Posted January 23, 2021 by Wiebo
#pixel-art #animation #graphics design
When I start designing the graphics for a game I take out a notepad and make sketches. I like to do this to get a feel of the design of the world before I start the drawing tool. Also, iteration begins in this phase. Drawing a sketch, taking the bits I like into a new sketch and adding new ideas makes the creativity flow. At least for me. Some ideas get a nice V next them and some get a nasty X. That's just the way it goes.
The art style I am aiming for is loosely based on the graphics you would see in the Arcades of the late 80's. With that decision made I also set myself the following restrictions:
With restrictions comes creativity. There's a lot you can do with 16 colours but you have to make it work and it takes effort. A single colour choice can make or break a design. This makes graphics design and animation interesting and challenging. Every pixel counts and I like that.
Designing the rockets was fun. How can you make it look and feel like a rocket when the wrong colour choice can make it look like a beer glass? :)
A colour change and small simplifications led to the correct feel. Iteration is important and nothing comes out perfect in the first passes.
The landscape also went though a few iterations before I was happy with it. For the first areas we'll travel over a rocky surface with grass here and there... Or maybe this texture will become the landscape for Area 2. I do not know yet. Having only a few colours made the texture very important and I'm quite happy with the design I came up with. All graphics will receive another pass later on in development to polish it some more: