This is the start of a character/creature that I am using for a game I'm planning. I'm starting to texture and line it in (please ignore the blue sketch lines), and I'm looking for a critique.

Also, anyone know a walk cycle for a three legged critter?


Character name: A Dark Young

Yes, I often have trouble with my colors. Can you give me an example of what you mean by contrast and suggestions for colors?

you mean edit or sample?
here are example of contrast



Edited by jalonso - 12 January 2008 at 6:35pm

Didn't count your colors but it looks like 6 colors will do it all to me.


Edited by jalonso - 12 January 2008 at 6:48pm

The quality, meaning the way it looks is great.
The way you are selecting colors is fine but simplistic.
Very hard thing to explain but just because the creature is green does not mean all the shades will be greens. When making that section edit I chose 4 of the six colors so that they could well be used in the skin(green) and the mouth(brown) I these were based off the base green and base brown. Total of 6.

EDIT: you are coloring using dithering which I don't think is needed here at all. Notice I just color blocked and shaded. Animations with dithering seldom look good so think final product too.

EDIT2: Notice this sprite is green but when you zoom in just two colors are truly green the others are not even close to the same ramp.


this is really great coloring and color selection. This should be your goal.



Edited by jalonso - 12 January 2008 at 7:17pm

All i can say is WOW. Big difference I cant wait to see the finished version

Do not EVER compromise your artistic visions.
Any and all c+c are meant to point things out and help your decide for yourself.
If you like dithered hooves better and the original mouth then put them back in.
I spoke of color reduction but did not mean to say you had to do this. Color conservation is a skill and goal but when you need a color use it.
Your pixelart remains yours.

Its looking way better than your original post for sure.
The teeth/mouth
currently:

--   ------   --

maybe

-                     -
 -      ------     -


E: typo


Edited by jalonso - 13 January 2008 at 9:20am

yes, for sure.... I plan on animating the mouth a bit... create a "roar" animation.

 Do you think perhaps there is too much contrast between the colors?

Ok, I've decided to add a color, and change the light direction from the front. It seems to be smoothing things out a bit...



Getting better, I think....

I don't like it, it looks pillowshaded now. I would lean towards the squid thing Jal posted.

The trouble is that while you've shaded individual parts well, the overall shading is not-existant. It has no depth. Break it down into large shapes, then add smaller shapes to that. Hint: The body seems to basically be a sphere.

I believe I understand wat you mean.... I probably should have assembled the body parts one at a time on the main body and shaded them first (the underbelly should be darker)... Good point.

The dithering does not take care of the fact that while the body is basically a sphere, with a direct light source you have five distinct separate highlights. 
These imply that the front of the body is flat in the front and has five bumps that stick out and get the most light. 

I tried making an edit, but editing anything dithered on a laptop is way too much trouble.  If my other computer is free later I'll give you a quick sketch to explain further.  

The big tentacles are moving too fast and it looks like you merely flipped them.