Let’s find the right amount of detail for that Mega Man sprite
TLDRIn this video, artist Brandon discusses the process of adding detail to a Mega Man pixel art sprite while maintaining its original style. He begins by adjusting the color saturation and explores the use of the five-color NES palette for shading and highlights. Brandon then introduces new colors, such as purple for shadows and a lighter cyan for highlights, to enhance the sprite's detail and rendering. He also experiments with different shading techniques and color transitions, inspired by anime style key art and 16-bit era pixel art, to achieve a more dynamic and painterly look. The video concludes with a comparison of the various versions on a CRT display, demonstrating the impact of different rendering techniques on the overall appearance of the sprite.
Takeaways
- 🎨 Brandon discusses the process of adding detail and rendering to a pixel art sprite, specifically Mega Man, while maintaining the original style.
- 🖌️ He initially scaled up NES sprites and drew them with more detail, aiming to stay within the five-color palette of the NES.
- 🎨 The video explores whether a more fitting level of rendering can be achieved for the Mega Man sprite.
- 🌈 Brandon adjusts the original NES colors by toning down the saturation to make them easier on the eyes.
- 🔍 He experiments with staying within the five-color palette by repurposing existing colors for highlights and shading.
- ⚫️ Black is used as a shading tone on blue areas, following the curvature and rounding into corners for a cohesive look.
- 💧 Cyan is positioned as highlights on the left side of the sprite, opposite to the shadows, creating a strong light source.
- 🟣 New colors are introduced for softer highlights and shadows, such as a purpley shade for blue areas and a light pinkish tone for skin.
- 🎨 The introduction of new colors expands the palette to nine colors, enhancing the rendering and detail.
- 🔄 The concept of 50% in-between colors is used to soften transitions and create a more balanced and multi-purpose shading.
- 📺 The video ends with a look at how the different versions of the sprite perform on a CRT display, comparing the nine-color result to a version with more color steps.
Q & A
What is the main focus of the video?
-The main focus of the video is to explore adding the right amount of detail and rendering to a pixel art sprite, specifically of Mega Man, while maintaining the original style and color palette.
Why does the narrator feel that the original Mega Man sprite feels incomplete?
-The narrator feels that the original Mega Man sprite feels incomplete because it was trying to stick with the original style and the five color palette of the NES, which might not provide enough detail.
What change did the narrator make to the color palette?
-The narrator scaled back the saturation from a full 100 down to about 75 for the bluish tones to make it easier on the eyes.
How does the narrator approach adding highlights and shading with the limited five color palette?
-The narrator repurposes existing colors for various highlights and shading, using black as a shade tone on the blue areas and cyan as a highlight.
What new colors did the narrator introduce for shadows and highlights?
-The narrator introduced a purpley color for shading the blue areas and created a new layer with 50% opacity to use a mid-tone between the original blue and cyan for highlights.
Why did the narrator choose to use a pinkish tone for shading the skin?
-The narrator chose a pinkish tone for shading the skin to follow the idea of hue shifting into a new color, which adds life to the sprite and looks natural and vibrant against the skin tone.
What is the total number of colors used in the final sprite?
-In the final sprite, a total of nine colors are used.
How does the narrator plan to evaluate the success of the gradients applied to the sprite?
-The narrator plans to evaluate the success of the gradients by checking them on a CRT display to see how they compare to the nine color result.
What adjustment did the narrator make to the five color palette after observing the Marvel vs. Capcom sprite?
-The narrator pulled back some of the saturation and brightness, did some rebalancing, and came up with a revised five-color version that addresses the issue of the strong highlights.
What is the narrator's overall attitude towards the experiment?
-The narrator's overall attitude is one of experimentation and fun, treating the artwork with a touch of exploration rather than considering it as a finished piece or a preference.
Outlines
🎨 Enhancing Pixel Art with Color and Detail
In this paragraph, the artist Brandon introduces his process of refining a pixel art sprite of Mega Man. He discusses the challenges of maintaining the original style and color palette of the NES while adding more detail and rendering. Brandon decides to adjust the colors, reducing saturation and using the existing five-color palette more effectively. He explains how he uses black for shading and cyan for highlights on the blue areas of the sprite, aiming for a more cohesive and detailed look. The artist also introduces new colors, such as a purpley shade for additional shading and a lighter cyan for highlights, to enhance the rendering and create a balanced, multi-purpose effect. The paragraph concludes with Brandon's satisfaction with the nine-color result and a mention of further experimentation with more colors for a smoother transition in shaded areas.
📺 Viewing Pixel Art on CRT Displays
The second paragraph focuses on the impact of viewing pixel art on different displays, specifically the CRT display which was the original intent for such art. Brandon discusses the concept of 'banding' or 'noise' that can occur in pixel-perfect displays and how these imperfections create a soft, painterly gradient on a CRT screen. He shares his curiosity about pushing the limits of color and highlights, even to the point of excess, to understand the boundaries of the art form. The artist also reflects on the Marvel vs. Capcom Mega Man sprite, noting the closer proximity of the blue tones compared to the cyan and blue used earlier. He revises the five-color version of the sprite by reducing saturation and brightness, aiming for a more balanced look. The paragraph ends with a promise to review the final results on a CRT and a thank you to the viewers for their support.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Pixel Art
💡Color Palette
💡Rendering
💡Shading
💡Highlights
💡Hue Shifting
💡NES
💡Mega Man
💡Saturation
💡CRT Display
💡Marvel vs. Capcom
Highlights
Brandon's journey to add the right amount of detail and rendering to a pixel art sprite of Mega Man.
The initial challenge of maintaining the original NES style and five-color palette while adding details.
Adjusting the color saturation to make the sprite less bright and more visually comfortable.
Utilizing the five-color palette by re-purposing colors for highlights and shading.
The strategic placement of highlights opposite to shadows to create a strong light source effect.
Introducing new colors, such as a purpley shade for blue areas and a lighter cyan for highlights, to enhance the sprite.
Creating a new layer with 50% opacity for more nuanced shading and highlighting.
The use of hue shifting to add life and depth to the sprite, like leaning shadow colors into purple.
Adding a pinkish tone to the skin to avoid it looking under-detailed compared to the rest of the costume.
Inspiration from anime style key art for Mega Man in the choice of shading colors.
Experimenting with a greater number of color steps and highlights to push the limits of the sprite's detail.
Comparing the detailed sprite with a nine-color approach to the simpler five-color attempts.
The idea of stepping back from the NES palette and re-evaluating the color balance for a more harmonious sprite.
Testing the rendered sprites on a CRT display to see how the gradients and details translate.
Brandon's approach to treating artwork with experimentation, pushing boundaries, and learning from the process.