WIP Sapphire Sword
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=12686
Printed Date: 23 October 2025 at 9:18am
Topic: WIP Sapphire Sword
Posted By: x-strike
Subject: WIP Sapphire Sword
Date Posted: 08 August 2011 at 2:55pm
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Any tips and critiques are welcome. I've already been told it sucks and is "horrible" so I'm not sure you could insult me worse. This is a revision of my first piece of pixel art. I guess it's not a true WIP in that I'm done with it, but it'll never make it onto the real gallery as it is now.
You can view it here if you feel it's worth wasting your time, http://x-strike-fire-dragon.deviantart.com/#/d45wb3u - Sapphire Sword ../files/icons/sword_sprite__r1723343191.png">  |
Replies:
Posted By: PureAwesomeness
Date Posted: 08 August 2011 at 3:05pm
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It's actually not bad for your first pixel art! It's a little small, but none of the lines are jagged and the shading's not just a straight line, which is a good thing. Not much else to say, since it's hard to work on something so small. You should add someone holding the sword, so there's more to look at. |
Posted By: cure
Date Posted: 08 August 2011 at 3:10pm
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post images in the forum using the tree icon. i'll copy/paste my crits from the comments section of the piece for now: right now the shading on the tip makes no sense, and the rectangle-with-triangle-on-the-end blade shape is usually a poort choice. the hand guard should probably be thicker, and the hilt should be longer and thinner, keep in mind someone has to hold this, such a large grip would be tough to hold. the blade should probably be longer as well. depicting the shiny metallic surface of the blade is important in making an interesting-looking sword as well. I assume you aren't working from references. always work from references. |
Posted By: x-strike
Date Posted: 08 August 2011 at 3:14pm
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I tried that, but the preview didn't work. Didn't really feel like getting yelled at for having a broken image.
Pure Awesomeness: thanks, it's small since it's for a video game, and larger and it'd be bigger than the wielder. |
Posted By: cure
Date Posted: 08 August 2011 at 3:47pm
| click tree icon, paste url in box, hit 'preview', ignore latin, hit 'ok' |
Posted By: jalonso
Date Posted: 08 August 2011 at 5:51pm
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I understand this is very small and its not always easy to define details at this size but its also not impossible go get a good effect either. Notice these examples look like metal and have good proportions and read nice. To a certain extent your hilt is hardly there and the proportion of hilt and blade are not quite reading as 'real'. Interestingly I found no swords in the gallery with horizontal views, seems everyone makes 45 degree swords o.O (art by adarias - Larwick - atidaud - castiboy - bog - lordz( ../files/icons/full/sowrds3.png">  ../files/icons/full/whole_set.png"> ../files/icons/full/weaponicons.gif"> ../files/icons/full/swrd_prple.gif">   ../files/icons/full/icons_done4112319096_iaza.gif">  ../files/icons/weapons.png"> Don't look at these and think you cant. Not only can you but you will. The canvas size couldn't be easier. Zoom and study and experiment. Try revising your sword and posting what ever you think will fix these things some. Remember what I said before. Its the pixelart technique and pixel placements that matter for gallery inclusion. Not the artistic or what the sword looks like. ------------- |
Posted By: x-strike
Date Posted: 09 August 2011 at 2:54am
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Thanks for the edit jal.
Just want to say to ya'll that the bottom sword left middle in the weapons icon  image looks a lot like mine in that it's a rectangle with a triangle. Also, just to point out, art doesn't necessarily have to be realistic, I mean, Cloud Strife's sword would be near physically impossible to use (I think it' called Cloud Buster, but I've never played and FF games).
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Posted By: ChrisButton
Date Posted: 09 August 2011 at 3:47am
| Buster Sword |
Posted By: jalonso
Date Posted: 09 August 2011 at 8:55am
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Originally posted by x-strike ...Just want to say to ya'll that the bottom sword left middle in the weapons icon image looks a lot like mine in that it's a rectangle with a triangle. Also, just to point out, art doesn't necessarily have to be realistic,... I am not really the best to offer help c+c this time around since as you know I added your sword to your gallery and only sent it back due to PJ member and other staff reports and commentary. I do think your sword can and should be better from a pixelart technique standpoint. I try never to take the 'visual' into account when adding/rejecting pieces in order to be as fair as I can. Sometimes the subject matter is not my cup of tea but if I just focus on the technique then I can fairly judge a piece without any bias. I added your sword initially because you are mostly a programmer looking to make your game projects materialize and as you don't have any other piece to judge you against your own work I followed the 'benefit of the doubt' rule and willing to let subsequent pieces speak for your skill set and level. Had the sword go thru with no objections and you submit more of the same showing no improvement in technique then I would send them back and explain my rationale to you. Even if you never become a great or awesome pixelartist I think its wise for you to make some attempt at understanding the process and techniques so that when you are working on a project you have a better understanding of the game assets from visual/technical point of view. It will make you a better all-around game programmer/creator/team leader. The art samples from other artists I posted before were only intended to illustrate how a small piece can be detailed and even have enough light source and light play to make a self standing good piece. I did not make an edit at all. There is so few pixels to move around that any edit would just sway you and probably learn nothing more than some copying. Again, if you take this simple little game asset and imagine a whole game project being developed your personal understanding can only help your projects move quickly and efficiently. Its worth the effort and if you drop pixelart altogether then at least you have yourself an avatar to use in PJ when you seek team members for your games  ------------- |
Posted By: x-strike
Date Posted: 10 August 2011 at 11:47pm
| Not complaining, I'm just pointing out because someone burned me on the rectangle-triangle point. Not sure if technique is always the best way to judge a piece, but if that's how you judge, then that's how you judge. I'd do more, perhaps, but photoshop's down on me for now so I can't even try. |
Posted By: Melee
Date Posted: 11 August 2011 at 3:21pm
| http://pixieengine.com/creation/images/new - Here's an online pixel editor. I've never used it before (I use MS Paint for my pixeling, with Gimp for transparency and contrast edits). But it looks fairly efficient. (Anyone else know of sites like these?) |