Collaboration options

On Thursday I have presented my honours year project idea and work to Abertay Game Development Society members to see if there was anyone who would be interested in working on a project together. I was in luck as two people approached me after the meeting and we had a chance to discuss some ideas. One of society members would like to develop a top down chessboard based game where a character and an enemy moves on the checked board while trying to get to their destination first and another one wants to try and develop an interactive storytelling game that had been inspired by a thriller novel by an English writer Frederick Forsyth 'The Day of the Jackal'.

I have also done some research for the assassination game idea. Since the game will start with an assassin arriving at the Aérodrome de Pontoise - Cormeilles and then journey in to the Paris with a car (journey is part of the game) I have used Google Maps to see what is the landscape in that area and what if any prominent features are there, perhaps what colours to use and of course note the details (types of road signs, driving cars on the right side of the road rather than the left, etc.) Also had a look at the architecture in Paris. (see images below)

Also this weekend going to watch 'The Day of the Jackal' movie directed by Fred Zinnemann.

Rest of the meetings I had this week were little less productive. There might be a one more option to collaborate with an 4th year GDPM student, however the person does not have an idea of what he would like to do/develop and is happy to do make a lot of prototypes for me. So now I will have to try and make a decision but before I do that I will try and get some advice from my supervisor tomorrow.

Also this week I have managed to complete a one more mock-up videogame screenshot somewhat based on my second year Game Design Document. To save time I chose to copy already existing games and just create my own assets. Used Orisinal game 'High Delivery' mechanics as an inspiration. Can find original game here:  http://www.ferryhalim.com/orisinal/g3/high.htm

I was trying to adapt the gameplay to my aforementioned game and attempt to recreate a watercolour look, at least for the environment. I think the paper texture is a bit too rough/pronounced and I should change it, but I do like how the clouds and the moon look in the uneven blue sky. Also I made a conclusion that actually trying to replicate a watercolour look and feel in digital form is a much more time consuming endeavour then in real life. Some of the patterns that form while adding paint to paper or when paint is actually drying have to be recreated separately and fine tuned using multiple steps while using software. It loses that watercolour hallmark of spontaneity which I like it so much. Basically the creation process becomes quite restrictive, repetitive, forced and time-consuming. It loses the charm of the 'happy accident' because there is none. I would say, a total opposite to using software for sketching, where the layers and the undo option makes things happen much faster without affecting final results especially if one chooses a brush that resembles a pencil or a felt tip pen.


I also thought it would be a good idea to actually try and digitally replicate some traditional painting. Just to get some practice and see how closely I can make my digital version to resemble what had been done on a canvas. I have found an image of a fairly simple oil painting. Reason for it, I was more concerned about showing evidence of a visible brushstroke on a large block of canvas than anything else. This is how far I have gone. (see image below)

 The original by José Salvaggio

My version

Note:  this painting is not finished yet and I did not pick the colours of the original using colourpicker tool.

I have experimented with a numebr of different digital brushes as well as with a sumge tool and paper/canvas texture. I think the texture ads a lot to the the realistic look/feel. Mainly because texture is hard to recreate especially when we are talking about the actual texture of paint mark/brush stroke on canvas.

 Here is the same digital painting  with the texture layers removed.

 I think it certainly looks more flat and digitally painted. I think the imperfections overall give a more naturalistic look. I think an eye subconsciously picks up the repetitiveness in digital art. For example digital brush strokes tend to be the same because it is a set tool (size, shape, opacity and other settings) I think varying brushes and their settings helps with achieve a  more natural look of a final peace. For example, I was trying to replicate a 'poppy' part of  'Chianti in Spring' painting by -by-Alexi-Zaitsev (see first image below) and the more I have varied the brushes and their settings the more digital version started  resembling oil on canvas. Note: did not try to replicate the colour but the texture only. (See images below)

Alexi-Zaitsev. Chianti in Spring. [online image]. Available from: http://www.artrussia.ru/pic_z/z478_110.jpg [Accessed 31 January 2014]

No texture added but a wide array of bushes used.

Papper/canvas texture added

I think the texture is too harsh. I think a softer setting would have made it look better, more realistic.

Same image as above but with a Find Edges layer overlayed on top of it.

Same image  but with a Stylise > Emboss layer on top.

I think the results are quite good. Just need to tweak some things on a layer texture to make it look more natural and use a variety of brushes while changing their settings. I think I might be on the right track here, but more work needs to be done. 

AGDS project update

This week I have finished artwork and animations for Abertay Game Development Society's team 'Gravity Men' game. Currently the game has no name but it is about a trapped robot that tries to escape robot disposal depot.

You have seen my character design concepts in week 3 and  final design in week 7 blog posts.

Below is an example of death animation during development process 

Here are swf. videos of the character animations (idle, movement, jump-up, jump-down and death) that I have created using Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Flash for this game.

As I have mentioned earlier I was trying to create a look of a robot drawn on paper using traditional media (pencils and watercolour) and it was my first serious attempt to see how it would look in a digital form. I guess the art style and character design was somewhat inspired by Amanita Design game Machinarium (2009).
I think overall I’m really pleased with the result and these little tests strengthened my resolution to continue working on my project idea of creating ‘artistic’ looking 2D game art.

Amanita Design. 2009. Machinarium. Microsoft Windows. Amanita Design & Daedalic Entertainment

Reworking old game art ideas 1

Since I seem to have made up my mind on what I want to create during my honours year I’ve decided to rework some of my old projects.  I think it's a good starting point  since I have an understanding about the project/game  as well as the actual gameplay.

Here are the projects:

First game I want to get back to is my last years Dare to be Digital attempt as part of a 'Tartan Paint' team: Fianna.

The idea behind the story and the artwork is to use Celtic influence. Inspiration for the actual artwork was The Book of Kells as well an animation 'The Secret of Kells'.
I would like to go back to the original stylised artwork but possibly change reasonably bright and unrealistic colours to something more real as the bright colours in my opinion might distract the player. Also having a more subdued colour palette would make it look more mature audience orientated.

The Secret of Kells. 2009.[animated film]. directed by Tomm Moore. France: Les Armateurs, Celluloid Dreams et al.

Here are some new quick sketches for this game:

Another project is a game developed for Samsung Challenge 2013: Dragonfly Dash. (As part of a team: 'Rose Petal Tearooms')

Gameplay consisted of controlling dragonfly's flight path using pen and directing it towards other insects that must be consumed while avoiding flowers. Art was done mostly in Flash and Photoshop.

Below is a sketch that I'm planing to try and make it look as if the final art was done using watercolours.

Third  project is my 2nd year  Entertainment Design module game to which I had to write a Game Concept document. Story is based on a peace of Lithuanian poetry created by Sigitas Geda and in original document was supposed to be a 3D game rather than 2D one. It was inspired by thatgamecompany games.

Below is a 'screenshot' idea from my original concept document.

I would like to rework the same idea but make it a 2D game. I think the fact that original idea came from a peace of poetry can work to its advantage in a way that it can be made to look as a book  illustration.

In addition to my honours year work I'm also taking part again in an Abertay Game Developers Society and this semester I'm responsible for character design and animation for 'Gravity Men' team game project. Here are some initial sketches for our main character- robot.

I would like apply some of my honours year ideas and give robot more aesthetic/artistic look; preferably somehow remind of sketch done using traditional art media.