Note Page

sorting out stroy ideas and reference

[3am-story-idea]

Current idea:

If I want to make a game I need to start simple. Pico 8 has been mentioned before, worth looking into for a small game (not a murder mystery -not yet-)

Pixel art to not focus on details. Keep the movements simple (up down left right). Have objects to avoid/collect

Perhaps a moth collecting balls of light. The larger the light, the more points the player gets. Could be a bit magical, add a bit of sparkle for fun

[jinxcode]

hi!! i’ve recently started a portfolio project with some friends to create a retro styled game. while i like to think i’m decent at digital art i still struggle with pixel art and i absolutely adore your style and pixel pieces. if it’s alright can i ask if you have any tips for working with pixel art?

aww, thank you so much!! <3 i'm not an expert by any means, but i would be happy to share a few tips that may help you out!

first things first, i use aseprite as my program while working with pixels! however, you can make do with any art program that has a binary tool :]

1 - Coloring the lines!

something that i think can add a lot to pixel art is coloring in the lines in specific places to suggest a softer edge, or difference in lighting (and accuracy aside, it looks more interesting!)

2 - Shading!

when it comes to shading, there are a lot of different ways you can do things based on your own style!

personally, i tend to avoid what's called pillow shading, which is basically just shading around every outline of the art with no difference in weight. i also prefer not to make the shading overly detailed with too many different colors, as it can muddy up the palette and readability (especially with smaller sprites!)

out of the three examples on the top, the first one is what i would personally use! sometimes just having simple shading is best, but it really depends on the size...

3 - Sizing your canvas!

one of the most important parts of pixel art is a choice you have to make before you even begin the artwork, which is how to size the canvas.

if it's too small, you may not have enough room to fit all the details

if it's too big, there may be parts of the sprite that seem barren and kinda wonky

... so use your space wisely! depending on the thing you're trying to draw, a larger or smaller canvas may be more suitable.

4 - Color Palette!

another small tip is to try and re-use as many colors as you can from your existing palette! it's fine to add a color here and there as needed, but using as few colors as possible can make your artwork feel a lot more coherent

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i hope this helped a bit! if there's anything specific that you would like some tips on (making character sprites, tilesets, etc), just let me know ^__^

[nattravn-art]

@lipsie Absolutely!

So first of all I ought to say that I am using the software Aseprite (also available on Steam), which costs about 20$/17€ (but you can get it for cheaper during steam sales for example).

I had tried making pixel art on Clip Studio Paint before, but it didn't feel satisfactory. What's great with Aseprite is that it's specifically made for pixel art/animations/sprites, etc. It felt much better to use compared to CSP.

Anyway, I followed these Aseprite tutorials for beginners:

They are part of a playlist for pixel art tutorials (in general). As a note, I haven't watched all of them yet, but I like the way the artist explains things (always with visual examples too), it's very clear and structured information.

What I found great in the videos above is that the artist encourages you to pause the videos and do exercices of what he just showed, which helped me learning a lot! This for example is what I made from the first video (and what I made for the first time using Aseprite):

Makes me hungry (and I don't usually like donuts).

I was also recommended this video, again specifically about Aseprite! That felt like a good refresher after I took a break from the software and forgot everything about it.

I hope this helps! :D Good luck with your pixel art journey!

[3am-story-idea]

The Detective

The Brewery Owner

[3am-story-idea]

Current stream of thought:

Murder Mystery Game/Story

1920s North America

- look up fashion/architecture

- Western Canada (not 100%)

- fancy manor

A party held by a brewery owner, a lady of high status

- widowed after the Great War (should it follow real-world events)

- a lot of pride in her business empire she built

-having a murder take place at her party is bad for business :(

- wants this dealt with before it damages her reputation

- drinks are of debatable legality

The detective genuinely hates that lady

- what is stronger: locking her behind bars (knows shes done shady things before) or begrudgingly proving she's innocent on this account (could still be the killer)

- fun back and forth between the two as they are forced to work together

- genuinely a good person gets a bit invested in proving their right