awesome art for kraklaw but there's a catch... [Archive]

zeroality

05-06-10, 05:41 PM

If we wanted to use it, it would have to be resprited to fit.

If you wanna change Kraklaws looks by any chance I got a picture of him I sketched a while back when I was just bored.

http://fc09.deviantart.net/fs70/f/2010/125/a/5/a55e464aec6fd6464bba792337097031.png

If someone will resprite it then we can vote on which sprite to use if there is a disagreement. I don't think we have any scratch spriters left here though? Personally I'm not a big fan of what's up there now so I wouldn't mind changing and you know I'm always up for being able to use more of oykawoo's work.

OddCrow

05-06-10, 09:05 PM

Idk, the art is nice, but it looks like a monster from futurama, and not so much like a pokeman.

ImmunityBow

05-06-10, 10:42 PM

The current sprite is old and a little small, I guess. I can try scratching it just so we can see it and vote.

zeroality

05-06-10, 11:47 PM

lol futurama

Look at the D/P designs. Anything passes for Pokemon now. Even OVENS

I think it is better than the current.

ImmunityBow

05-07-10, 12:01 AM

I think a change in the eyes is probably enough to get the Pokemon feel. I'll try it out.

neon.Barnacle

05-07-10, 04:49 AM

I actually really like it. And if anything is from Futurama, it's the old sprite.

ImmunityBow

05-08-10, 03:05 AM

Just a small WIP teaser. I'd also like to hear public opinion about an option:

http://img175.imageshack.us/img175/9492/kraklawwip.png
Closed claw

http://img706.imageshack.us/img706/5788/kraklawwipopen.png
Open claw

Which?

(The issue of the third tentacle being disjointed is being fixed)

neon.Barnacle

05-08-10, 04:34 AM

Main problems I see with the sprite are the perspective and proportions. Perspective-wise, it seems to be standing up on its tentacles, a pose which isn't very natural for an octopus. It also seems to be leaning to the left. The right claw (the one closer to the viewer) shouldn't be pointing upwards, imo, it just looks awkward.

If you're basing the sprite entirely on the concept art, then the main head should be a lot bigger than it is now. The tentacles also look disproportional. Fortunately it's an outline at this point, so it's fairly easy to change these aspects.

NyteFyre

05-08-10, 03:30 PM

what barnacle says is true, though when it comes to final design, i'd go with open claw over closed claw...also, shouldn't the claws also be a little bit bigger than they are now?

ImmunityBow

05-08-10, 04:06 PM

Okay, I can make the claws bigger, and possibly the head, but I disagree with you entirely on the pose. Yes, it is leaning to the left, because that's how I wanted it to look. Yes, the claw is raised, just imagine it. He raises his claw, leaning forwards. And it doesn't matter whether he looks like he's standing or not since he's a water Pokemon... so he should be floating anyway. To make this more apparent I'll shorten the first tentacle, lengthen the second and make the curl bigger. A neutral, sitting flat on tentacles with claws down approach would be rather boring, don't you think?

Quinn

05-08-10, 07:14 PM

I see IB has something good goin on. Now since I can't do anything "good" with scratch spriting yet...I tried the pixel over spriting (take the image, resize it and make it a sprite. Its on a spriting guide. I've learned everything from this, and I might be able to start practice scratch spriting :D)
http://www.dragonflycave.com/recoloring.aspx
http://i222.photobucket.com/albums/dd123/quintinbruderer/Topaz/MyKraklaw.png
This is my first time of doing pixel overs...so it isn't near as good as some.

DracoNyon

05-08-10, 09:55 PM

holy crap I think that is really good. Takes some of the awesome away that you didn't scratch sprite it but that is awesome nonetheless.

ImmunityBow

05-09-10, 12:44 AM

It's an excellent pixel-over but I've learned that people find it unprofessional if your sprites are just pixel-overs of your concept art. Great job though, you captured it really well!

As for my version, I was about three pixels away from finishing it before my power went out for the last 4 hours. Short said, I've lost all my work and need to redo it :/

Quinn

05-09-10, 01:10 AM

DracoNyon

05-09-10, 01:22 AM

I'm sorry...thats gotta suck. I just barely tried my stuff at a scratch sprite. It was actually a pokemon called Pengwint (from acanthite)...and I couldn't even do that. That was like a slap in the face big time...I dont know if I'm really set for scratch spriting if I cant even do a ball with wings and a beak...I know practice makes perfect but still. (I just major vented)

don't be discouraged, wings are one of the hardest things to sprite well so it would have been a major surprise your first time doing it to nail it. My advice is to scratch simple stuff. So I would stay away from leaves/fire/wings/rock first until you get better and then tackling them will help. Although, make sure your outline is perfect before you start coloring and shading. Because while color and shading can make imperfections not so noticeable a perfect outline will make it look really well.

Also maybe to practice shading and stuff take a sprite and get rid of everything but the outline, that way you can see how it looks and then try to color it.

ImmunityBow

05-09-10, 02:45 AM

Yes, by all means STAY AWAY FROM FIRE. It's tempting but probably one of the hardest things to do properly spriting.

I didn't find wings as hard though. Probably because most of my first scratch sprites were dragons, but still.. (Dragon wings are easier than bird wings.)

zeroality

05-09-10, 04:12 PM

Man that is actually an awesome sprite but I'd like to see what IB can come up with since it isn't a scratch.

Quinn

05-09-10, 10:27 PM

you think if a pixel over won in a poll (though I highly doubt that) could actually become the latest sprite? I'll be very surprised.
This is the pokemon that gave me the slap in the face
http://img22.imageshack.us/img22/8341/614.png
doesn't it look so easy??? and for some it would be. Though I dont wanna get off topic of Kraklaw...sorry.

zeroality

05-09-10, 10:48 PM

Can someone explain what a pixel over is, exactly? Noob zeroality knows nothing about spriting.

Quinn

05-09-10, 10:55 PM

A pixel over is a sprite made from the art itself. You open the art, make a copy and resize the copy. The resize distorts the copy, so you have to redo the coloring, linings and shading, though the shape keeps in balance. According to the Dragonfly helping guide, it is a spriting art in its own since the spriter did most all the work. I dont believe that is nessesary true, I think the spriter should give credit to the person who did the original art. Yah, thats what a pixel over is.

ImmunityBow

05-09-10, 11:17 PM

Pixel-overs generally aren't considered "real" sprites by most, since most of the work is cut out for you already and it's not really art. There's skill involved and it's (I believe) the absolute best way to start spriting, but it's not art since there's no real creativity on the part of the spriter. It's just great for learning technique.

Pixel-overs can be used for spriting though: some spriters *cough* sketch up things and then pixel-over them *cough* and these in my *cough* point of view, are basically scratches since they were entirely built from scratch by one person.

Which brings me to the point that as great as your pixel-over was, Quinn, I kind of wish you hadn't done it. There's no way I can actually top that with a scratch, and anything I do will look at least somewhat inferior since I'm not a pro like Novoni and Lost Binary. Oh well, I'll try my best.

As for that bird, it's certainly not too difficult to sprite (very simple shapes, not too much complex stuff and best of all no pointy things) but finding a different pose for it would be really hard.

Quinn

05-09-10, 11:29 PM

sorry about that....That being said, still try. I dont wanna ruin your oportunity to have your name next to a custom sprite that YOU made. If we have a vote, should my pixel over get "trashed"?

ImmunityBow

05-10-10, 02:52 AM

It really depends on our policy with sprites.

Acanthite has a strict no concept art pixel-overs for sprites policy.

Topaz has never really made a decision on it. If we do the same, then regardless your sprite would have to be trashed or used for userbars/buttons etc. but if we don't there's a good chance your pixel-over might make it with some edits (there are a couple of problems with it, some of the lines aren't as smooth as they could be)

Reliability

05-11-10, 12:14 PM

IMO, as long as it is not identical with the concept art, it's fine. Some tentacles shifted positions or something.

But we should also get oykawoo's permission to use his concept art is sprite form, since it is basically an edit of his work.

zeroality

05-11-10, 03:04 PM

If we decide to use the pixel-over sprite, I will ask but I'm sure he won't care.

Quinn

05-11-10, 09:27 PM

Though it would be cool to have a sprite I made become official, I think IB, you should still finish yours. I feel kinda bad. Though, when you do finish it, I was noticing with your outline, you still need the big bump thing on his claw.

ImmunityBow

05-11-10, 10:53 PM

Yeah, I'll try to finish it still. The only two things preventing me right now are burnout from finishing it then losing it (blackouts suck) and time. When I have time and feel like it, I'll finish it. Don't worry.

zeroality

05-12-10, 01:56 AM

Just to clarify, I'm gonna go ahead and side with IB on this. If we allow one pixel-over into Topaz then we'll have to allow them all. Pokemon should be scratch sprited only.

I can use that sprite as artwork somewhere on the site along with the original, once IB finishes up the real sprite.

XTS

05-12-10, 02:33 AM

Honestly, I prefer the current sprite, and the current design. Don't see so much why it warrants changing >_>

....not liking the new art, either; rubs me the wrong way same as Acanthite's Qwilfish and Seaking evolutions. There's just something....off about it, can't place what it is....

ImmunityBow

05-12-10, 02:41 AM

Well, the current sprite is too small, at the very least. At 63 x 63... it's dwarfed by many Pokemon much smaller than it. The eye is also quite un-Pokemon-like.

But of course, people can always vote against having a new sprite at all. But there is good reason to revamp Kraklaw.

Quinn

05-12-10, 09:59 PM

I hope we change it to this style...whatever ones go with this style get my vote. I really like some of the acanthite evolutions. Quillfish's is kinda different though I think it is cool. Seaking's is murder ass, and Atrosy, the evil chansey, that was is just funny (I tired to create a scratch sprite again with atrosy, though I falied again!)