Alright, update yet again. This is more of a stylistic change than a true update and I'd like some opinions.
I added a few strands of grass to the side grass as I said I would, and also thought that the snowy side grass needed some tweaking. I wanted it to look like the ground was frozen, more than just a light sprinkle of snow. So I added some more to it, made the grass more "icy" and also added snow to the dirt itself to give it that completely frozen look.
Could you take a look at my latest pack and see if all that stuff applies? Everyone who actually looks at it thinks it's good, but I can't seem to get many people to look at it...
I think your pack is beautiful and it's very detailed, you can tell that you spent a great deal of time creating each piece. There are several unique ideas in it and it's all very well done. :smile.gif:
I think the issue with your pack (and I should've included this in my last post) is that it's catering to a specific taste. It's not generic Minecraft, and sometimes people may not prefer to play on something that doesn't feel like Minecraft. If that makes any sense. Your texture pack is only reaching out to a certain audience that likes that style of culture. It seems more like a novelty pack or a pack that would be used sparingly rather than a pack that would be seen as an every day pack.
You'll have people who love that sort of look and use it all the time I'm sure. But then there are people who don't like Indiana Jones (or that sort of style) may not download your pack at all. I think that it's a great pack and you shouldn't change it for the world, I just wouldn't expect it to be something that it's not. It's not a generic pack that's basically Minecraft with a different texture. It's a very specific pack.
If none of that made any sense I'll be sure to reiterate. :biggrin.gif:
As a newbie texture pack maker as well, I ask these questions myself and I think I've found the answer:
People like packs that have work put into them. At first (before I started making my own pack) I had no one taste in packs that I preferred. I have some 16x packs for days when I feel like I want a "cutesy" world or a world that really feels like good ol' Minecraft. I have days when I feel like I want a world that looks amazingly drawn out (32x) and then I have days when I want a realistic Minecraft experience (64x+). I think, for me, those are my three categories.
But what I look for in each category, and in each pack, is work and thought put into a texture. We can all tell when 1-2 hours is all that was spent working on a pack, or when it's just a regurgitated version of an already popular pack. It doesn't take a lot of brain power or a PHD in Rocket Science to see.
Packs that I've downloaded and use regularly include Dokucraft, Jolicraft, Ornate, JohnSmith, and Misa's Realistic. I would gladly download a pack that I thought was being worked on steadily and passionately and had its own identity. That's what I tried to give my own pack - a reason for being other than "I liked the way XPack looked so I'm making my own pack like it". Why would people download your pack if there's already another pack, that you (the creator) admit is like your own pack? Getting inspiration from other packs is great! But give your pack its own breath of life that doesn't heavily rely on another person's texture pack.
Ex: I liked Dokucraft, JohnSmith, and Ornate but there were things in each of them that I did not like so I decided to create my own and was inspired to do so by those packs.
Bad - Saying I liked Dokucraft, JohnSmith, and Ornate so I want to make a pack that's like those packs but darker.
Good - Saying I want a dark pack that has a generic Minecraft feel with a little ornate flair.
Now you may be saying "But those are just words." Well, yes, but words are strong! Telling yourself that you're making an original pack might actually influence the way you create your pack, not to mention people who read your post will feel better about downloading an original pack versus downloading a pack that's basically going to be what's already out there with a few minor tweaks.
But of course, people like good artwork. This is where I think a lot of people struggle. Pixel art is stupid hard and frankly, I use my brush tool more than my pencil tool. If I didn't have Photoshop + a tablet I probably would be in the dirt crying at how hard it is to paint pixel by pixel with a mouse. Particularly the higher resolution textures are what's difficult. But that aside, actually looking at what you're drawing is a huge help. Drawing grass? Google pictures of grass. Drawing cobblestone? Google that. Working in such a small space means that you have to divide your space smartly. You will not be able to include every little detail and if you try, you'll make a mess of things. You have to know what's important to keep and what's not.
Draw what you see, not what you know is there.
Take cobblestone for instance, since a lot of people end up having trouble here. I see many packs where someone takes black and makes a 1x1 line around each stone in their cobblestone. This usually ends up looking pretty messy. Instead of doing an entire border around each individual stone with stark black, it might be a better idea to take a slightly darker grey than the rest of the stone and only surround the bottom of each stone to show that there's shadow there. As stated in the previous bolded comment, I know that there's a line around each individual cobblestone that's black inside but I cannot see it. I can only see the shadows.
Woo. Sorry for that novel-length post, but I've been considering making a tutorial post on an introduction to painting textures.
Didn't think of that, seems like a good idea.
Also, can't wait to see the cakes!
Yay! :biggrin.gif: I hope people enjoy them. I'm making 5 flavors.
Secret Cake (flavor that's my favorite that comes with default)
Carrot Cake
Vanilla Cake
Chocolate Cake
Birthday Cake
Ooh, and I almost forgot. I redid the side grass because someone pointed out to me that the colors just didn't look right. I decided to scrap the old and start anew, so here's what came out. Should I add more stringy bits to the end like in the first texture to give it a creepy look or should I leave the blockish feel?
This looks more and more amazing each update you give us.
I really like the new Pumpkins (non-creeper faces).
The Lightstone is also cool too. It would look better (always in my opinion, of course) with dark metal border/trims to the sides of the texture, so that it looks like a lamp.
Thank you!
I sort of wanted to keep it different from the already lanternish looks out there (by not having a surrounding border of metal/wood) but quickly found out while making this stupid thing that glowing blocks of nothingness looks like poop. So I did try to make it look like a lantern without having the stark borders of other Glowstones that you see out there (JohnSmith, Doku, etc). I am building up an alternative texture sheet though so I will add a more lanterny looking stone for those like you who prefer it. :smile.gif:
Oh! And I have decided to add 5 different types of cake for people to choose from. :biggrin.gif: I had so much fun making my cake, teehee.
Even if this may be his first texture pack. You can't fluff someone up out of pity saying it's 'decent' or 'you're on the right track'. Best way to communicate is to be forward with what you're trying to state, and do it in the simplest manor.
Now me simply stating "Why is this called 'Enhanced'?" communicates this. Though you may say "Why don't you give him further advice?". Well, I didn't because I feel that a person should take and show initiative in improving without outside help [ at first ]. This concept is based off of "You can't help anyone until you can help yourself", I simply reversed it to "You can't help someone who can't help them self." This alteration is supported by the simple basis in that it's pointless to help someone with no desire to improve as it'll go nowhere.
Summing that up, I simply leave it to the persons own initiative and if they overcome the obstacles [ in this case improving/attempting to improve the art and quality on their own behalf ] then I consider them worthy of praise.
Also, if you truly understand the ground of my question. It will cause the person asked [ Xhitcramp ] to look at what is being critiqued, analyze it, and then open their eyes and enable them to step out of their shoes and into someone's like mine. This grants Xhitcramp the ability to critique his own work and then come to a conclusion of it's true quality. This question will also then cause Xhitcramp to generate a justification of why they did what they did.
tl;dr - Read what I wrote...lazy.
I understand that constructive criticism is completely helpful and even necessary to improve one's artwork, but being straightforward with someone (as you said) is generally best in this setting. He came here to show off his texture pack and get tips on that, so that's what should be given. I hope that he would learn to be able to bounce ideas off of himself and give himself critique, but that's not what someone posts on a forum to hear. So, I feel as though it's not my job to tell them "figure it out on your own", but to help them with their ideas so that next time they may not even have to post here in the first place. I'm not here to teach, I'm here to give my opinions and hope that they learn from them. :happy.gif:
I wasn't particularly speaking to you in my first post (rather the person above your post), but what you said "Why is this called 'Enhanced'?" probably would be interpreted as a demeaning comment by other people simply because you provided no other insight to your post.
Fine then, agreed, I will take off the doku water texture and lava and make my own, I do not want all you said to happen, so I will make my own. And I only took his thing for one reason, I have just started texture packing and IDK how to make HD texture, but I will learn and make my own, I promise. And if my next one has doku things, it is because i forgot to change it, just tell me and it will be the first thingi change. :smile.gif:
Using another person's texture pack as a template while learning how to texture is fine. :smile.gif: You just can't release it as your own, and make sure to let people know that if something that's in your screenshots isn't yours and is only serving as a placeholder while you work on your own texture.
very true, but I will not take down the water texture but I will Edit it so It will look only a little bit like doku, P.S I am fixing the torches right now, and yes it does look bulky it does not, the edited version of this texture pack will not have a bulky torch. and if there is anything else that I should edit, (not including grass, sand dirt) tell me
Eep, while it's good that you're willing to admit that you were using Doku's textures - you cannot use his: period. This means you cannot edit it to make it look different. You can't use his texture, change it, and call it your own. You have to erase the texture or draw over it 100% with something new. Otherwise it's stealing his texture. That'll get your post locked, your reputation ruined as a texture artist, and it will probably make Doku upset with you.
glowstone looks GREAT! well done spirit! I really like the look of it.
Wahoo! Thanks! So glad that's behind me. I'm actually retweaking the grass at the moment. I don't like the way the side grass looks so I'm having to touch it up a bit. Maybe redo it.
Edit: I redid my pumpkins and took off the Creeper face. It looks so much better!
Oh wow, what a great pack! I have to say my favorite is the wood planks, they're wonderful and they don't stand out like a sore thumb like so many other packs' wood does. Good job! Hope to see more of your stuff!
Poking fun at him for doing poorly on his first texture pack isn't very nice. It's his first, and he clearly enjoys Minecraft, so support him!
I think the issue is that your colors contrast way too much. Everything is very blocky. Perhaps you're trying too hard to show detail. Instead of using stark black, try using darker colors of whatever it is you're trying to shade (If you want to show shadows on your pink wool, use a dark pink instead of black etc.)
Keep working at it though! You've got a good start with your ideas!
Alright, so I had to show you guys my Glowstone and my Pumpkins. I worked so. Flipping. Hard on the Glowstone. I don't know why, but I hated making it. It wasn't so bad once I got a general idea though. I think the biggest issue for me is that I wanted to steer clear of the 'lantern' look, but was frustrated at how butt ugly a plain yellow glowing block was. I ended up making a minimally lanternish Glowstone.
I also made the pumpkins into Creepers which I thought was super cute. :happy.gif: I tried to make the squares of the Creeper's face partially cut into the pumpkin so that they would show and shine through, but not as bright as the Creeper's eyes/mouth.
Anywho, enjoy!
Edit: Does the Creeper pumpkin look like he got beat up in a dark alley? Now that I actually look at his face, in the screenshot...it looks like the holes I tried to place are too much. Thoughts?
Pumpkins!
Glowstone
Next item on my agenda?
Cake! (Putting off fixing water as long as possible...)
IGN(Spell Correctly): Spirituality
Will this be your main server?: Honestly, I hope so. I've been looking for a "main server" for about a month now. Nothing has peaked my interests, but this server looks more promising than others.
Are you coming alone: I may bring along my boyfriend if I think we'd enjoy staying here.
If you have been banned before, for what?: Nope, never.
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I added a few strands of grass to the side grass as I said I would, and also thought that the snowy side grass needed some tweaking. I wanted it to look like the ground was frozen, more than just a light sprinkle of snow. So I added some more to it, made the grass more "icy" and also added snow to the dirt itself to give it that completely frozen look.
Is it too much? Just right? Looks weird?
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I think your pack is beautiful and it's very detailed, you can tell that you spent a great deal of time creating each piece. There are several unique ideas in it and it's all very well done. :smile.gif:
I think the issue with your pack (and I should've included this in my last post) is that it's catering to a specific taste. It's not generic Minecraft, and sometimes people may not prefer to play on something that doesn't feel like Minecraft. If that makes any sense. Your texture pack is only reaching out to a certain audience that likes that style of culture. It seems more like a novelty pack or a pack that would be used sparingly rather than a pack that would be seen as an every day pack.
You'll have people who love that sort of look and use it all the time I'm sure. But then there are people who don't like Indiana Jones (or that sort of style) may not download your pack at all. I think that it's a great pack and you shouldn't change it for the world, I just wouldn't expect it to be something that it's not. It's not a generic pack that's basically Minecraft with a different texture. It's a very specific pack.
If none of that made any sense I'll be sure to reiterate. :biggrin.gif:
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People like packs that have work put into them. At first (before I started making my own pack) I had no one taste in packs that I preferred. I have some 16x packs for days when I feel like I want a "cutesy" world or a world that really feels like good ol' Minecraft. I have days when I feel like I want a world that looks amazingly drawn out (32x) and then I have days when I want a realistic Minecraft experience (64x+). I think, for me, those are my three categories.
But what I look for in each category, and in each pack, is work and thought put into a texture. We can all tell when 1-2 hours is all that was spent working on a pack, or when it's just a regurgitated version of an already popular pack. It doesn't take a lot of brain power or a PHD in Rocket Science to see.
Packs that I've downloaded and use regularly include Dokucraft, Jolicraft, Ornate, JohnSmith, and Misa's Realistic. I would gladly download a pack that I thought was being worked on steadily and passionately and had its own identity. That's what I tried to give my own pack - a reason for being other than "I liked the way XPack looked so I'm making my own pack like it". Why would people download your pack if there's already another pack, that you (the creator) admit is like your own pack? Getting inspiration from other packs is great! But give your pack its own breath of life that doesn't heavily rely on another person's texture pack.
Ex: I liked Dokucraft, JohnSmith, and Ornate but there were things in each of them that I did not like so I decided to create my own and was inspired to do so by those packs.
Bad - Saying I liked Dokucraft, JohnSmith, and Ornate so I want to make a pack that's like those packs but darker.
Good - Saying I want a dark pack that has a generic Minecraft feel with a little ornate flair.
Now you may be saying "But those are just words." Well, yes, but words are strong! Telling yourself that you're making an original pack might actually influence the way you create your pack, not to mention people who read your post will feel better about downloading an original pack versus downloading a pack that's basically going to be what's already out there with a few minor tweaks.
But of course, people like good artwork. This is where I think a lot of people struggle. Pixel art is stupid hard and frankly, I use my brush tool more than my pencil tool. If I didn't have Photoshop + a tablet I probably would be in the dirt crying at how hard it is to paint pixel by pixel with a mouse. Particularly the higher resolution textures are what's difficult. But that aside, actually looking at what you're drawing is a huge help. Drawing grass? Google pictures of grass. Drawing cobblestone? Google that. Working in such a small space means that you have to divide your space smartly. You will not be able to include every little detail and if you try, you'll make a mess of things. You have to know what's important to keep and what's not.
Draw what you see, not what you know is there.
Take cobblestone for instance, since a lot of people end up having trouble here. I see many packs where someone takes black and makes a 1x1 line around each stone in their cobblestone. This usually ends up looking pretty messy. Instead of doing an entire border around each individual stone with stark black, it might be a better idea to take a slightly darker grey than the rest of the stone and only surround the bottom of each stone to show that there's shadow there. As stated in the previous bolded comment, I know that there's a line around each individual cobblestone that's black inside but I cannot see it. I can only see the shadows.
Woo. Sorry for that novel-length post, but I've been considering making a tutorial post on an introduction to painting textures.
Anyway, hope that helps!
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Yay! :biggrin.gif: I hope people enjoy them. I'm making 5 flavors.
Secret Cake (flavor that's my favorite that comes with default)
Carrot Cake
Vanilla Cake
Chocolate Cake
Birthday Cake
Ooh, and I almost forgot. I redid the side grass because someone pointed out to me that the colors just didn't look right. I decided to scrap the old and start anew, so here's what came out. Should I add more stringy bits to the end like in the first texture to give it a creepy look or should I leave the blockish feel?
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Thank you!
I sort of wanted to keep it different from the already lanternish looks out there (by not having a surrounding border of metal/wood) but quickly found out while making this stupid thing that glowing blocks of nothingness looks like poop. So I did try to make it look like a lantern without having the stark borders of other Glowstones that you see out there (JohnSmith, Doku, etc). I am building up an alternative texture sheet though so I will add a more lanterny looking stone for those like you who prefer it. :smile.gif:
Oh! And I have decided to add 5 different types of cake for people to choose from. :biggrin.gif: I had so much fun making my cake, teehee.
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I understand that constructive criticism is completely helpful and even necessary to improve one's artwork, but being straightforward with someone (as you said) is generally best in this setting. He came here to show off his texture pack and get tips on that, so that's what should be given. I hope that he would learn to be able to bounce ideas off of himself and give himself critique, but that's not what someone posts on a forum to hear. So, I feel as though it's not my job to tell them "figure it out on your own", but to help them with their ideas so that next time they may not even have to post here in the first place. I'm not here to teach, I'm here to give my opinions and hope that they learn from them. :happy.gif:
I wasn't particularly speaking to you in my first post (rather the person above your post), but what you said "Why is this called 'Enhanced'?" probably would be interpreted as a demeaning comment by other people simply because you provided no other insight to your post.
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Using another person's texture pack as a template while learning how to texture is fine. :smile.gif: You just can't release it as your own, and make sure to let people know that if something that's in your screenshots isn't yours and is only serving as a placeholder while you work on your own texture.
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Eep, while it's good that you're willing to admit that you were using Doku's textures - you cannot use his: period. This means you cannot edit it to make it look different. You can't use his texture, change it, and call it your own. You have to erase the texture or draw over it 100% with something new. Otherwise it's stealing his texture. That'll get your post locked, your reputation ruined as a texture artist, and it will probably make Doku upset with you.
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Wahoo! Thanks! So glad that's behind me. I'm actually retweaking the grass at the moment. I don't like the way the side grass looks so I'm having to touch it up a bit. Maybe redo it.
Edit: I redid my pumpkins and took off the Creeper face. It looks so much better!
Better Pumpkins
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I think the issue is that your colors contrast way too much. Everything is very blocky. Perhaps you're trying too hard to show detail. Instead of using stark black, try using darker colors of whatever it is you're trying to shade (If you want to show shadows on your pink wool, use a dark pink instead of black etc.)
Keep working at it though! You've got a good start with your ideas!
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I also made the pumpkins into Creepers which I thought was super cute. :happy.gif: I tried to make the squares of the Creeper's face partially cut into the pumpkin so that they would show and shine through, but not as bright as the Creeper's eyes/mouth.
Anywho, enjoy!
Edit: Does the Creeper pumpkin look like he got beat up in a dark alley? Now that I actually look at his face, in the screenshot...it looks like the holes I tried to place are too much. Thoughts?
Pumpkins!
Glowstone
Next item on my agenda?
Cake! (Putting off fixing water as long as possible...)
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Will this be your main server?: Honestly, I hope so. I've been looking for a "main server" for about a month now. Nothing has peaked my interests, but this server looks more promising than others.
Are you coming alone: I may bring along my boyfriend if I think we'd enjoy staying here.
If you have been banned before, for what?: Nope, never.
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Age - 22
Additional Info - I'd love to be a builder. :smile.gif: