[WIP] Vampire Lord
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=21425
Printed Date: 28 October 2025 at 3:42am
Topic: [WIP] Vampire Lord
Posted By: L3V147H4N
Subject: [WIP] Vampire Lord
Date Posted: 15 February 2015 at 1:36pm
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Hello! I recently got into pixel art and I'm trying to make something for a game, I need some advice for this. It's suppose to be a medieval/renaissance Vampire. I'm mainly stuck on the face,  I don't how to make it look ... dark and epic ahah!  TODO: Brooch in the cape. Armour? Thoughts?  Also, What do you think about the cape?  |
Replies:
Posted By: devinaaron
Date Posted: 15 February 2015 at 2:08pm
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I reccomend trying to fix the left hand. Proportionaly, it doesn't look right. And possibly doing the hair again.
For the cape, it nice. All in all I like it. :) |
Posted By: L3V147H4N
Date Posted: 15 February 2015 at 2:12pm
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I really didn't notice that :p but I see it now, yep I need to fix that. Any thoughts on the face? |
Posted By: SuperTurnip
Date Posted: 15 February 2015 at 2:58pm
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Hi L3V147H4N, welcome to the forum! Well, happy 1st month here, anyways.
So, pixel art. When it comes to faces, pixel art can be really tricky at first, but with some practice and work (such as this) it'll become a smooth process. My two cents are that faces don't need all the details to read as a face, as people make up the details in between pixels. Try drawing a really simple face, maybe with two dots for eyes, then experiment with shading to achieve the effect of a low, menacing brow or a pointy nose. This is not a good time to use outlining, of course. Perhaps avoid that whole-face shadow, as you'll need all the spare pixel control you can get. The rest of the sprite is a good start, and you've got a great overall shape going on that reads well. The pants are sadly almost identical to the skin tone in colour. That reads as the vampire wearing a belt... but no pants. Having such a large area of light colour right by all the dark boots, cape, and shirt also makes the pants look like the most important part of the sprite, and this distracts from the face. Use contrast to draw the eye to the face rather than the pants! This is also how you can create a more interesting face with more details. Using more contrast carefully around areas that are important really helps reveal their detail. The cape is very banded, which really doesn't work here. The banding just blurs the lines of the cape, whilst leaving jagged edges that can be distracting. Like with the boots, head, legs and arm, work with actual shading rather than pillow-shading the whole thing. That should help make the cape exciting and clean. Good work, and happy pixeling with the rest of it! |
Posted By: L3V147H4N
Date Posted: 15 February 2015 at 3:17pm
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Hello! Thanks for the detailed reply! Shading is really something I need to work on, I need a lot of practice in that regard and I'm just starting to make good color pallets. About the face, I think I get what you mean, I've seen some really nice faces on very few pixels, I'll try make the best of it. I don't get what you mean by the cape being banded? that shadow stripes you mean? |
Posted By: SuperTurnip
Date Posted: 15 February 2015 at 3:23pm
| Yep. http://www.pixeljoint.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=11299 - Here's a big ol' tutorial thread! Scroll down to "IV. Things to avoid" and you'll find out all about banding. |
Posted By: L3V147H4N
Date Posted: 15 February 2015 at 3:40pm
Ohh! yes! I've seen that tutorial before, I'll take a closer look, ty! I'll post the Revised piece soon, hope it will be better 
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Posted By: L3V147H4N
Date Posted: 15 February 2015 at 10:34pm
a few minutes later :3 here is an improve version, I'm still not convinced on the face, in needs more detail I think, but overall I think is way better |
Posted By: L3V147H4N
Date Posted: 16 February 2015 at 7:23am
Final with hoody |
Posted By: L3V147H4N
Date Posted: 16 February 2015 at 7:24am
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Final with Hoody |
Posted By: SuperTurnip
Date Posted: 16 February 2015 at 5:21pm
| Much better! The orange highlight on the cloak really adds some punch to the colours. Gotta say there's still a lot of banding, but on a whole it looks really nice now. Good thinking with the hood by the way, and good work on the face. Keep chipping away at the banding and stray pixels and you're golden. |
Posted By: L3V147H4N
Date Posted: 16 February 2015 at 9:05pm
Thx! Glad you like Still working on the banding, I did a few changes but didnt like the outcome, I'm looking some other tutorials on banding, just got keep pushing pixels till I get it right.  Thanks for the comments http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/j/julieandre382494.html?src=t_perseverance - "Perseverance is failing 19 times and succeeding the 20th"
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Posted By: Shaffa
Date Posted: 17 February 2015 at 11:02am
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Just a suggestion, but what about a short side-cape, like such?http://www.waistedefforts.com/picture/joseph2005greenfull.jpg?pictureId=4717956
It would be easier to read his movements and his stylish clothes would shine more. Then, if you can convey the details, he can wear this tight armour-clothing ensemble: http://www.frick.org/sites/default/files/styles/maxheight_760px/public/exhibitions/cover_2.jpg?itok=HXlWAcNx That should shout renaissance and contrast the concept away from the usual hooded menace. |
Posted By: L3V147H4N
Date Posted: 17 February 2015 at 11:05am
Here is a lower res version of it.  |
Posted By: L3V147H4N
Date Posted: 17 February 2015 at 11:07am
Thx for the suggestion, I will REALLY consider it :D I think you are right, I do plan to make animations for it and yea, probably a shorter cape with do well. :D I'll start working on it |
Posted By: L3V147H4N
Date Posted: 17 February 2015 at 2:05pm
Short Cape and sword |
Posted By: L3V147H4N
Date Posted: 17 February 2015 at 2:46pm
And some poses |
Posted By: devinaaron
Date Posted: 17 February 2015 at 3:57pm
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The legs aren't exactly shaped like they should be. Right one seams bigger. Also, consider the shape of the face. With a sprite this big, yoiu won't be able to get away with a square head. The arms are skrony, so try to muscle them up. And do another frame between the 2nd and 3rd frame, showing as the sword is being unshiethed |
Posted By: L3V147H4N
Date Posted: 18 February 2015 at 5:16am
| Yes Ofc! it's not the best,, but it was not intended to be an animation, there were just poses |
Posted By: L3V147H4N
Date Posted: 18 February 2015 at 5:19am
| If you have any References for NON-Square Faces at this res plzz share :D :D |
Posted By: Shaffa
Date Posted: 18 February 2015 at 7:56am
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Loving the cape :D
Anyways, look at fencing photos and copy the silouettes and compare. Then you'll get more natural poses and spot proportion issues more clearly. I would suggest he pushes the cape back once the sword is drawn so that the left arm can be used for balance. |