NIKOLA TESLA, MAN OF SCIENCE :: Pixel Art Detail | More from the Gallery Random Unrated Pixel Art |
NIKOLA TESLA, MAN OF SCIENCE
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Top Pixel Art - April 2006 (#6)What do you think?
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This is one of my favourite pieces I've ever seen on here. A large part of that is due to the title, but the image really lives up to it.
Well, the piece is, as always, great. By zooming in, I could see all the colour work that looks ALMOST invisible at 100%. The way you conserved the colours is outstanding (using the same colours you used on the lightning in the face was amazing) and also seems to me that you used very similar colours on the highlights to the ones you used on a piece you´ve made previously and on the shadows very similar colours to the ones on this piece. But I don´t really see the point in mentioning that...
I don´t really know who the guy is (I would normally do some research, but I don´t have internet at home anymore, so I can´t waste any time x_x ), but he seems to be a tortured person. And I don´t get why Saboteur says that just because he is brilliant he can´t be depressed. But I know nothing about him, sooo...
As said before, the eyes really don´t match. His right one, unlike the left, portrays a really deep eye socket, and therefore looks weird next to the other...adding a small highlight below that eye would probably fix it...
The other thing that´s bothering me is the intensity of the red backlight...it would probably look nicer if soften it.
I can´t really crit anything else because I think it´s near perfection. You are awsome Helm, I can´t imagine you as a n00b (you said Pixelation really helped you when you were a begginer...when was that exactly?)...I hope my post is "big enough", I really wish that I, even being years beyond you, was able to help you in any way...
Not really =)
Hah, I'm tempted to be wordy, but I think I'll hold back. We'll go for the short vision-guided response.
To be honest, I don't like it. Sure, it's brilliantly formed, and seldom a pixel on there is out of place, but it looks like two vaguely related images. Don't assault me because I hadn't stalked Tesla in a second life. Going ONLY from this, he looks like some guy with a mustache that has something to do with electricity and is incredibly depressed. His eyes are downcast, he looks sullen, the red glow suggests even MORE unsettlement. So yes, the pixel placing itself is beautiful, but it really conveys little about the guy. If he's brilliant as I remember hearing he was, why don't you portray that in his facial expression?
Uh oh, this is turning out long.
Would not the light of the lightning reflect further down onto his shoulders? It would seem to me that such would be the case, and the absence of that really makes it look like a floating head. Again, this adds to the whole lost/depression thing, for me.
Apologies if the depression thing was intentional, but in any case I don't like it. That's just my opinion.
Regarding Helm's comments about critiques at PJ...
I 100% agree that uploading pixel art in the gallery is not where people should be posting if they are seeking serious critiques (like Helm mentions, that's what forums are for). Of course, if you would like to post a critique here most artists appreciate the thoughtful remarks.
Speaking of folio stuff, I would really like to start building decent tools for you pixel artists like an RSS feed for your gallery and personal categories to organize work. Anybody can always submit suggestions through the contact form. </offtopic_blathering>
Regarding Helm's work... the red light emerging from the shadows is just gorgeous. You've really got lighting down.
"some PJ members may also not be at the skill level you find yourself therefore a simple comment is best from them, since it would be ignored anyway. I, of course, am nowhere ne"
This is wrong. One might be more skilled in the eyes than he is in the hands. A lot of people have given me invaluable critique that weren't very advanced themselves. I don't care if you think you're better or worse than me, as this is not a race. I care if the art makes you feel anything, and if you see any ways it can achieve more.
"I don't see any exploration or experimentation in your work (perhaps you've reach perfection?)."
nope
"Subject matter aside, you seem to have taken color theory as far as it will go, therefore further palette/color ramping excellence, is a stagnant place to be."
nope
I don't like to be self-effacing because usually when artists do that it seems as if they're fishing for compliments, but for real, I don't think I'm a great artist and I see art that's far more potent and moving than mine every day. This is I think an issue of understanding the history and appreciating the medium that you might not possess. You look in this place and you have your favourite 'pixel gods' whereas I look elsewhere for my masters, in different eras and forms of the medium. Don't try to outrun your friends, don't try to outrun the bear. Try to outrun god. Becoming better than your pixeljoint idol might not be very difficult and it will lead to storterm ego boost and peer-approval, but there's more to artistic advancement than that, I feel.
I don't disagree in effect... but the process of making art can benefit from opinions that are more detailed than that, if the artist strives to communicate some things consciously, not just aim in the dark. I have no problem with aiming in the dark, I do it too (90% of the art is intuitive and the process of automation like that for me) but I like my 10% to be as intentful as I can get it. And critique helps.
What I was trying to do as opposed as what has been communicated. Not 'I like it' but 'I understand what you were trying to do'. And besides, technical ability can easily be critiqued in pixel art, it's color, aa skill, dithering, buffering, conservation... categorized stuff that a person who knows can help others with. And as we know from critique fora, longer posts mean more critique, which in turn means more help.
"I've never seen an example of where you have taken any critique and updated your art so there is really nothing worth saying."
It is because you don't follow pixelopolis. For this piece, I made this thread:
http://pixel-arts.org/pixelopolis/index.php?topic=1170.0
Also check out this thread about another piece and see where I started and where I finished:
http://pixel-arts.org/pixelopolis/index.php?topic=551.0
If you've never seen me update my art when it's posted here it's because it's usually my art has already been extensively critiqued and reworked on that forum. I don't get much critique here, but if I do get something I feel was a glaring fault I will and have updated. I would have taken offense at you suggesting I brush off critique because I started out as a very very bad pixel artist and pixelation/pixelopolis is largely responsible for me not sucking as much, and I hold tremendous respect for the critiquing process and always reply to thank for the critique I get and post updated art reflecting the points, if it is not finalized. I would take offense if you knew who I am and what my background is but you don't, so I'll just take it easy.
If you feel the community you love has been attacked by the tone of my comments, you should know that it IS true gallery-type art showcase sites are nothing like critique forums (compare ea>*** Message has been truncated ***
Long posts do not mean better quality posts. Art is subjective and it always comes down to "I like it, or don't". I've never seen an example of where you have taken any critique and updated your art so there is really nothing worth saying. Some PJ members may also not be at the skill level you find yourself therefore a simple comment is best from them, since it would be ignored anyway. I, of course, am nowhere near your technical skills therefore never feel the need to comment on your work.
I don't see any exploration or experimentation in your work (perhaps you've reach perfection?). Subject matter aside, you seem to have taken color theory as far as it will go, therefore further palette/color ramping excellence, is a stagnant place to be. I would think you are ready to bend/break the rules in order to create new ones so that we can all be inspired to further our own work and post really long posts on your pieces that deal with the advancement/theory/value of our lowly artform. I fully respect your work/skills/abilities and hope you take no offense since none is meant.
I reckon the hair would work better all black- no shading at all.
A few of the highlights (nose point, lips, left cheekbone accent) give a metallic look; in the case of the cheekbone it actually looks quite like a curved sheet of metal. You're stretching believability in those three cases.
About the eyes, I did try as much as I could. I guess I should do more lineart studies of eyes in various lightning conditions because it's pretty obvious I'm improvising them right now.
Great color selection as usual. For some reason though, I"m liking the lightning effect more than then Tesla himself. The dithering on Tesla, with the strange coloring is top notch, don't get me wrong. But I still see some tiny problems.
The first thing I noticed about his face is that his right eye seems to blend in with the white of his eye. I understand that is your desired effect, as you understand how to compensate amount of color in your works, and it works particularly well with his left eye. However, with the right eye, it just looks....well, deformed, as if he was punched(kinda like a swollen eye, or black eye), or burned fusing the white of his eye with his eye lid. Speaking of the eyes, the bags under his left eye go a little further than a normal persons, and the light bieng reflected at the tip of the bag doesn't seem like a normal place to find lighting on that area of the nose, given that the nose should be blocking light at that point, given your current point of light source.
Than I noticed his ear. It looks so...plain. It's as if you were so tired of detailing the face, that you forgot all about the ear. Once you realized the ear's plain-ness, I'm guessin' you just said 'screw it' and laid a black outline to show the curves just to get it over with. It's not as detailed as the rest of the pic is what I'm trying to say.
I'm not trying to be a pretensious prick here, or steal your thunder( as if I could). I just remember reading a certain quote of yours here which went a little something like:
" Check the pixelopolis wiki for definitions of these things, and generally register at pixelopolis for in-depth critique of your work, as this isn't exactly the place for more, in my opinion. "
So I decided to critique you as professionally as I can. But once again, this is nothing short of excellent. Great job, Helm...
Great work as usual, Helm. I glad you broke up the ambient lighting a little to make him look less chiselled and more human since that was really bothering me in the early stages. I love your colors (and don't understand why they work) as usual.
Becouse i use the translate.pl. I dont like it, but it translate better of my english :P I say this same whith my english, no without translate.pl. Just perfect color selection, i love this aa. Great failing lighted, superb ambient light. Fav+5 Points
Btw: whats is hilarious?
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Great piece. Especially the use of red.
5/5 Fav