Background...

aleXean · Post by **aleXean** » Sun Sep 05, 2010 5:11 am

So here is my background test... can't say I am overly proud of it. I know Parker was giving me some advice on creating backgrounds...

Any suggestions?

I could use some help if anyone is interested, I will gladly show you my script and such.

Thanks!

fracturedray · Post by **fracturedray** » Sun Sep 05, 2010 8:21 am

I'd recommend not using the gradient (shading) until you get a hang of doing the basic form. Stick with flat colors and try practice making interesting shapes.

The tree trunks are all perfectly straight up and don't work well with the interesting bark details. The bark details repeat to much on each tree, try to add more variation.

Look at photos, paintings and cartoons and study how they color a forest. All your colors are the same so the only depth is from the blurry camera focus. Pay close attention. You will see that forest are more than just green and brown.

I'm not sure whats happening at the bottom of the bushes (grass) but it looks odd and the blurry effect is not helping it.

Honestly I'd turn of the blurry effect. It looks odd with the simple style of art you are going for.

The rocks have light and shadow from different sides. Making it seem like there are two suns.

funksmaname · Post by **funksmaname** » Sun Sep 05, 2010 9:23 am

I agree with most of what has been advised by fractured ray - although in a dense forest you might find highlights on different sides of rocks just because of the canopy penetration?

Are you using version 7? if so experiment with the curve profile tool on the bushes and trees - its really powerful!

I love the stylised bark pattern, the style of them are perfect, but they do repeat a too frequently - i would take the time to create a different one for every bark which will really add a lot of depth and polish to the scene.

Keep at it!

fracturedray · Post by **fracturedray** » Sun Sep 05, 2010 7:43 pm

Good point about the rocks. If aleXean is going to do canopy lighting it should touch the rocks and the grass at the same time to help with the feel. I did a quick sample of what I mean. I'm using the overlay setting on the highlight layer

aleXean · Post by **aleXean** » Sun Sep 05, 2010 8:59 pm

Oh that makes more sense. I'm going to recreate it now.

funksmaname · Post by **funksmaname** » Sun Sep 05, 2010 9:36 pm

good point fracturedray

aleXean · Post by **aleXean** » Mon Sep 06, 2010 2:37 am

Totally started experimenting more. Although there are a lot of things that could be changed in this photo, it started taking a lot of time and I got really absorbed into it... I had too much fun.

I just want to make PART 1 of my animation quickly. I want to do it right, with nice backgrounds. So, how can I improve this one? Still trying to make it a cluster of trees so it will appear that my character is lost but...

The animation is serious, and I just don't really know how to make backgrounds that are stern...

funksmaname · Post by **funksmaname** » Mon Sep 06, 2010 3:21 am

this is already looking much better... much more varied and interesting... you can put more bark patterns on things, again, you can see repetition where you've copied and pasted trunks - just change a few points in each of them and they won't look copied.
what might look good is in the far background draw a silhouette of a tree line, to make it look really dense?

you've used quite unsaturated colours - which suits the mood you're going for, you could take this even further and make them even less colourful with the greens - make everything dark and dingy?

Finally i'm not sure the cutout areas with the shadows are working - they are a little distracting and may take the focus away from your characters once they are in. if you are under a dark dense forrest you wouldnt get drop shadows like that - the light would be fairly neutrally dark...

aleXean · Post by **aleXean** » Mon Sep 06, 2010 4:33 am

I kinda like the cutout's in the little hills... I think it's more artsy. But I still think it's not serious enough. Should I take it out?

funksmaname · Post by **funksmaname** » Mon Sep 06, 2010 5:34 am

i think that's already a big improvement... cutouts still not sure about, and that bush probably shouldnt have a mini tree trunk exposed - looks a little odd?

Good progress though

fracturedray · Post by **fracturedray** » Mon Sep 06, 2010 6:03 am

Looks much better.

Just so I don't misunderstand do you mean serious as in realistic colors or serious as in spooky scary colors? The reason I ask is that these choices require very different color schemes.

As for the cut out it all depends on what you are trying to say. Is this scene actually on a stage and everything is a cardboard cut out? If so then keep it and perhaps add a little more.

However if you want this scene to feel like a real cartoon place then the cut out doesn't feel right.

Moving forward...
I'd suggest removing the textured line (blades of grass) that runs along the edge of the grass and dirt.

I think you are ready to try and add shading/shadows. I highly highly highly recommend you first start with shade settings with the blur set at 0. Adjust all the settings until you like what you have and then if you really really think you have to have the soft edges then slowly bump up the blur and render it to see if it is still ok.

As you can tell I'm not a big fan of using blur in cartoons. It can be done, and done well but if the artist is a beginner I've seen it work against them and make potentially great art look really bad.

aleXean · Post by **aleXean** » Mon Sep 06, 2010 5:21 pm

I'm going for I guess as realistic as I can make it. Not spooky scary because I don't think it's that easy to make a cartoon scary unless the art is brilliant!

So I guess then just a fascinating background that when people watch know isn't some same kinda cartoon.

@ Fracturedray - What exactly do you suggest I do with the shadows? All of the 'blur' settings are set at 0. The only reason I would use the blur is if it were something far behind, or a dramatic sort of shot.

@ Fiunksmaname- I knew that bush looked odd! I shall keep re-arranging.

fracturedray · Post by **fracturedray** » Mon Sep 06, 2010 6:14 pm

Sorry, there are several ways to get blurry effects, I should have been specific.

There are a few ways to add shadows with out using the gradient fill (effect).

You can also mix the two so that you add shadow and highlights at once.

Option One: To simply use only shading.
Select the layer with the tree trunks and open the layer settings (double click on the layer). Go to the Shadows tab.
Turn on Shading. Change Blur to 0 click ok and render the scene. It will add a shadow to the tree trunks. You can adjust the opacity of the shadow and the color in the Layer settings as well.

Option Two: Add Shading and highlights
To add lighting
In the tools set Select Shape to active.
Select a tree trunk.
To the right next to Effect 1 click on <plain> and select Shaded.
Set the Light Angle to 315
Change the Blur to 0
Click on shadow color and set the color to white and the alpha to about 55.
Click OK twice.
To add shading
Repeat steps above except leave the Light Angle alone and leave the color alone.

I'd recommend you make these settings a style and apply them to all the tree trunks. You will need to make a style for the different colors of trunks fills to add to style 2 but it is worth it.

I hope this helps.

aleXean · Post by **aleXean** » Mon Sep 06, 2010 6:32 pm

This really really helped! Thanks a bunch Fracturedray!

I applied this effect to some of the main trunks and it looks much nicer! I am making a little more complicated background as we speak, so I will post that one right after!