I really really like the background with the trees, please don't change a thing about that!!! I LOVE IT <3  how it fades to blue, very cool <3
I'm not an expert so I probably can't help you that much but I think maybe the character doesn't stand out that much?? perhaps it's because he blends in with the trees, unless that was your intention, then it's pretty cool. totally ninja <3 haha

Agree with previous comments. Lovely colors and bg.

Generally you have a noise problem. Mostly with that grass, it severely bounces the eye aimlessly around. Go for calmer patches with a few nice details: a fern, a twig, a leaf here and there, with forest-like shadows and light.
Similarly, the foreground trees conflict for attention with the guy, because of their amount of detail and their colors. Make them simpler and less red.

Last, I don't think you'll succeed very well with that mail-coat, that's one thing pixel at isn't best equipped for; and it's noisy too. I'd suggest to try that checkerboard pattern with light and close shades of grey, or else just go for a metallic smooth shine.


Edited by Manupix - 02 February 2010 at 5:24pm

Oh noes, you've added noisy stuff! :O

My idea about grass was to remove most of it, and just add those small details instead of the noisy texture. Check this piece.

New background stuff in mid-air doesn't help much either.

Mail-coat has improved, it's got volume now, but I'd still reduce contrast of the upper side by using some grey instead of black there.
Besides, there's too much pure black in the piece, I don't think it's needed at all.

Cloak: ref ref ref ref! (just the first result that popped, find more!)

Keep at it! ;)


Edited by Manupix - 03 February 2010 at 4:45am

One more tree? Don't you dare!



See what I mean? Dunno what's with all you guys and grass lately. :D

Removed black, replaced by some dark blue. Otherwise your palette is beautiful and fun to use, but probably lacks a few less saturated tones. Useful sometimes.

I don't know what's supposed to be the face, since I can't draw faces I just blurred something instead.

I think he is wearing cloth over his face. It's hard to tell, because the cloth on his face blends in with the rest of environment. I like manupix's edit, as always, because the grass is not near as noisy. It definitely defines the character more. 

Yay so many responses okay lets sumarize.
Tried to redo the almost everything as manupix said,tried to tweak the grass more,hope it isnt much chaotic...and by the way if you like mine palette so much you can rip it and use it all the way you want.Changed the colour of his facemask,tried to tone down the grass and I used blue at those trees for the purpose of reducing colours...here it is

Yes the wolf would be too much :P, the ranger seems to blend in with the trees i'd try making him stand out more :).

Agree with shrub. Also, falcons are more dark steel blues, no? Check some refs.
I would show its profile rather than facing (more readable I think), and close the wing, takes too much space. The ranger needs some open space in front of his face, he's the subject, the bird is only accessory and shouldn't take equal attention.

Congrats for the grass! It might use a slightly more horizontal texture, to convey distance.

I still think the tree on the left is too colorful and noisy, actually the 2 trees and the ranger are equal (in size and 'noise' level) elements that conflict for attention.



Edited by Manupix - 08 February 2010 at 6:52am

Tweaked it even more mainly the trees the falcon,removed the blue shading...it didnt fit you were right...tried to tweak cape...ahh well see for yourself.

This.

Personally, I'd go for a color and priority overhaul. The two tree trunks up front look very similar to the hunter and even seem to be using the same colors, bringing them on the same level as the hunter, priority-wise, and competing for attention.
Subsequently, it also makes the hunter appear to look like a tree trunk.

I'd highly advise you change the color of the rangers cloak, I feel a nice blue would do. Experiment. You want him to fit in with the piece as a whole, but at the same time, to stick out from the rest of the objects to increase his importance. Yet another element, the falcon, uses those same browns, too. It's also very small and unreadable, to me.

Your rendering also leaves a lot to be desired. You're muddying up your forms with loose or 'meaningless' pixels. You want to create recognizable shapes (or pixel clusters, like they're often called) of flat colors. If the pixel doesn't aid in the readability of the whole, or aid it in some other way, it probably doesn't need to be there. The ranger is far too busy, I can't make out anything.

In all fairness though, my monitor is pretty fudged up and I can't see pixels too clearly at the moment.

I must say, though, I enjoy the background, and I love the grass as well.

Pimped it up even more,I kinda like the result thanks for the feedback. Would like to add a light right into his face trough the trees,but I dont think it would work.



Edited by bonehead11 - 23 February 2010 at 6:09am

Hope it works,add a halo in the background too.
Suggestions on how to improve extremely welcomed...again

Wow, great improve! But no, not finished yet ;D

The bird is still not very readable, although it's tons better. I'd concentrate on the beak and eye, make them as simple as possible. Also it's probably a bit too big.

What's that staff or whatever he's leaning on? Is it necessary? It's not readable either anyway, I hadn't even really noticed it before. It's now distracting because it's catching some light. It looks like a prop under his armpit.

How about moving the ranger's leg forward, out of the cloak? You'd want to have a good balance carrying that bird. It would help with the composition too.

Then, the cloak shading might still probably improve.

Hope its better...

Moved out his leg as suggested,removed the sword,yup it was sword...will work on the cloak when the basic shape is up.


*sigh* Im still learning,I always jump at everything without reading tutorials and such stuff, I start looking at them when I stumble upon problem...such as this one...thanks for those tips anyway...


I was experimenting,changing,adding colours as the piece was worked at...so there are many many unuseful colours out there,but I think I will leave it for last steps of this piece...if I ever get there it would be pointless because I will still rechange add nor delete colours as I continue...here it is, still it sucks really badly...

That's not the way to go. Always try to re-use an existing color first, then to adjust an existing color, then as a last resort only add a new one.
Do some palette challenges, they are the best way to train in that trick, more importantly to understand the point of it (in a word, how the eye and brain use and tweak color information) and most importantly to realize the fun in doing it.


It's not perfect for sure, but it's worth every effort you put in it and what you've learned doing it is there to stay. You're on the right track! (s'posing there is one, that is )

I don't have the time to give detail C&C or edit, I just think the bird mostly is still not there (noisy, not shaded accordingly to light source; keep it as simple as possible), and the guy's face. Yeah, I know .

Done this edit a few days ago, and forgot to upload it.
Just a quick idea of how I see that birdie.