_01bro

Another dumbblog Main @orb02

[01bro]

Yay! I finished the game! but it’s in Thai language.  [Link]

[01bro]

The last NPC! 

[stibiumghost]

I am tired of drawing doors. Should try windows instead.

[onimille]

The big texturing tutorial

1. Definition

Texturing is a technique that involves adding local shading and details on surfaces to better represent the material of an object. This technique is of course closely linked to shading in general. This is usually applied after defining a global shading.

From left to right :

Lineart

Global shading

Completed sprite

One of the big differences between global and local shading is homogeneity. The very principle of global shading is to give a sufficiently contrasting effect between the shaded and lit areas to bring out volume and depth. Conversely, a texture must be as homogeneous as possible. It must be able to be applied on large, uniform surfaces, without making it look bad.

2. Applying a texture

A texture being homogeneous in terms of its luminosity/contrast, if it is applied to an object without taking into account the global shading, we will lose any effect of volume and depth.

A texture applied to a sphere without shading. Only the deformation of the texture can give us a clue on the shape of the object, but it is still difficult to discern. Homogeneous contrast When applying a texture to an object, shadows must also be taken into account. It is therefore important to maintain a uniform contrast between colours. A dark line separating a light zone from a dark zone should not keep the same colour between these two zones.

The color of the line will be lighter on the lighter side and darker on the darker side to preserve its contrast with the background. In the same way it is possible to apply a texture or pattern on a shaded object, by proceeding to a simple color shifting in our palette.

Combination of a texture (left) and an object that is not textured but shaded (middle).

3. Local shading

Since shading is used to highlight the bumps, there are generally two possible cases:

A groove

A bump

Each of these cases can be more or less accentuated by playing on the colors, the intensity of shadows and lights.

On the upper line, troughs ranging from the weakest to the strongest bumps. On the second line, these are bumps that stand out. The mastery of these light bumps is very important, it is the basis of the textures, and will make it possible to manage all the simple cases, such as wood or matte plastic. Example of application on a simple object:

4. Reflections

The application of a reflection is done in a simple way, by applying diagonal strips of light of varying thicknesses, and following a few rules.

A trough or bump will create an offset at the reflection level (proportional to the height change). As for the shadows, there is no absolute, depending on the palette or the material represented, it is possible to lighten or not the area at the reflection level. It is also important not to have parallel light bands on faces that are not oriented in the same direction, as on this cube:

Concrete example of the application of a gold texture on our drawers:

Or, added reflections on our previous crate:

5. Dithering and granularity

Dithering consists in creating a new false color from a checkerboard or other regular pattern of two colors close enough to give an illusion of mixing. The closer the colours are, the stronger the illusion will be. The more the colours are contrasted, the stronger the granularity effect will be.

Dithering is basically used to obtain fake intermediate shades on limited palettes, but it is also very useful for making complex and rough textures.

Example of complex dithering separating 3 colors over a wide area.

The nature of the pattern totally changes the roughness aspect. Example of the application of a sandy rock on our drawers:

Or add grain to our crate:

6. The art of destruction

The more complex a texture is, the more it will combine fundamental techniques such as bumpiness, reflections or granularity. However, some materials need to go further, by cutting, slash or breaking the base support.

Cuts It works much like bump, but on a much finer surface. We are subject to the same rules, of which here is a summary image:

From the finest to the most pronounced, on the first line of the cuts, and on the second of the bumps. A concrete example on our crate:

Exercises

Since nothing beats practice to learn, here is a series of examples from the simplest to the most complicated.

For each exercise resolved, post your results.

Mastering tools

Add a strong bump on the text of this image, except the ‘x’ which must be a groove (the center must be dug more strongly than the rest of the ‘x’):

Palette:

Add reflections on the image obtained between the two red lines shown below:

Now cut and break the letter ‘e’ as well as possible.

Add grain to the letter 'l’.

Finalize a sprite

Texturize/colorize this sprite:

Palette:

Add reflections on the inside of the doors to give the impression that there are windows.

Add damage (cuts etc) on the right side of the wardrobe.

Make a variant of this cabinet by redoing it in gold using the palette of the gold drawers example in the tutorial. Palette:

Do the same with the sandy rock. Palette:

Sample solutions

Here are some solutions by a talented friend :

Gif process

The end.

[01bro]

The Twin

[01bro]

Some progress on charsets and faces

[01bro]

try to make a small game for my and my friend’s Oc

[wishbonegame]

Smile for the camera, everyone! …Or… maybe not…

To start off our December update, check out these fantastic expression headshots @kwillow has made for us! There’s, uh, kind of a lot of characters in this game, and they’re quite expressive, so this is a pretty huge project. But things are coming along nicely, with both plenty of new headshots and some touch-ups made to older ones to make sure everything is consistent and in the same style. :]

Keep reading

[plastiboo]

angels

[studiominiboss]

Pedro’s 78th tutorial! This time about impact.

More tutorials for free on his Patreon page

[pinkuboa]

(see, I DID do something for 200 followers.  12 followers late, but it’s something! owo")

All music here is free to use in your games or other projects without charge, either operating on a “Ok to use as long as you give me credit” basis, a Creative Commons License, or is already in the public domain (meaning there’s no copyright on it).

 For more information on Creative Commons License works, check here.  For an easy to look at graph, check here.  Remember, if it’s Public Domain, it’s free to use & redistribute to your heart’s content.

And feel free to add on more resources to this post if you like. c:

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➤ Free Collections Ready for Download 

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(don’t worry, it's not all yume nikki in here!  Keep reading!)

Plasterbrain’s Yume Freebie Collection - plasterbrain’s Yume Nikki Fangame Sound dump.  According to them, they’re ok with you using it for any type of projects as long as you don’t redistribute the pack for money.  Check out their sound cloud. They also did music for DREAM VS DREAM, a Yume Nikki fighting game you can play here.  Music loops.

Yume Nikki Fangame Month - bwarch’s pay-if-you-want-it-would-be-really-nice-if-you-did-but-it’s-fine-if-you-don’t pack of free to use Yume Nikki Fangame music for your Yume Nikki fan game (I did the art for it!).  Has a bunch of rad tracks for you to use! Check out his Bandcamp here, his Soundcloud here, and his Youtube here. Music loops.

The Remains of the 8 Bit Collective - A huge file of Chiptune/8 Bit music free to use from the now down site 8 Bit Collective.  There’s a bunch of crap, but there are good ones in there too.  Music loops.

Rindre’s Effect Sounds - A few Sound Effects for your Yume Nikki game by our friend pakilusin​! Sound effects.  She’s working on an upcoming fan game called Redux, formerly the game Flux.

Rindre’s Fangame Music Pack - Some good ambientish tracks by our friend pakilusin! Music Loops.  Check out her soundcloud here!

RPG Maker.net’s Music Pack - RPG Maker.net’s form got together and put out a wonderful album full of RPG Music for you to use.  Music & loops.

Noyemi K’s Game Placeholder Pack - A pack by noyemik that includes music & chipsets to use as a PLLACEHOLDER for your game.  She has some free to use for her game right down here…

Noyemi’s Free to Use Resources - Along with her Placeholder pack, she also has some free to use music & sounds as well.  She’s the maker of Amihailu in Dreamland & Hell Diary, two rad games with equally rad soundtracks.  Check out her sound cloud here! And her bandcamp here!

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➤ Websites for Downloading Music

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English Sites

Flashkit - Always check if it’s freeware, licenseware, or shareware!  Sound Effects & Music Loops.

Freesound.org -  Check the licensing agreement on the things you download!  Sound Effects and Music Loops.  You’ll need an account before you download anything, but the library is just so vast that it’s well worth it.

Partners in Rhyme - They’re mostly for youtube videos, but are ok if you use it in your video game.  Music Loops.

Looperman - Focuses on loops for audio software (so if you want to add more to it feel free). Here’s their terms & conditions page.  You also have to create an account before you download anything.  Loops, samples, sound effects, acapellas, & raps.

Sound Bible - Royalty-free Sound Effects under the public domain & attribution creative commons license.

Media College - has like, 10 loops in the public domain for you to download.

Free SFX - I linked to their License Page because it’s a bit hidden. Free Sound Effects.  Yes, you have to make an account, but it’s free.

JWinter Music - A blog that post free to use Music, mostly for youtube videos.

AudioPad - a Youtube explicitly for royalty free music.  They have a whole video answering questions about it if you’re confused! 

Indie Game Music.com - Specifically for indie games.  Music on the site is under three different licenses, so check this page before you go off downloading things.  Loops & Music.

FreePD.com - All of it is in the public domain (everything’s free to use because the copyright expired/there was no copyright in the first place).  Loops.

Media Collage - Free Sound Effects as long as you don’t sell them yourself.

SampleSwap.org -“You must Log in (or register) in order to download these samples. … 100% of the samples on this site are free, but registration helps us fight MP3 robots and establish controls over how much gets downloaded, and when.“ Samples, Music & Noise Loops, & sound effects.

Dig.CCMixter.org Check each track for a money symbol next to it.  If there is none, it’s free to download. Free music.

Incompetech - All music is under creative commons, made by one dude.  It’s a LOT of music, & is separated by different genres if you want to search for things. 

iBeats - for when you need looping beats for your music.  Remember, check the license (some are public domain, some are under commercial use under attribution, and most under a non-commercial license).

FreeMusicArchive.org - most works are under the Creative Commons license.  Music & Spoken Word downloads.

Free Loops - Mostly Free Loops & VST Plug ins.  Like so many others, check the license before downloading.

Musopen - Aims to be the largest public domain music collection.  Go ahead and check if the recording itself as well as the composition is in public domain. Most recordings are.  The site offers Classical Music Downloads, as well as Sheet Music. 

Japanese Sites

Vita Chi - Free to use for both commercial & non-commercial projects!  Music, Screams, & Sound Effects.  Mad Father has

PianosDauGe.org - I’m pretty sure it’s free for both commercial and non-commercial use, as long as you don’t redistribute. A bunch of Music Loops.  Check out the private policy (in Japanese) here.

Classical Masterpiece Sound Library - Need free classical music and fast?  Shazam!  Free to use commercially and non-commecially. Alice Mare & The Crooked Man used this site for their classical pieces.

Senses Circuit - Wadanohara & the Great Blue Sea.

Pocket Sound - Free to use Sound Effects! “This license lets others distribute, remix, tweak, and build upon a work, even commercially, as long as you credit them for the original creation.”

Tami Music Factory -  Free to use commercially & non commercially. Check out the copyright page here.  Sound effects, loops (Midi & Ogg), and… uh, mobile ringtones if you’re in need of those 0w0”.

Amacha Music - According to the FAQ, it’s free for both commercial and non-commecial use.  Music.

H/MIX GALLERY - free background music/loops made by Hirokazu Akiyama.  Free for non commercial use only though, you’ll have to pay for a license if you want to use it commercially. Mad Father, the Crooked Man, The Witch’s House, Alice Mare,

Otonomori - According to Rindere, it’s a free to use sound effects website for commercial and non-commercial uses.

Presence of Music - I’m pretty sure it’s just for non-commecial use only.  Has music for both standard RPGs & Horror RPGs.  Loops, I believe. Ib & the Witch’s House both have music from this site.

*Asterisk* - Free to use Midi files & Web music. Credit is not necessary, but appreciated.  

koukaongen.com - Free to use sound effects, music, & loops. Credit is nice, but you don’t need to link back to them.  I’m pretty sure it’s noncommercial use only.  One of the sites used by the creator of Ib.

Music Material - I’m not too sure what the copyright page says but you can look at it here.  Music.

Dova Syndrome - Check out the copyright page here.  Music & loops. 

A few more found by Rindere - I’m not translating these anymore, you’re on your own. >3< BUT they’re all supposed to be Sound Effects websites.

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Tumblrs

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rabbit-hole-divisions - All their music is free to use.  I haven’t heard from them in a while though!

Yume Nikki Fangame Music Sheet - Just something if you like sheet music & Yume Nikki fan games.

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➤ Browser Music Making Programs

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Make Music in your own browser! (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Opera, etc.)

http://www.pulseboy.com - An 8bit/Chiptune Music Maker!

Bfxr - A sound effects maker!  

as3sfxr - another sound effects maker! A bit simpler than Bfxr.

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➤ Free Plug ins

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Some Chiptune VSTs (the post warns you that you probably shouldn’t the Toad & Peach ones!)

[red-valentine-deactivated201902]

Thank youuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu

[storyshots-blog]

Drawing from films

Drawing from films is a ridiculously useful exercise. It’s not enough to watch films; it’s not enough to look at someone else’s drawings from films. If you want to be in story, there’s no excuse for not doing this.

The way this works: you draw tons of tiny little panels, tiny enough that you won’t be tempted to fuss about drawing details. You put on a movie - I recommend Raiders, E.T., or Jaws… but honestly if there’s some other movie you love enough to freeze frame the shit out of, do what works for you. It’s good to do this with a movie you already know by heart.

Hit play. Every time there’s a cut, you hit pause, draw the frame, and hit play til it cuts again. If there’s a pan or camera move, draw the first and last frames.

Note on movies: Spielberg is great for this because he’s both evocative and efficient. Michael Bay is good at what he does, but part of what he does is cut so often that you will be sorry you picked his movie to draw from. Haneke is magnificent at what he does, but cuts so little that you will wind up with three drawings of a chair. Peter Jackson… he’s great, but not efficient. If you love a Spielberg movie enough to spend a month with it, do yourself a favor and use Spielberg.

What to look for:

Foreground, middle ground, background: where is the character? What is the point of the shot? What is it showing? What’s being used as a framing device? How does that help tie this shot into the geography of the scene? Is the background flat, or a location that lends itself to depth?

Composition: How is the frame divided? What takes up most of the space? How are the angles and lines in the shot leading your eye?

Reusing setups, economy: Does the film keep coming back to the same shot? The way liveaction works, that means they set up the camera and filmed one long take from that angle. Sometimes this includes a camera move, recomposing one long take into what look like separate shots. If you pay attention, you can catch them.

Camera position, angle, height: Is the camera fixed at shoulder height? Eye height? Sitting on the floor? Angled up? Down? Is it shooting straight on towards a wall, or at an angle? Does it favor the floor or the ceiling?

Lenses: wide-angle lens or long lens? Basic rule of thumb: If the character is large in frame and you can still see plenty of their surroundings, the lens is wide and the character is very close to camera. If the character’s surroundings seem to dwarf them, the lens is long (zoomed in).

Lighting: Notice it, but don’t draw it. What in the scene is lit? How is this directing your eye? How many lights? Do they make sense in the scene, or do they just FEEL right?

This seems like a lot to keep in mind, and honestly, don’t worry about any of that. Draw 100 thumbnails at a time, pat yourself on the back, and you will start to notice these things as you go.

Don’t worry about the drawings, either. You can see from my drawings that these aren’t for show. They’re notes to yourself. They’re strictly for learning. 

Now get out there and do a set! Tweet me at @lawnrocket and I’ll give you extra backpats for actually following through on it. Just be aware - your friends will look at you super weird when you start going off about how that one shot in Raiders was a pickup - it HAD to be - because it doesn’t make sense except for to string these other two shots together…

[writerofscreen]

Suspense, Horror and Mystery Genre Differences Infographic