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[Tartiflette]

I'm currently making a spriting tutorial, and can share the first VIDEO about the sketching process. There will be extensive texts but no audio as I'm sure you don't want to hear my accent 
Usually I'm sketching with pen and paper, but I tried to go full digital this time for the sake of recording.
Timelapses are fun, it looks like I know what I'm doing... It's 5 times accelerated, each sketch took between 20 and 30 min. The first three really are "freehand" sketch to find pieces and shapes while with the fourth I tried to get a fine silhouette first.

[ORMtnMan]

@ ORMtnMan -
I would add some directional lighting to the front and back of the mounts to make them appear more 3D. Also the light source for the Aegis appears to be directly above the ship, whereas for vanilla the light source is above and just in front of the prow of the ship. You should add some shadows done done in the "hard light" layer mode (so some very black shadows restricted to certain parts to really give the sense of depth). Lastly, I would throw in small 1-2 pixel wide lights in a color besides blue. It's really a matter of taste, but I find it adds to the ships a lot to add a bit of contrasting color here and there. For instance, my ships have a lot of yellow and red, and I usually throw in a few lime-green or light purple lights to change up the colors a bit and make things seem more complex.

I'm nitpicking here, but I really think you have quite a good sprite here and a few small changes can take your stuff to the next level.
 

Kazi,
That is very helpful! David  was telling  me something similar for one of  my other sprites, I for some reason got  it in my head that the lighting was from overhead. I need to go back  through all my ships and fix that.  As for the lights I have some yellow white lights that aren't  shown  because they are deco weapons, but you are right, perhaps some other colored lights might be in order.

[Thaago]

I was feeling bored/inspired so I threw together this kitbash:



I'm calling it the "Arrow" - either a light destroyer or very heavy frigate. How is it? Any suggestions for tweaking the color scheme away from vanilla midline?

[ORMtnMan]

I was feeling bored/inspired so I threw together this kitbash:



I'm calling it the "Arrow" - either a light destroyer or very heavy frigate. How is it? Any suggestions for tweaking the color scheme away from vanilla midline?

Thaago, looks nice! Solid Kitbash. The only gripe I have is there is some dark black toward the front that could be lightened up especially on the sides close to the front mount. Think of the light coming from the top front like Kazi said. (something I need to work on myself).

As for the coloration, consider coloring the top plate sections and keeping the under/internals. It is hard to say how to colorize it unless you have a faction...

Anyway, redid the Aegis lighting wise. I think it is much better, I also changed the inner lights to reddish (though they  look a bit pink so I will need to do more tweaking there). As both Kazi and Debido said... this looks... immensly better than it did before. If I may say so myself.

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[Thaago]

@ ORMtnMan
Thanks for the feedback! I see what you mean - those black bits near the front are off.  I like the idea of colorizing the top "arrow" region, though I need to pick a faction color...

For the Aegis: I really like the pink/purple lights! I'm not so sure about the "spines" near the very back edges. They look nice here but I don't know if the damage decals/effects will work with them. It would be a little odd to have them getting shot.


I've also just put this together (needed to unwind).



Now that I'm looking at it with regards to lighting, I can see that a whole bunch of stuff is wrong. Namely, I flipped some components vertically and the shadows are on the wrong side. Anyways, this is the "Tackle", again either a heavy frigate or light destroyer.

[ORMtnMan]

Not a problem Thaago. That Arrow one also looks like a spade, or a at-rest moth... very interesting shape. I also notices some jaggieness on the outside edges that could use some anti-alias love (google spriting anti-alias on how to work with  that, there are many ways to go about it).

As for the (what you called) spines, they are antennae, for which there will be glowing lights in game (not very easy to show here) Currently they are outside the hit box so I don't think they themselves will catch any fire. Though I haden't thought about how awkward those may look if the ship around it is damaged (or the whole ship is destroyed). I'll have to give it a test, thanks for pointing that out.

The Tackle is like a more B-A version of the Brawler. Other than the lighting things which you already pointed out, this sprite could also use some help on the outside edges with AA.

Brainstorm your faction some more and see what kind of ships you want to thrown in there.

Finally, keep it up, you are doing a great job and I for one am eager to see how you do with editing those sprites.

[Thaago]

I did a little work on the Arrow - antialiased the sides a bit and recolored the front dark areas. Better?

[ORMtnMan]

I did a little work on the Arrow - antialiased the sides a bit and recolored the front dark areas. Better?

Much better! Good job, only one more nit-picky thing I have for you.

On the top section of the arrow (just below the hardpoint)

The way it is shaded makes it look like it protrudes upward out of the body for me... perhaps even out the shading a bit?
Again, real nitpicky because this is a great kitbash. Keep it up!

[ValkyriaL]

Been a while since i posted here i think, had some quality work put into my Yoshura series.. your probably going to like them!

Yoshura I! which it was previously known as...Is a completely new ship..

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And Yoshura II has received the shading it so well deserved, all hail Tartiflette!

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[Tartiflette]

Hehe, I made some videos of parts of the process, about paint-over, and speed relighting.

[MShadowy]

Hehe, I made some videos of parts of the process, about paint-over, and speed relighting.

Ah, always nice seeing someone work.  Neat videos, Tarti.  Thanks for sharing 'em.

[Zudgemud]

Been a while since i posted here i think, had some quality work put into my Yoshura series.. your probably going to like them!

Yoshura I! which it was previously known as...Is a completely new ship..

Spoiler

[close]

And Yoshura II has received the shading it so well deserved, all hail Tartiflette!

Spoiler

[close]

Both of them look god damn amazing, especially the first one as all that middle and rear greeble really comes to life with the heavier shading. The second one, while really good looking, could use a tad heavier shading on the rear end, to make all that sweet sweet greeble pop and come to life as in the first one.

Myself, I made a point defence thingy, and I'm working with a frigate sized PD thingy now.

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[Zudgemud]

@ ORMtnMan
Thanks for the feedback! I see what you mean - those black bits near the front are off.  I like the idea of colorizing the top "arrow" region, though I need to pick a faction color...

For the Aegis: I really like the pink/purple lights! I'm not so sure about the "spines" near the very back edges. They look nice here but I don't know if the damage decals/effects will work with them. It would be a little odd to have them getting shot.


I've also just put this together (needed to unwind).



Now that I'm looking at it with regards to lighting, I can see that a whole bunch of stuff is wrong. Namely, I flipped some components vertically and the shadows are on the wrong side. Anyways, this is the "Tackle", again either a heavy frigate or light destroyer.

Also, aside from looking good generally, this ship is fabulus because it looks like a dude in armor jumping at you with arms and legs pointing towards you

[Thaago]

I did a little work on the Arrow - antialiased the sides a bit and recolored the front dark areas. Better?

Much better! Good job, only one more nit-picky thing I have for you.

On the top section of the arrow (just below the hardpoint)

The way it is shaded makes it look like it protrudes upward out of the body for me... perhaps even out the shading a bit?
Again, real nitpicky because this is a great kitbash. Keep it up!

Thanks! Yeah I see what you mean - I think I might give it a bit of a shadow behind to pop it out. I really appreciate the nitpicks, it helps make them better.

...

Also, aside from looking good generally, this ship is fabulus because it looks like a dude in armor jumping at you with arms and legs pointing towards you

That helped inspire the name. I think I've come up with a good ship system for it: Breaker Wave Drive - disables shields and burns forward, though range is much smaller than a normal burn drive. When the drive finishes running, it fires a hidden built in weapon that makes a "wave" of energy come out the front of the ship.

...

Myself, I made a point defence thingy, and I'm working with a frigate sized PD thingy now.

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I like it, though to me the back and sides look a bit over-shadowed.

[SlimPickens]

Trying this out; starsector style is far removed from my comfort zone.
Any suggestions welcome, I particularly don't like the edges of the larger one and can't seem to fix it adequately.


E:And now that I see it at 100% and not 400% it looks like I need to better incorporate the turret mount.