[Graphics]: Emera's Pixels
 

Ahoy. I posted a thread not too long ago about a graphic I made in an attempt to get some feedback to help improve it. Since then, I've been toying with pixels ever since. The feedback I got last time when I submitted the relic dagger was amazing and helped me a lot. I figured if I post what I make here, the you guys can give me some feedback and I'll get better at pixel art! Sound like a plan? Remember, I'm new to all of this and I'm only just starting to figure out how shading works, so go easy on me ;) Any criticism is welcome as long as it's constructive (so no bashing please <3)

I'm going to kick this off with a sword I made. It's supposed to be an ice sword.

Emera well done. The only thing I would say to change is the bottom of the handle.
Other than that I like it.

Thank you. I was actually unsure about the handle <3 I toyed with the colours quite a bit. I hope this looks better.

well maybe you can give it more ice details. yet its just 3 sorts of blue. maybe you can add some icicles somehow o,O? and maybe make the lightblue line in the middle of the sword not straight, more curved

Something like this? I'll work on adding some ice effects, but that's going to take some thinking.

icicles at the bottom of the handle would be cool.

I've added some cracks through the blade to make it look more authentic. I like how the cracks have turned out.

thats a big improvement on the shading (making it more look like an icicle)

I like it very much.

A small wooden-handled dagger. I don't really like the handle though :( Any suggestions on how I could improve it?

you dont always have to add the bulge on the bottom <3

I like mah bulge >:O! Would it look better without though?

Try giving the ice sword a dark blue outline on the blade, and on the dagger it looks a little weird without a hilt, but i love the ice one

Do you mean replace the black outline with dark blue? or go around it with dark blue.

The dagger could be dualled if ever added!!!! :D

Try replacing the black outline with dark blue

Like dis?

You should consider hilts not just because they add a degree of decoration to a sword but also because they're a typical part of sword(though not always necessary) and they can look bland or "wrong" in the eyes of players who are used to seeing them.

I'll work on adding one, and that's a very good point.
Edit: How does this look?

Made a pixel mushroom <3 Thanks Shurikan for the help.

Dude that looks amazing!!! You did a great job on it!

Small dagger looks better now <3 (Uploaded a bigger version since the small version is hard to see)
EDIT: Also made an orb (lol)

Do you know how to dither?

I've got a good idea of how to do so, but I've not really put it to use.

Ya you do not need to really worry about it till you feel comfortable with basic shading and the line art, then I will help teach you further about dithering (since you seem to know the basics)once you have got that down :)

I've played with the ice sword a bit more after I was given feedback. I agree that it looked too bland so I chopped off the straight bit and made the outline more subtle.

I don't feel dithering is of any importance anymore. Focus on more important technical aspects of pixel art like AA.

I do agree with you, but I feel as if some basic dithering is good to learn.

Except that when people tend to learn dithering they think it's an awesome new skill and they don't use it strategically like it should be used in this day. They put that **** everywhere and it makes potentially good pieces look horrible.

That's why they should be taught how to do It properly.

It has nothing to do with being proper, excessive use of proper dithering is still excessive use... The problem is that people want to use their new skill and not just let it sit on the back burner for months until that one opportune time they actually need it(like dithering). I hardly EVER use dithering, and when I do it's a very, very subtle effect.

IMO if a new pixel artist never learns dithering, I don't feel they'd ever be at a disadvantage. It's just not that useful of a technique anymore with LCD monitors being much more prevalent. AA and proper pixel clusters are much more widely used and advantageous techniques to learn in the field of pixel art.

Well I am still teaching him how to dither, I use dithering occasionally and usually only with small areas, and I honestly do not see harm In learning it, It is however pixel art, its almost comparable to martial arts. I doubt if you knew how to use nunchucks and got into a fight there would happen to be nunchucks lying around for self defense. But I learned how to use them because it is a part of martial arts weaponry, part of the art.
If you are wanting to improve, you are gonna want to learn it all.

Love it! Its perfect!

So a guy down at PixelJoint gave me some feedback on my stuff. He told me that the difference between the colours I'm shading with isn't big enough, and that it looks like just one big colour rather than several different colours, which isn't a good thing. I took that and tried to improve my red handled sword (which he used as an example) I think it looks a tad better.

(Left image is the new one, right image is the original) I also improved the shading at the tip.

Yes. Your handle looks very sexy

Decided to make something other than a sword :P I made the damn thing too small though :/ It's a mage wand.

Wow, I really like the colors and the shading of that. Maybe take the design a step further? Although I see how that can be difficult with the size xD Nice job

Thank you :) I'm going to start again and make it bigger I think <3

Make the orb shiny yea

Emera's Pixels
not sure whats sexier, the graphics or the title
+rep, good thread

Made another wand, and it's the size I intended this time. I think I'm slowly getting the hang of how to shade things. I'm not sure about the orb on the top of it though. As much as I love the way I shaded it, it just doesn't sit right.

EDIT: Made another version. I've removed the giant orb on the top and replaced it with a green gem. Looks much better.

hawt

Working on a city scape for fun. I'm not focusing on shading or dithering here, but looking more at perspective and size. I'm not done yet though ;)

prity soarde

lizard

Did a bit more. Trying to think how I could make it look prettier. Any thoughts?

Made a wallpaper out of it. why not eh?

I've been playing Final Fantasy 9 (the best one by the way ;]) for the past few days, and I've just fallen in love with Vivi. Because of that, I made a wooden wizard staff.

thats really good especially your shading! But the wood needs more texture

I talked to you less than a week ago, by then you had never played a Final Fantasy game. Suddenly claiming FF9 is the best is a bit ignorant. It's good, but definitely not the best one.

So, I'm not allowed to hold my own opinion on a video game now? I wasn't stating that it's the best one, but I was presenting my opinion on a game I really like. Mind explaining why you're so offended by that?

Final Fantasy fan here - 9 is the best one.
7's really overrated. And everything they made after 10 is rubbish.