228 replies to this topic

[Tom Henrik]

The very first pixel related work I did for AR was to create the Rating Icons for software featured on this site.

Since the Space Invader is the official mascot of Abandonia, I wanted to use him on AR as well, but I wanted to give him a makeover. I wanted to give him a more lifelike 3D feel (shading and so on...), and at the same time try to seperate his face from his arms and legs. I managed to make his face more detailed, but his limbs isn't quite what I wanted.



To talk you through the layers:

1.
I made these 5 Space Invaders in order to get a feel for the size, that would look best on AR. In the end I went for number 3, which I still feel was the best choice.

2.
First I gave the head (particularly the jaw) a remake, trying to round some of the edges of and give him more life. Then I created the five different facial exressions ranging from "Yuck!" to "Smokin". These were then sent to Kosta for approval.

3.
Kosta's work, using PS (I believe) he threw a bucket of paint on the different icons, telling me the color he wanted them to have.

4.
My edited version of Kosta's work. Highlighting and shading each icon, using the colors Kosta wanted, in order to make them more 3D-like. These were then sent to Kosta for another round of approval.

5.
We agreed that the "Yuck!" and "Smokin" Icon were too dark, and thus we made them lighter. This also meant that we had to remake the others as well, as they looked too similar to the new ones. Also, the teeth were removed from the "Smokin" one.

6.
My first attempts at the Internet Adress Bar Icon (favicon.ico) for AR. Unfortunately, none of these could be used as I managed to screw them all up. Favicons need to be 16x16 in size, and those I made were 17x17.

Attached Files

•  Dibujo.png   7.57K   0 downloads

[Tom Henrik]

After discovering that I had messed up the favicons I had to make them from scratch, this time in 16x16 size.

Kosta and I ended up liking the red ones best. So I created three new choices (which were really difficult to make... that decrease in number of pixels made it extremely difficult to make the Space Invader look good. It looked awesome in 17x17 - it looked awful in 16x16).


But finally we were able to put the middle one to use.
(The left row are the original 17x17 icons, and the right are the remade 16x16 icons).

Attached Files

•  16x16.png   1.14K   0 downloads

[Tom Henrik]

Then the time came to make the Forum and Multiplayer Icons.
Kosta gave me the size limit of 40x35 for these.

I first made the Forum Icon, by creating a megafone for the Space Invader. After it was made, I fell in love with it, and decided to create the Multiplayer Icons in the same style.
(The white Space Invader was placed there to help me create the face for the Forum dude).

As you can see, my original Hotseat idea contained a Bar-stool, but that didn't look good at all. (However, I kept the design for it as you never know when a pixel might come in handy). So I created a computer instead with two nice looking speakers, which I simply pasted in the background. Then all that was left was to make some details. My favourite part in the computer, is the keyboard, which basically only gave me a height of three pixels to make the keys in. I also ended up creating new eyes for the two space invaders, as I didnt like the >_> ones.

The Lan was simple, once I had the template for the computer.
Unfortunately, the speakers for the computers was later removed as they didn't serve any other purpose than looking good. It was more important to make arrows to get the feeling of a network between the computers.

Internet was the most difficult one to make (and is my pride and joy). I wanted the globe to look as real as possible - which proved to be quite the challenge as it is only 21x21 pixels in size. I also wanted it to show geographical features, like real continents, desert (sahara), mountains, forrests, and the ice on Greenland. How I managed to create all this in that little globe is still a mystery to me, but I  was (and still am) thrilled that I did.

Attached Files

•  Work_in_progress.png   6.55K   0 downloads

[BeefontheBone]

You are indeed the master - that globe, now that I think about it, is amazing.

[Tom Henrik]

The next project was the link to Abandonia for the main site.


What happened was this:
Kosta decided to open the site in the blink of an eye, and the three of us (Kosta, taikara and me) suddenly had to fix a lot of things in a hurry. We kinda went into ultra fast mode... fixing this, adding that, messing up something here and completing stuff there.

The first link to Abandonia was an awful button that Kosta had made (in something like 5 seconds. It really did not look good at all). So I wanted to create a link that would look better than that, and got the idea of using the pixel bus I created back in the days.

Kosta was thrilled, but there was a problem... maximum width was 115 pixels, and the bus was a lot wider than that. This gave me the idea of having it drive out of a tunnel, and so work began.

I think this was the fastest pixel I have ever done (in a serious attempt). The whole thing was done in minutes, and managed to get on the site just in time for the opening.

Attached Files

•  Bus_link.PNG   15.31K   0 downloads

[Tom Henrik]

BeefontheBone, on May 9 2005, 02:43 PM, said:

You are indeed the master - that globe, now that I think about it, is amazing.

Thanks


I have actually considered shading it a bit more, to create more a "ball-feeling". The oceans are still just one color, and it would be fun to create a sun effect (Night/Day) to it.


Here is a closeup of it, so that you can all see it a bit better.

Attached Files

•  Globe_close_up.png   1.21K   0 downloads

[BeefontheBone]

You could shade the oceans, but it'd be hard to do the land with that few pixels to use methinks. I might have to give this pixel thing a try later.

[Tulac]

You really do all this stuff just using the paint?

[Tom Henrik]

Tulac, on May 9 2005, 03:09 PM, said:

You really do all this stuff just using the paint?

Yes, I do.
Paint can do wonders. People just assume it is bad before they try it. In actuality it kicks *money-maker*.

And Beef made me want to remake the globe. So here is the new and improved shaded version.

Attached Files

•  Globe.png   881bytes   0 downloads

[TheVoid]

Awesome, as pixel art often, and yours ever, is.  

Now I understand why you wanted the coach back.

[Tom Henrik]

TheVoid, on May 9 2005, 05:20 PM, said:

Awesome, as pixel art often, and yours ever, is. 

Now I understand why you wanted the coach back.

Thanks, man.

I actually wanted the big bus back for another AR related project, but that was discarded later. However, I am truly happy to get my big pixel bus back! I thought it lost forever

EDIT:
The globe I made above, has been implemented in the Internet Icon on the site

Edited by Tom Henrik, 09 May 2005 - 05:38 PM.

[Sean]

Very Nice.

[DeathDude]

Very cool stuff Tom, I especially like the bus, sweet work.

[NrmMyth]

Uuu... Tom rocks!

[taikara]

I would throw in my compliments, but I think Tom's ego will explode if he gets many more.

Oh, well, screw it, he deserves it....

Great job, hon  

Thanks for working so hard, you're the best