Graphics

[Sigma]

Can I get some tips on water bases? I haven't figured out a good way of generating the water effect around the foundation of my bases, so it looks like the structures are just sitting there instead of actually occupying water volume.

[Buster's Uncle]

I've always been lazy about water bases, so I'm the wrong one to ask.  Probably your best bet is to paste in the surf scrum from around the water bases of an official faction.

Kilkakon goes to a lot more trouble with water bases, mind you, so if he sees this, he can probably be more help.

[JarlWolf]

And myself of course!

I love making water bases. Don't be afraid to approach me as well, you can check out some of my work in my custom factions thread.

[Sigma]

And myself of course!

I love making water bases. Don't be afraid to approach me as well, you can check out some of my work in my custom factions thread.

Fair enough. What would be your suggestion for generating scrum?

[JarlWolf]

Well if you want it to actually appear like its in a liquid, with waves/water displacement/ripples:

I suggest adding in tiny curved lines at the foot of the structures. Not all around, it can be broken: and only one or two. Space them out a bit as well. Even if they aren't the exact colour of the water pallet they will still look fairly good: I suggest going with lighter colours, like a white+light blue.

I'll post a screenshot of said technique in a moment.

[Buster's Uncle]

Jarl, I wonder if someone shouldn't try to put together an art goodie file for Downloads of things like surf effects and sea platform designs -and whatever else I haven't thought of, Jarl.  There's a lot of ego-gratification when you see other artists using stuff from a goodie file you made and posted, Jarl.  -We can also never have too many original shield designs, Jarl.

:innocent:

[JarlWolf]

It almost seems like your trying to tell me something.


 

Maybe. I think a technique list or helpful hints and guides thing would be good: maybe have it where there is artistic techniques used by various people sort of like that line thing, etc.

[Buster's Uncle]

 

If you want to start posting some thoughts to help you get started and organize your thinking, here would be a good place.  I don't have a monopoly on teaching.

Well, I do, actually, but I'm not set on keeping it - I'd be proud if you contributed things I haven't and/or haven't thought of.  There's plenty of room left for how-to stuff here and in Articles...

[Kilkakon]

What I do is I have a few factions, some with a square city and some with a round city. I take a chunk of the wakes from the seacity that's closest and just keep copy/pasting it like crazy over the new city I'm making. I add some extra pixels here and there as well to make it suit more.

If you really want to go to town, the full on method I do these days is make a platform for the city to stand on, and then make almost all of it underwater (leaving 1-2 pixels of the sides dry), making the underwater sections really blue. Then I add the wakes on.

[Buster's Uncle]

You and Jarl should collaborate on that goodie file some pushy jerk was harping on upthread; it's something I'm lazy and useless about, and there's a need to be filled there for new artists...

[JarlWolf]

Speaking of art tips... I just found an enormously, stupidly easy way to make transparent backgrounds when selecting things in another window.
You can do colour selection on what you are working on and then you can just select that specific colour and delete it. This way you can easily select things without having to do a whole process in the faction sheet.

[Kilkakon]

In my art package, it's quite easy to keep the transparent colour by modifying the palette so the other purples aren't in there anymore.

[Buster's Uncle]

I wish you'd write that up - three people have tried to explain it to me, but I haven't wrapped my head around it yet.

[Kilkakon]

Mhmmm-- do you have something similar to this in GIMP?

[Buster's Uncle]

Yeah.