 8:39am
|
The sky is not pixelart, thus this is not pixelart.
------------- |
Posted By: Aleiav
Date Posted: 03 August 2006 at 9:56am
|
His/Your shading technique seems so simple and yet it's so brilliant. Nice work. :) I love the colors and the design.
------------- |
Posted By: Indigo
Date Posted: 03 August 2006 at 10:48am
|
Heh, thanks everybody for the kind comments. -Gives me warm fuzzies all over :) Originally posted by jalonso The sky is not pixelart, thus this is not pixelart. please dont say your serious. I realise that the sky isn't pixel-art. That is the only element in this screen shot that isn't. Appreciate the pixel art for what it is and if you have a problem with the CG sky, then ignore it. I'm not trying to decieve anyone here. The reason why I put it in there is to stay constant with Kenneth's style: kenneth's stuff:     all of these have a CG background, but that doesn't take away the fact that he is a very awesome pixel artist. Anyway, if you dont like the CG -thats fine, dont comment on it. If you like (or dislike) the pixel art - thats fine too, please do comment on it. theres just no need to be a nazi over it when it was obviously done intentionally and without deception. You didn't comment at all on the pixelart that did exist, instead you just complained about what isn't. And besides, i still dont see how having a CG background gives reason to label this entire piece as NPA. Another reason why i post these screen shots is so you can compare the styles (how close did i get?) EDIT================== version without the CG background.  ------------- |
Posted By: cure
Date Posted: 03 August 2006 at 12:37pm
|
The NPA background debate aside, I'd say you captured his stlye quite well. Bright, happy colors, cute characters, all the things you've mentioned in the description. That squirrel is despicably cute. ------------- |
Posted By: fil_razorback
Date Posted: 03 August 2006 at 3:12pm
| Yup, you got it. As I said on PP, I can't wait for Kenneth's comments. |
Posted By: kaltsu
Date Posted: 03 August 2006 at 3:32pm
|
Originally posted by Indigo if you have a problem with the CG sky, then ignore it. How can you ignore it when it makes your eyes ache? Originally posted by Indigo if you dont like the CG -thats fine, dont comment on it. What weird kind of logic is that? "Hey I just pooped on your living room. It's ok to dislike it but please don't complain." Originally posted by Indigo If you like the pixel art - thats fine too, please do comment on it. So you accept only positive feedback? Huh? Okay I know you didn't mean it that way but it sure sounds like it. For the piece itself - quite nice little study and homage and even some nice pixels in it. You're lacking Kenneth's colorful imagination though. Gave it two points in the gallery. -------------  Not now honey, I have a deadline.
|
Posted By: Indigo
Date Posted: 03 August 2006 at 3:47pm
|
no no no - your getting me all wrong, kaltsu - and i agree that i wasn't too clear about what i was saying. go agead an critique the pixel-art for good or bad. I'm just saying theres no need to doom this entire piece just because it has a CG background. That shouldn't mean you should ignore the pixel art in the piece which is what this forum is for. Sorry if I came off as an ass. oh, and i'm sorry it makes your eyes ache, I haven't heard a complaint about it before as most people think it's pleasant.
------------- |
Posted By: kaltsu
Date Posted: 03 August 2006 at 4:25pm
Ok and forgive me being so harsh. I'm occasionally such a stubborn old school geek. "Everything should be like they were in eighties."  ------------- Not now honey, I have a deadline.
|
Posted By: Brian the Great
Date Posted: 03 August 2006 at 4:52pm
|
No need to lynch him because of some CG background- there's plenty of
pixel art left to enjoy. Hell, I didn't even notice at first. "Hey I just pooped on your living room. It's ok to dislike it
but please don't complain." I really don't get this analogy.
Nobody is forcing you to look at it buddy.As for the actual piece, I think you captured the style brilliantly. I'd take a second look at the trees if I were you though. As with the pillars and other trees in Kenneth's own work you posted, there is a lightsource on both sides. The little purple house is also a bit too prominent for my likings, even though I love the looks of it. Keep up the good work. ------------- http://www.twoschizos.com"> 
|
Posted By: Saboteur
Date Posted: 03 August 2006 at 5:09pm
|
Enough. Angst. About. CG. Backgrounds.
First off, I've gotta thank you for not just keeping this study to yerself. I personally lack the patience to figure out exactly what makes a peice look good, which probably holds me back stupid amounts. To have someone else point to certain things that work is phenomenally helpful, an' I've already begun to have a little more faith in sel-out.
I think you've very well acheived both the colour and style of Ken's work, though a few bits of the outlining still irk me a little. Specific locations would be the highlighted edge of the tree (Marked in pink) and the head of the character itself. Also, the little acorns seem jaggedy.
Before I get too far ahead of myself, I'll see if I can even make an edit that comes close to fixing these issues. Yeah, I did some very, very subtle damage.
 Change number one - the afforementioned tree-AA issue. I'd say just take it right out, because it makes it worse rather than better, imo. On the left in the pink square is the original, and without the AA is on the right in the square.
Change number two. There was a dark line on top of the head of the squirrel that I found distracting. I lightened that bit of sel-out to the next shade down, as well as changing the further ear a bit and rounding the tail a little better. It seemed jaggedy to me, so I tried to fix it. You'll find "my" squirrel floating mysteriously in the air.
Change number three. The acorn, as well as other things, seem to run into the edge of their box suddenly, making one sharp, straight line. The top of the squirrel (ears and tail stop along the same horiz. line) and the left side of the acorn seem to be the two culprits here. I tried to fix it on the acorn by again lightening the shade of the sel-out, as well as trying to round out the highlight a bit more. "My" acorn is on the right, and the original on the left
On a final note, I agree with kaltsu about the lack of imagination. Ken's mockups have many things going on, usually, and little details that hint of traps or things that might just spring out and attack you. An example would be the half-circle thing in the plant on the right of his Doukutsu-bird-thing mockup, and the kid icarus shots with all kinds of things going on, not to mention a sparkly harp in there. He's also got more elaborate GUIs, which leave much to the imagination. It'd be an interesting experiment to add something to the GUI without yourself knowing what it was, and see what people say it is.
Yeah, that's all I've got. Awesome, awesome work, and I really do look forward to more of these style studies. ------------- "I was minding my own business and walking across a pebbled path, and a Duck started giving me the business." |
Posted By: Buzz
Date Posted: 03 August 2006 at 6:15pm
|
If there was one thing I had to say about this, other than the fact that I really like it, I would say the colors leaned more toward your style than his. I've always love your color choices because of their subtle vibrancy (i know contradicting) and his colors had a bit more pop if you ask me. ------------- http://www.gmclans.com/forums/index.php?showuser=300"> 
|
Posted By: jalonso
Date Posted: 03 August 2006 at 10:55pm
|
I will not throw a Sharktrum* and just drop the matter. - 50 Respect points. *© ensellitis ------------- |
Posted By: Indigo
Date Posted: 03 August 2006 at 10:56pm
|
Originally posted by jalonso - 50 Respect points. -50 respect points? from me? :( sorry man ------------- |
Posted By: jalonso
Date Posted: 03 August 2006 at 11:15pm
|
@indigo, I just said that in a general sense, not personally. I do like
this and consider it a hybrid form of art. I do hybrids too, I just
think its not OK for Pixeljoint, imho.
------------- |
Posted By: Saboteur
Date Posted: 03 August 2006 at 11:43pm
|
Ur ho. ------------- "I was minding my own business and walking across a pebbled path, and a Duck started giving me the business." |
Posted By: Psychotic_Carp
Date Posted: 04 August 2006 at 5:30am
|
I didnt even look at at the background at first with this piece but the fact that your capapble of doing a better background with pixel art makes me want to tell you to get your ass back to it and pixel a background -------------  got game?
|
Posted By: Buzz
Date Posted: 04 August 2006 at 5:43am
|
All of the stuff that was submitted by the guy he was studying used a CG background and was accepted was it not? ------------- http://www.gmclans.com/forums/index.php?showuser=300">
|
Posted By: Larwick
Date Posted: 04 August 2006 at 9:45am
|
There is no point in discussing the cg background here. The WIP area of the forum has already been used to show NPA anyway. Indigo wanted views on how well he has replicated kenneth fejer's style, and without the background he wouldn't have been able to do it as well. We all know Indigo has the skills to do one himself, but it wouldn't have suited what he was trying to achieve. Seeing as this is a pixel art community, if you wish to crit, i suggest you crit the pixel art only. Indigo even edited it to suit jalonsos needs, so i dont see why the argument should carry on. -------------  http://larw-ck.deviantart.com">
|
Posted By: PixelSnader
Date Posted: 06 August 2006 at 11:48am
|
one of the biggest stylistic things (which actually pretty minor) is his playing with saturation more. when i compare his bird mock with your squirrel mock, what i notice is the grass. his grass is more obvious. this is caused by makeing the adjacent ground a bit darker and less saturated then you do. and when i look at the CGed BGs i notice the same saturation thing. yours is a bit brighter compared to his, causing his sprites and platforms to pop just a bit more.
put very simply, blunt and exagerrated: yours is all bright and happy colours, and he has used lower saturation to contrast. ------------- ▄▄█ ▄▄█ ▄█▄ ▄█▄ |