I have a really hard time getting myself to actually do rough drafts and sketches when it comes to art. I keep wanting to try and directly start making the final picture, which doesn't work very well when the picture's really big (like for a background).
I think the key for me specifically is to try and draw with a really big ~5px brush and have that take away any of the temptation to try and get lines good, and just focus on shapes and colors.
I think I have a pretty good idea of how I want to proceed with the forest background I've been trying to make for the past while now. I think it takes inspiration from Yoshi's Island's forest backgrounds, though I'll be using my own style of course.The blue of the river should really add in some color balance that I thought was missing.
Also included an earlier doodle from awhile back that's even rougher, and stumbling across it was what reminded me of just how rough my rough sketches probably should be. #gamedev#gameart
Here's an attempt at refining the rough sketch I did into something more presentable, but using flat coloring mostly since that's what's achievable for me currently? It uses 246 different tiles so there's space for another layer if I want to keep going with it, though this background is probably just practice and I'll keep exploring. #gamedev#gameart
Sketch for the second outfit we'll see protagonist Wei Song wear in indiegame 'Future Ghost', with the enviro jumpsuit turned down at the waist. As you can see, Song's in decent shape for a man in his 60s.
Also shown is a design sketch for the backpack with inbuilt oxysplitter he carries as he climbs Pindus Mons. Finished design of Song wearing the jumpsuit also shown.
Mighty Marauder in living colour. A wrestling-style fighter from the pro league on distant future Mars.
He now has more of a story, which you'll learn in game, and will involve a real-life special appearance which will also be revealed in #indiegame 'Future Ghost'.
This is the biggest background Zid Journey so far & it has some design quirks:
The bottom was split into 3 thematically different screens.
The upper part exists for the cutscene's camera pan which introduces the city better & transitions to the next loc.
a closeup screen (not shown here) of the bottomleft part was created for narrative & flow purposes. Zooming-out hints that the location is bigger and invites the player to move on & explore.
The protagonist of my point & click / RPG #indiegame 'Future Ghost' now has his first walk cycle in profile, just about ready to climb Pindus Mons in the 1/3 Earth gravity on Mars.
Digital inking process (working with vectors for the lines, for reasons) for the player character walk cycle as he appears in the opening scene of the metaphysical #scifi#indiegame I'm making, 'Future Ghost'. (images 1 & 2)
Mockup of the character sprite as it will appear in-game. Wei Song climbs Pindus Mons on a partially terraformed Mars in the distant future. (images 3 & 4)
I've just finished a new #pixelart scene for my new point & click adventure game "Heir of the Dog".
Find it on Steam/GOG to play the demo and wishlist it 🤩