Need help with colors

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Offline Raicuparta

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Need help with colors
« on: May 01, 2014, 12:13:27 »


What do you think of the colors? I think the main problem is with the dress, there's not a lot of contrast against the background, and this style won't have outlines. Of course the background won't be all blue, but still. Also, I've been told the sky color might be too jarring and hard to look at.

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Offline egomassive

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Re: Need help with colors
« Reply #1 on: May 01, 2014, 16:57:04 »
The colors look fine to me. A gradient for the sky would make a world of difference. Particularly, a gradient that is lighter at the bottom would make those long shadows more convincing.

The character's face looks sunburned, but I suspect she symbolizes the sun so a sunburn may be appropriate.

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Offline sergiocornaga

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Re: Need help with colors
« Reply #2 on: May 02, 2014, 12:11:08 »
It's totally readable as-is, but there's always room for improvement. I think the current sky colour is fine. Here's an abandoned game that uses a similar colour palette with no outlines, you may be able to refer to it to resolve some of your concerns.

Edit: I just checked and your current colours are almost universally readable across different types of colour blindness, which surely counts for something!
« Last Edit: May 02, 2014, 12:14:48 by sergiocornaga »

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Offline Raicuparta

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Re: Need help with colors
« Reply #3 on: May 02, 2014, 12:57:17 »
I'm not sure about using gradients in this game... I'll have a bunch of background objects, it won't be just blue sky (butts, mountains, etc), but I think I'll avoid gradients to keep the style more consistent. I still get the feeling that the outline of her dress isn't as visible as I'd like it to, but for some reason yellow is the only color that feels right for the mood I want, anything else seems to change her personality (or lack of it) completely.

Here's an animated gif just because:

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Offline sergiocornaga

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Re: Need help with colors
« Reply #4 on: May 02, 2014, 13:04:18 »
I think I'll avoid gradients to keep the style more consistent.

I personally feel this is wise, flat colours for everything is a good look. Lovely in motion. Will she ever have arms, though?

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Offline Raicuparta

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Re: Need help with colors
« Reply #5 on: May 02, 2014, 15:00:47 »
I personally feel this is wise, flat colours for everything is a good look. Lovely in motion. Will she ever have arms, though?
Not sure. I made the sprite for another game where she was supposed to have no arms. But maybe I'll just make everyone have no visible arms as part of the style, would save me some trouble because I'm awfully slow at making sprites. But I will give it a shot, the arms would help a lot with the jumping animation and I could make her look classier while walking.

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Offline sergiocornaga

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Re: Need help with colors
« Reply #6 on: May 02, 2014, 16:20:33 »
I really like the dropping / ground collision animation, by the way!

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Offline egomassive

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Re: Need help with colors
« Reply #7 on: May 02, 2014, 18:27:48 »
I think there's good contrast between the dress and the background. You'll have to add the butts and mountains before you can really judge how well it works.
Edit: I was watching the animation imagining that it was a game. When I look away from the character to scout the terrain or watch for enemies, her hair gives me a good grasp of her position. (So, does the fact that she's always centered.) The point is, I don't think the dress matters much for gameplay. It's just window dressing. If there are night scenes, then the dress will become the visual anchor.


When I'm picking color pallets I create rules for how to vary the colors. Backgrounds must have 16 bits less red and 16 bits more blue than foregrounds. Highlights are 20% more white for colors with a value over 50%, 10% for colors with a value under 50%. I know it sounds complicated. Just make up the rules as you go along. Write them down. Then whenever you question your color choices, refer to your notes, AKA: artistic direction.
« Last Edit: May 02, 2014, 18:37:10 by egomassive »

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Offline Raicuparta

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Re: Need help with colors
« Reply #8 on: May 02, 2014, 19:16:04 »

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Offline egomassive

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Re: Need help with colors
« Reply #9 on: May 02, 2014, 19:38:42 »
You'll have to add the butts
wat

You said it first. Will this game be suitable for all ages? X-P
I'll have a bunch of background objects, it won't be just blue sky (butts, mountains, etc)...

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Offline Raicuparta

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Re: Need help with colors
« Reply #10 on: May 02, 2014, 23:58:20 »
What in God's name, I meant to say "clouds", not "butts". Just... what.

Anyway, thanks for the advice, both of you. You made some interesting points Ego, about the light and dark parts of the sprite, and I already work a bit like that with the highlights and shadows, but couldn't really follow the "16 bits less red" part O.o

The daltonism thing is really interesting!

EDIT: For Christ sake, it was this: https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/cloud-to-butt-plus/apmlngnhgbnjpajelfkmabhkfapgnoai
I feel like an idiot.
« Last Edit: May 03, 2014, 00:02:16 by Raicuparta »

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Offline AA

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Re: Need help with colors
« Reply #11 on: May 03, 2014, 08:11:27 »
but couldn't really follow the "16 bits less red" part O.o

I suppose what he meant was that the background colour should have an 8-bit red component (0-255) of 16 units less than that of the foreground colour (and 16 units more for the blue component).

Quote from: Raicuparta
EDIT: For Christ sake, it was this: https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/cloud-to-butt-plus/apmlngnhgbnjpajelfkmabhkfapgnoai
I feel like an idiot.

XD I knew I saw something like that somewhere! It's a joke about the Power of the Cloud™
Videogames are for everyone, by everyone

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Offline egomassive

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Re: Need help with colors
« Reply #12 on: May 04, 2014, 07:29:17 »
but couldn't really follow the "16 bits less red" part O.o

I suppose what he meant was that the background colour should have an 8-bit red component (0-255) of 16 units less than that of the foreground colour (and 16 units more for the blue component).
Sorry, I don't know what I was thinking saying bits. I usually adjust my colors in hexadecimal. Each color is represented by 2 digits. I like to keep the second digit a 0 or an 8, and I vary the colors by incrementing/decrementing the first digit. Changing #808080 to #708080 decreases the red value by 16 in decimal.