02-04-2010, 07:16 PM
Hey, I think I remember seeing these when you had just started! Too bad the project didn't work out.
First, and least important, why are they in two separate image?
Okay, now onto actual sprite crits. We'll start with Mario, shall we?
General notes: Your skin tones on Mario(and by association, Luigi, Link, Captain Falcon, and Ness) could use more contrast. When I look at it from zoomed out, it looks like one solid color. Make the darks darker.
There's a sort of lightsource conflict. The overalls suggest a lightsource from the front, but the hat and parts of the face suggest that it comes from above, or even behind, as it appears with the top of the hat. I must recommend against putting the highlight of the hat perfectly flush with the top outline.
The size of the middle forward Mario looks scrunched. Even though it is currently exactly the same torso and leg size as the forward walking ones, it looks shorter. You could probably fix it by making the legs a pixel longer. It could just be me though. For next update, just to make it easier to judge them against each other, could you line them up right, like maybe along the feet? Draw a straight line underneath the Marios' feet and you'll see what I mean.
Make the bill of the hat stick out more i.e. make it brighter.
On those back poses: What's up with the hat? First, it looks too long because the red blends WAY too easily with the hair color. I recommend a darkening of the hair color. From my count, you still have a color to spare, so this is as good a place as any to use it. Unless you don't have a color limit(I'm assuming 15+trans from what I see), in which case that opens up a whole new can of worms. Anyway, back to the hat. I know what you tried to do with that other highlight there, the one halfway down. You tried to emulate that back lump of Mario's hat. There are a few problems here.
First: You went from one side to the other. Not so good, it makes it look like a separation of the hat.
Second: You made the highlight a straight line again. This is still an issue, even on the top one. Round it out with a circle, not a line.
Third: It makes no sense. Look at your side poses. No lump! Just scratch that highlight, you need some other way to make the hat interesting from the back.
The lightsource error I described earlier about from in front of him or above him is even more distinct on the side poses.
That's all I can think of for Mario.
LUIGI: Well, 5 poses to crit here. I won't bother on the old ones, you're already fixing them.
My opinion? Good job. Exponentially better than Mario. These are good sprite I think. Shade some dark on Luigi's chin, brighten the cap bill, stop the top banding highlight, maybe shade a little on the arms. The color selection is good, except for the aforementioned skin tone, and the proportions are good. Perhaps most important, the lightsource is much clearer. Thumbs up.
DK: Oh goody, only one sprite. Up the contrast on the skin colors. Lots. Put some of the dark brown from the back legs on the arms, and invest in a brighter brown to lighten up the head hair. Shade a little on the eyebrows, dim down the chest behind the tie. Take another shot at the hands. Study the fist, and put the whole thing in contact with the ground. Maybe shorten the back legs a pixel to make him look more hunched over like a gorilla. Nice sprite, good work on getting the fur and muscle on the arms together well. You might invest in a brighter skin color too to add more detail to his big head.
YOSHI: I want to love it. I really do. Except he's looking right at me a opposed to everyone else in a slightly-facing-down view. Round off the feet, give a more top heavy view, and keep his shading beautiful. Maybe add a touch of AA to ease the edges of his eyes on the green. Otherwise, keep going. I want to note that I love your old Yoshi too.
Okay, I gotta go right now, so I'll post later with more, but I want to give you something to get started on.
p.s. the phrase is thanks in ADVANCE, not ADVANCED. Just so you're aware. Sorry if it was just a typo.
First, and least important, why are they in two separate image?
Okay, now onto actual sprite crits. We'll start with Mario, shall we?
General notes: Your skin tones on Mario(and by association, Luigi, Link, Captain Falcon, and Ness) could use more contrast. When I look at it from zoomed out, it looks like one solid color. Make the darks darker.
There's a sort of lightsource conflict. The overalls suggest a lightsource from the front, but the hat and parts of the face suggest that it comes from above, or even behind, as it appears with the top of the hat. I must recommend against putting the highlight of the hat perfectly flush with the top outline.
The size of the middle forward Mario looks scrunched. Even though it is currently exactly the same torso and leg size as the forward walking ones, it looks shorter. You could probably fix it by making the legs a pixel longer. It could just be me though. For next update, just to make it easier to judge them against each other, could you line them up right, like maybe along the feet? Draw a straight line underneath the Marios' feet and you'll see what I mean.
Make the bill of the hat stick out more i.e. make it brighter.
On those back poses: What's up with the hat? First, it looks too long because the red blends WAY too easily with the hair color. I recommend a darkening of the hair color. From my count, you still have a color to spare, so this is as good a place as any to use it. Unless you don't have a color limit(I'm assuming 15+trans from what I see), in which case that opens up a whole new can of worms. Anyway, back to the hat. I know what you tried to do with that other highlight there, the one halfway down. You tried to emulate that back lump of Mario's hat. There are a few problems here.
First: You went from one side to the other. Not so good, it makes it look like a separation of the hat.
Second: You made the highlight a straight line again. This is still an issue, even on the top one. Round it out with a circle, not a line.
Third: It makes no sense. Look at your side poses. No lump! Just scratch that highlight, you need some other way to make the hat interesting from the back.
The lightsource error I described earlier about from in front of him or above him is even more distinct on the side poses.
That's all I can think of for Mario.
LUIGI: Well, 5 poses to crit here. I won't bother on the old ones, you're already fixing them.
My opinion? Good job. Exponentially better than Mario. These are good sprite I think. Shade some dark on Luigi's chin, brighten the cap bill, stop the top banding highlight, maybe shade a little on the arms. The color selection is good, except for the aforementioned skin tone, and the proportions are good. Perhaps most important, the lightsource is much clearer. Thumbs up.
DK: Oh goody, only one sprite. Up the contrast on the skin colors. Lots. Put some of the dark brown from the back legs on the arms, and invest in a brighter brown to lighten up the head hair. Shade a little on the eyebrows, dim down the chest behind the tie. Take another shot at the hands. Study the fist, and put the whole thing in contact with the ground. Maybe shorten the back legs a pixel to make him look more hunched over like a gorilla. Nice sprite, good work on getting the fur and muscle on the arms together well. You might invest in a brighter skin color too to add more detail to his big head.
YOSHI: I want to love it. I really do. Except he's looking right at me a opposed to everyone else in a slightly-facing-down view. Round off the feet, give a more top heavy view, and keep his shading beautiful. Maybe add a touch of AA to ease the edges of his eyes on the green. Otherwise, keep going. I want to note that I love your old Yoshi too.
Okay, I gotta go right now, so I'll post later with more, but I want to give you something to get started on.
p.s. the phrase is thanks in ADVANCE, not ADVANCED. Just so you're aware. Sorry if it was just a typo.