Perspective? 3/4 top-view tree trunk
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=24478
Printed Date: 10 June 2026 at 2:10am
Topic: Perspective? 3/4 top-view tree trunk
Posted By: Kich
Subject: Perspective? 3/4 top-view tree trunk
Date Posted: 09 August 2015 at 3:16pm
|
Hey everyone,
I'm having trouble with perspective. How do I make good tree trunks in 3/4 top-view? Look: 
I don't think the tree I made have a trunk like this, but zelda had big ones that actually show just roots: 
|
Replies:
Posted By: AimlessZealot
Date Posted: 09 August 2015 at 10:24pm
|
I want to begin by stating : I love your foliage. It's vibrant and has a lot of personality without being so unique that it won't tile well. The color scheme is good (though the limes may need to be muted slightly if you're going to have groups of them) and the fact that it is not symmetrical like your reference images' trees means that flipping it can create randomness and variety.
I wasn't initially sure if there was anything I could contribute since I've never tried this particular problem before, but after studying for a little bit I decided the easiest way to answer would be to take a shot myself. Forgive me for being a little overzealous in the following work... So the first footnote I took from LoZ:L2P was that the perspective is orthagonal. That means no foreshortening like what your attempt does as it thins towards the roots.The next footnote that I took was that the perspective depends on line thickness to help separate "top" and "bottom" objects such as the trunk from the foliage above it. This was my takeaway attempt on finishing the tree you started. 
I kinda went screwy adjusting the top a bit but I realized it was necessary because your original foliage is at the slightly wrong perspective. In the original trees there is a pale green circle at the "top" of the tree. If we assume that the inner circle of your foliage is its top and compare accordingly, we see this: 
In the center is the original, to the left the version with a trunk but no thickening and no adjusted foliage, the right is the thickened/adjusted foliage. The red line gives a nice comparison of top-center. Because yours is pitched too far back, your perspective is technically closer to 2/3rds than 3/4ths. Feel free to use whatever you find useful above however you like. Good luck and great job! |
Posted By: jalonso
Date Posted: 11 August 2015 at 2:22pm
|
If you try to make true to 3/4 then it won't show at all or will look odd.
Its best to go for the optical illusion. Your tree top is great looking. To me, in game art trees I follow this rule. Busy top clean trunk, cleacn top busy trunk. ------------- |
Posted By: Kich
Date Posted: 15 August 2015 at 2:14pm
|
Hey, thank you both!
I appreciate all your study on this, AimlessZealot :) I quite liked your edits, but I feel aiming a different style than LoZ:L2P (I used the trunk's perspective as example 'cause its perspective seems to make a lot more sense than trees I see on other RPGs). Your reply added a lot, thank you! Indeed jal, :o this is interesting. Thanks for that. I think it's looking better now, I'll keep going with this:  >   
|
Posted By: AimlessZealot
Date Posted: 16 August 2015 at 10:40am
|
I like your tree but I would say : your shadow is too busy and lacks the variegation it would need to match what it is shadowing.
Either your shadow represents the broad strokes of the shapes above it and is a single color/opacity so that it symbolizes the shadow of the foliage rather than accurately representing it (like how LoZ and many other games do) OR: Your shadow attempts to account for all of the various details of the shape it is linked to but needs to reflect things like thickness and height differences using shade and opacity. Because you're mixing the two it seems like a uniform, cartoony symbol of something that is much more complicated than the broad-strokes foliage above it. |
Posted By: jalonso
Date Posted: 17 August 2015 at 2:55pm
|
Trunk is perfect for this treetop.
Dunno that the ground shadow matches tho :/ ------------- |
Posted By: Kich
Date Posted: 20 August 2015 at 12:05am
I think I got it. Better?
 
|
Posted By: eishiya
Date Posted: 20 August 2015 at 6:12am
|
I think you're being too literal with that shadow, trying to get every bit of detail in there, so it doesn't look quite right. A simpler shadow that really emphasises the fact that the tree just has a bunch of very large leaves would be a better match, even if the details don't actually match. |
Posted By: Kich
Date Posted: 20 August 2015 at 10:31am
|
I'm trying, but not reaching this simpler shadow :(
Actually I grew up with http://www.gdunlimited.net/forums/uploads/gallery/category_68/gallery_28566_68_5054.png - this kind of influence so detailed shadows looks quite ok to me today. |
Posted By: Kich
Date Posted: 20 August 2015 at 11:23pm
I guess I managed to do a simpler shadow :D
(I'm using 48x48 tiles and I intend to make some variations on the grass) |
Posted By: RebeaLeion
Date Posted: 22 August 2015 at 2:28am
| i like your tile so far. |