My progress
 

Hi, I'm relativity new to the world of graphic design. But I have been trying to improve, and I would appreciate all the constructive criticism I can get.
I will occasionally post graphics I make here.
http://img337.imageshack.us/img337/992/capturegdu.png

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This is a sample of some tiles I made.. inside of some sort of a dungeon, or ruin? I don't know, any opinions?

Nicely done, I like the detail you put into it. I can't really find much wrong with it except maybe contrast the columns a bit more. Maybe also add a little square block between the column and the roof.

You should also do diaganol tiles for the walls :D

Very bland, no real colors D:...

Why are the walls, floor, everything, the same shade of mushy swamp, pale green/gray?

Also, you don't really need to dither on things like the columns, which are flat? If it was intended for shadow, then I guess...? o.o

I messed with it for a few minutes. It felt like coloring a gameboy game XP...




http://img510.imageshack.us/img510/9...bowndngeon.png

Also, the bricks in the wall shouldnt have so much of the dark outline speckled throughout the bricks, and every little thing doesnt need an outline, use contrast to show edges, different boards, etc.

Didn't really know what to do with your bricks without spending an hour o.o

Diggin' it. Floor tiles are a bit mismatched though.
Could use a bit more color, other than that, good stuff.

hey that looks cool!

The walls looks amazing, good start. :cool:

I think the columns should go down one more tile.

Hmm any better? I'm struggling with this palette... it is supposed to be for a swampy dungeon, and about the bricks, I made a brick texture then messed with them to make them purposefully look old and worn out, and the columns are dithered to look worn as well.. I feel the floor tiles need the most recoloring.. I can't seem to get it right.

http://img258.imageshack.us/img258/190/capturecq.png

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Stop restricting yourself so much with the colors you're using like Aeko suggested, everything looks to close in color, which is blending everything too much.

I thought using close colors would be a good idea.

Apparently no one is reading your posts and only looking at your graphics. The pallette you're using is great for the goal you're trying to achieve with a swampy dungeon. The pale green and gray overtones are working well together.

If you were just aiming for a regular dungeon, I'd consider trying out a wider variety of colors on the pallette, but since you have a very direction-oriented goal, I think you should stick with what you're doing. Looks great.

It doesn't matter. The most important thing to focus on when making background graphics is to easily discern where a player can walk, and where they can't. That is the first, and foremost, purpose of the graphics.

Also, you should never have to "read the posts" instead of "look at the graphics." If you can't portray what is needed with the graphics alone, you're doing something wrong. That's not to say he is doing anything wrong, but it's a point in general to remember.

This ^

I did a few new things to it.

The door,

Water, I'm unsure about the coloring of it.. maybe I should make it more purple then green? And the edges were it breaks to the surface :/

And the lower level walls, were the water goes.

I am also trying to make a sewer like entrance, not sure about how big it should be, so i drew that circle, any size recommendations? or any further ideas on it?

http://img843.imageshack.us/img843/8497/captureqav.png

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Not really sure it's the right size for graal, but other than that, it looks much better when paired with the blue water. I relize it's supposed to be green/swampy? but that doesn't mean you cant have more colors (shades of green don't count as other colors).

I may have added to many colors and such, i dunno xP

http://img574.imageshack.us/img574/9...bowndngeon.png

aeko his looks like a dungeon where yours looks like a house

everyone keeps telling him color this color that, however his color palette fits his goal

Dungeons aren't supposed to look pretty anyway

I'm diggin' the swamp-dungeon motif. I'm going to have to say that I prefer the near-monochromatic works to the heavily colorized variant version in this instance.

Where would a potentially ancient swamp-dwelling civilization get this many color bricks and elaborate lighting? The low contrast version is excellent.

Ehm back to work on them. a few new things, and much better bricks, now it needs to tweeked just a bit more and then onto the npcs! :D

Semifinal product:

http://img836.imageshack.us/img836/1380/capturebjw.png

If your wondering about the strange bridge thingy, its a place holder for the dam/bridge.

There are times you have to put logic aside when developing.

I meant in addition to the block down below you should have a block up above.

That's just your opinion, don't say that so condescendingly like we're all wrong for having our own opinions. Some of us happen to think that the low-contrast palette looks a lot better for what he's trying to achieve, and it's something we'd like to play and think it looks good and portrays the right feel.

In your opinion, adding a wider variety of colors would be better, in OUR opinion, we think this works just fine as it is.

Most pillars in the middle are bugging me (middle and side ones). Other than that it looks kinda cool.

http://img839.imageshack.us/img839/1...ecoloredit.png

ps: youre using way too many outlines

I came.......to the forums.....to tell you that your post was amazing.

This looks great.. I love the colors, and I will defiantly stop using so many outlines now. Thanks Elk! :)

if you use such consistant outlines, you have difficulties with recolors, for recoloring, say the outlines of the pillars, and darken the outline, you make them appear waaaay thinner for example and the pillowshading that is included sticks out way more which shouldnt be

Elk's water hurts my eyes

maybe your monitor is calibrated wrong

No hurts my eyes a bit too. Too much use of the highlight color on the water.

No, there are times when you have to put logic aside for the better of a game. What game portrays everything in a realistic way, ALWAYS, for everything? Have fun with your realistic Mario... oh wait, it wouldn't exist! If you try to apply logic to everything it's just going to get boring.

Also, there was nothing condescending about my post, it was just straight to the point.

Yeah, that is 100% true and goes for books, too. Realism is not always the best :(

I think it might look better on your eyes if It is animated.

No, there's just no reason standing water, especially that of a swamp, should have white caps, and certainly not that many.

I know you artistic sissies think looking good >> logic, but there's certain cases when that's absolute bull****, and this is one of those cases.

Nah man that is incredibly noisy, and counter-productive to what he's attempting to portray: stagnant, nasty water.

No it's not. If it doesn't look good then it doesn't accomplish the whole point of aesthetics > logic. It just looks bad and disregards logic. My point matters when it looks better BECAUSE it ignores logic.

Well those doors have bars, maybe water is flowing into here, therefore it is moving water.

It's a swamp dungeon. Swamps are stagnant.

Perhaps the pumping system directs the water from the swamp into and out of the building, giving the water motion.

Perhaps, but that still wouldn't explain the white caps (at least, that's what it implies). Water slowly flowing in one direction doesn't work like that. And it has to be flowing slowly if it's coming directly into/out of the swamp, or that would really override the entire explanation that it's a swamp in the first place, making it more of a dirty-river dungeon.


Why is this conversation even happening, christ I am petty