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lnpneil
11-11-2002, 04:19 PM
I'm just looking for ideas on how to improve the standard of the graphics in games or demos I try to write.

First of all, I'm not great at artwork, and my images most definitely fall in the category of programmers art :) So I guess my question is how do you get around this?

Do you know someone in real life who can help? Is there some kind of online meeting place where amateur programmers and artists can meet up?

I guess I'm frustrated by the fact that I think up and program fun little games (in my opinion ;)) ... but there's never a chance for them really simply because they're not visually appealing enough for today's audience.

Thoughts? Comments?

Neil

iLLUNis
11-11-2002, 04:26 PM
I have to say that i was feeling the way you did. If you go looking around on the NET you are going to find lots of places that offer graphics creation for a price. Of course this is an expensive option. The second option is to have a friend that hopefully is going to be studying Media & Arts and hopefully will have the time to sit down with you and help you out. The third option is for you to sit down and learn a graphics package and use it while programming. This is realy furstrating since it means that you are programmer and artist on the same time. From my experience it hardly works out and if it does it means that the game will take double the time to build it and by the time it comes out it will be out of date. I feel like i am writting an essay here and i am going to stop. Personaly i ve tried the last two option with the second option working better for me since my cousin is an artist. The third option is good but really time consuming and the firts.......well never tried it..... :wink:
Hope this helps...... :oops:

Traveler
12-11-2002, 10:05 AM
I'm trying to do both programming and graphics. Unfortunately, programming is taking a lot less time. If I program something and it works, then it works. If I do graphics, I spent hours tweaking, rendering, modeling, until I finally have what I want. And even then, I sometimes realize it's not what I want. And I start all over again.
For example, I'm currently working on a platform tutorial. Programming it has taken about 16 hours while graphics took almost 40 hours.

But, I don't see this as a bad thing. During the past year I have learned so much. I'm sure that I could do the same thing in a lot less time.
I'm convinced that creating graphics is something you can learn. All you have to do is try, when you fail, try again and again. It is what I have done, it is what I still do, every day.

Let me give you one last example before I really shut up and go back to work (which is what I should have been doing right now )
The picture below (which is actually intended for my new website) is the result of 3 evenings work. I'm fairly sure could not not have done this one year ago. Don't take me wrong here, I don't wish to brag or anything, it's simply a result of a lot of trying.
http://www.a-rosendal.com/images/screenshot/logo.jpg
PS. I still prefer programming. :)

Alimonster
12-11-2002, 02:03 PM
ARosendal, that picture looks lovely! What package(s) did you use to create it?

P.S. Your site has finally been unblocked at my work - it's no longer considered pornography ;).

Traveler
12-11-2002, 02:16 PM
Thanx for you comments Alimonster :D

The scene was done with Lightwave, the texts with Photoshop.

{MSX}
12-11-2002, 03:45 PM
I've you problem too..
Since i started programming i always serached for good graphician, but i quite never find one.. I've draw a lot of graphic by myself, and i must say that with time i became quite skilled :)
But i still couldn't do all by my self.. My greatest problem is backgrounds and tiles... i can manage doing sprites, but background are fare too difficoult for me :)

I've solved the problem this way: i try and use the less graphic as possible in my games, and i often use incredibly ugly programmer-art.. :D
I than say around that's it's not ugly, but just that it have a personal style, and that that style is what i searched for :P
Here's an example:
http://www.lugato.net/msx/zip/Senseless.zip
It is drawn by me on paper, and than captured using scanner.. The effect is somehow stylish :)

Apart from this, i can say that graphics is what stops me from doing good games.. :(

TheLion
12-11-2002, 06:24 PM
I think graphics are the most common reason that I put halt on a game I'm writing... It mostly just doesn't look like what I had in my mind... :(

Well that and a wrong start, which happens to me A LOT too! :oops:

lithander
13-11-2002, 03:43 PM
I think graphics aren't too bad. First of all i think that it's learnable, too. And especially in 3D programming you don't have to be too skilled with arts to produce fairly good results. For example it's easier to model a rugh person and do a texture for it than drawing a 2D-Sprite that looks as good. 3dimensionality makes it look okay even without a texture, the texture makes it look better and to improve it even more you can aply lightening and other effects on it with programming.
if you don't want 3d models but a sprite you can just render it to a bitmap in different animationsteps and perspectives.

-lith