Bridge - Did I really just make that?!

ID:1402535
 
Oct 19 2013, 7:31 pm
So, I started working on a bridge that will be used for crossing over water to get on to a closed island. What surprised me was how decent it looked, for once. I've made many attempts at trying to draw a bridge and I just so happened to stumble across the ability to draw bridge.

My first step:

I chose a background. Brown for wood.



Creating logs:

I figured that the log would need some short of shading. I didn't want to use too many colors but not too little either. So, I chose 1 and increased the amount of red and green that occurred in it.



Finishing up:

I used "Select" in DM Paint to multiply the logs.



On the last log I realized there was 2 pixels left to the right of it. That would be very noticeable if I left it there so I move it inside so it's not as noticed.

I didn't feel that it was fully done so I added some of the center shade of brown to the parts that curve, as if the logs were circular.



And when I placed it on the map in a 3x3 format.. it looked wonderful.

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If you have any feedback on what I should do to make it look even better, please let me know.
Oct 19 2013, 8:48 pm
It's very bright and shiny, needs less pillow shading by defining a proper light source, and could use some texturing.
Oct 19 2013, 11:09 pm
Yeah, your color palette isn't there yet, but that can take forever to get right, I feel the pillow shading makes it look more like metal pipes. Good attempt but it will take you a few more weeks to even get to my low level :P
Oct 20 2013, 3:15 am
Okay, showoff. :P Lol.

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What do you mean by texturing? And if I chose for all of my objects to have a light source from the Northeast does that mean that in the creases (where the logs meet and touch) that it should be dark and it should start on the right light and end dark on the left?

[5 (where it curves)][3][2][1][0][1 (starting to come back up again)][5 (where it curves)][3][2 (center)][1][0]

Where 0 is the lightest brown and 5 is black.
Oct 20 2013, 3:19 am
Okay.. I'm kind of clueless how I'd change this up. :(
Oct 20 2013, 3:54 am
Well i'm still a bad artist who hasn't tried to improve or draw anything in months, so mines not much better.



Oct 20 2013, 6:30 am
Shutup. D: Yours is so much better... :'(

Oct 20 2013, 6:34 am
aww, well it's still good that you can make it look like what you want. and you can build a fine game, and maybe you can change up or improve on the art later.
Oct 20 2013, 6:54 am
A step-by-step mini-tutorial.



1) Your original icon

2) I gave it a better palette. The BYOND icon editor doesn't have a decent brown, so you need to make your own. The color range you went with is what I'd classify more as "gold". Fine if that's the look you want, but not very "wood"-like.

3) That extra pixel bothers me where you left it. I moved it into the center of the center log. Still not perfect, but to me, better. (but this is just personal opinion)

4) I shifted the shading over to the right by a pixel (to shift the light source off to the east (still not technically northeast, but now it's not directly above) I also switched the pixels between the ends to transparent.

5) Adding some texture. Wood is a very rough surface, so you need to break up the "plastic" look of solid shading lines by sticking in some random darker pixels. This gives it "texture". Note that different materials will have different "texture" patterns, too. What works for wood might not be quite right for dirt or grass.

6) I still wasn't happy with the texture, so I added in a few extra-bright highlights.

7) While not necessarily correct for all games (depending on view; a completely top-down perspective would not need this) I added the "ends" of the logs to the near end.

8) Just adding in some details. This one has some "nails" through each log.

9) And another variant. These logs are tied together by ropes.

Hope that helps to get you on the right path?
Oct 20 2013, 7:35 am
I tried doing it myself.

I looked in some wood colors to play around with. I put in this color and changed the values of red and green a bit to get a shade. Here's my work..
http://web.njit.edu/~kevin/rgb.txt.html#Brown
Dark Wood -- RGB:133;94;66 HEX:855E42

Original:


Added a dark border:


Chose my wood color:


Shifted the shading to the right for lighting:



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Well, I have to go atm. So I'm do the textures later! lol
Oct 20 2013, 1:29 pm
1. I chose a new color.


2. I added one strip of a shade to the center log since it's so big. Doesn't seem like it made much of a difference but who knows.. it may lol.



3. Started to add textures. Got the hang of it.



4. Added the light brown texture to it afterwards.



5. This is suppose to be bolts in the bridges. Failure, right? lol



6. Bridges


Oct 20 2013, 3:33 pm
The bolts need to look more metal and dirty they look brand new.. and the rope needs some ware%tare they bright color need to be abit darker other then that i would say give the bottom of it more circle feel too it.

EDIT: if you want Copy and paste that same one but make it look like one of the logs are broken/cracking or missing like its falling a part? That way you can eliminate the grid some.
Oct 21 2013, 9:50 am
Teka123 wrote:
Well i'm still a bad artist who hasn't tried to improve or draw anything in months, so mines not much better.




You've always been naturally gifted artist, Tim. You should of been the main artist when we worked together we may have gotten something done lol.


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Xirre wrote:




Xirre, big improvement from the original. Keep up the good work.
Oct 22 2013, 3:09 pm
Thanks, Liam! :) Will do.