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Monster Media 1994 #1
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1993-10-20
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[L]==================================================================[L]
[O] + MAKING ART FOR LOD NORT (Dave Rosson)+ [O]
[D]==================================================================[D]
Greetings wastelanders, here is advice on the creation of LOD big pics
(monster and building graphics). Many lack graphics, and soon LOD will
let you have custom LOD graphic sets. Data-set authors will welcome
submissions, and Scott Baker could put graphics that don't fit standard
LOD, but might fit a new scenario, in a directory on Not Yet Named.
Oh, I'm NORT; wasteland graffiti specialist behind the tavern,cyclops,
spider droid, humanoid mutant (3rd place winner) and 4 others (20 more
should appear in v3.8). I've also submitted non-art: Blame me for LOKI's
clergy, the Energizer Bunny, rabid tribbles, Serpines, and others.
I think everybody should take a stab at making some LOD art: Why? You
can impress friends, discover a knack for computer art lacking on paper,
tick of XEBOC (he likes the default picture all the time). And if you
truly put your all into it, you can forever after say to yourself with
pride: This is MY creation. Nothing can take that feeling away from you.
---------------EQUIPMENT-------------
A computer, paper, pen, patience, GIF converter (many found on BBS).
A paint program, particularly PC Paintbrush- An easy, cheap program
with few frills, or Deluxepaint- A price-heavy, feature-beast with a
painful learning curve but incredible capabilities.
NOTE: Set the program to the standard 16 color EGA palette. I made
that mistake and find the mutilated colors that got into LOD painful.
WARNING: Avoid Windows graphics programs, which can load virtually
any palette, but virtually refuse to save with the standard.
---------------PREPARATION-----------
Doodle with the program to learn features like zoom, ovals, curves, &
symmetry/mirrors. Practice patterns (checkerboards of 2 colors, which
appear as 1 color on the normal image). Make some grids of squares and
save them, and if your paint program doesn't let you resize the edit
window (Deluxe Paint), you'll want a graphic with a neon-blue border
around the image dimensions (180x120 pixels) as a starting point.
Find graphicless but interesting things in LOD: Note visual data from
the text and a sketch armament if possible. Look at current graphics,
paying attention to backgrounds (particularly the Terminator and Black
Widow's), how the recurrent themes (mutation, madness, metal, armor not
pictured, and the anima style) are drawn, and diversity of content
(compare the Giant Rat, default, Vulture, Cyclops, and Cheerleader).
Make sketches: Quality is less important then notes on color.
Also, if you have any comics or books of illustrations lying around,
flip through them. Nothing helps your drawing more then examples.
-------------THE SKETCH---------------
Pick some of the graphicless with much visual data, unique weapons(the
Torpx Cannon suggested its owner was similar), or real world models (the
Rad Hound is a sketch of my dog Sandy barking at trucks): Ideal choices
are groups (Doug "Shifter" Merha drew an ant-man, and merely changed its
name when he saw it had been done, and his now Xanth went on to be best
graphic submission). Avoid those with little info (I.E.Xeboc Guardians).
When images come to mind, scribble them: Don't be careful, curved
lines are dramatic and mistakes can sometimes suggest new directions (my
bio-mutant was strong and ugly till a crooked line narrowed his face and
suggested a more effective, emaciated, undead look).Try several sketches
of a creature with different poses and looks. Good ideas among them can
be combined later. If you run out of inspiration, take a break, the
picture can wait, and new sights may provide unexpected inspiration.
-----------------------THE GRAPHIC----------------------
Now one of your scribble looks like it could be a viable picture. You
need it in the computer. If you're very mouse-agile, you can sketch it
in which isn't accurate but gives another chance for lucky accidents.
You can draw a grid over the sketch and use one of those grids I had you
make to guide your lines and copy the image more accurately. Or you can
take a scanner and pull it directly in for total accuracy. Then save it
Save often so mistakes or wrong paths can be easily removed.
Now pick an area of the graphic that you feel is its centerpiece: The
weapon, face, whatever. Stare at it and get a feel for how its set up,
and start using the line, curve, and oval functions to bring it form.
Start putting some details on it, and don't be afraid to lavish time,
this is the key to the whole image. When happy, pick another part,
preferably near the centerpiece, and work on it, paying close attention
to how it relates. Keep repeating till the whole image is formed. For
example, I drew a Draku, its head the centerpiece, then moved to the
shoulders, hands, then torso, then arms (torso, shoulders and hands
dictate the arms, so I put them off), then the rest of the image. Now
focus on detailing: A power pack here, a widow symbol there, just enough
to prevent monotony. Setting the right amount of detail takes practice,
but generally the bigger (and thus better detailed) the centerpoint, the
less detailing you want elsewhere.
First use color while detailing, and then (after cleaning up any stray
dots in the image) use fill options to lay down major color blocks. Use
medium colors, so you'll be able to darken and lighten with different
shades or patterns. Start shading: A strip of a really dark shade along
all internal borders (collars,belts) to start, followed by a more medium
pattern under recessions and undersides (below eyes and nose, the neck,
under the arms, etc). Highlight, with a light shade or white, all upper
areas (shoulders, top of helmet, top of hands, etc). Don't be afraid to
experiment, you've been saving often haven't you?
The two most important patterns to know are flesh and steel. A good
skin tone is a red and white checkerboard, replacing white with grays
for shading. For large sections of steel use light grey, with a
checkerboard with white and then just white for the highlights, and with
a checkerboard with dark grey and then just dark grey for the shading.
Narrow steel sections should range just from white to light grey.
Want a background? A simple light-blue will suffice. But look at the
mountains behind the Black Widow: Just a wavy line, brown fill, and
shading. They are effective in this simplicity: They fill space and add
depth, without distracting from the image. The sun is just a yellow
circle, maybe with a spray painted edge. The sky is just patterns with
light blue and various grey shades. Clouds are just grey and white
sprays. Simplicity is key.
With a bit of hard work and some time, you should wind up with an
image you can be proud of, that can stun the players of LOD for years to
come. And don't be discouraged by early setbacks: Practice and patience
will eventually hold the day.