So you want to make art for a Visual Novel: A checklist

Questions, skill improvement, and respectful critique involving art assets.
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Daistarir
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Re: So you want to make art for a Visual Novel: A checklist

#16 Post by Daistarir »

@floricca : It's seem like you don't like Rejet's artwork .
But hey , everybody have their own style. Not everybody can draw realistic (including me xD)

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Re: So you want to make art for a Visual Novel: A checklist

#17 Post by fioricca »

Daistarir wrote:@floricca : It's seem like you don't like Rejet's artwork .
But hey , everybody have their own style. Not everybody can draw realistic (including me xD)
If by Rejet you mean the guys that did Renai Bancho and TYB --

I'm okay with all styles and exaggerating stuff; complete realism isn't my thing either. But I'm not so okay with jarring anatomy errors, like if someone drew a hand that twists in an impossible manner, in professional games. My main complaint isn't so much with style as balance, but maybe I'm asking for too much by expecting balanced proportion in commercial/professional work? It's just a shame to see weirdly-proportioned characters in CGs that are coloured nicely and look completely gorgeous, like the examples I threw.

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Re: So you want to make art for a Visual Novel: A checklist

#18 Post by Daistarir »

fioricca wrote:
Daistarir wrote:@floricca : It's seem like you don't like Rejet's artwork .
But hey , everybody have their own style. Not everybody can draw realistic (including me xD)
If by Rejet you mean the guys that did Renai Bancho and TYB --

I'm okay with all styles and exaggerating stuff; complete realism isn't my thing either. But I'm not so okay with jarring anatomy errors, like if someone drew a hand that twists in an impossible manner, in professional games. My main complaint isn't so much with style as balance, but maybe I'm asking for too much by expecting balanced proportion in commercial/professional work? It's just a shame to see weirdly-proportioned characters in CGs that are coloured nicely and look completely gorgeous, like the examples I threw.
Yup , that's Rejet. I like their game because it's mostly for PSP.
And , truly I see many mistakes if I take a close look at it (Not mention about super slim boys)
I think some artist just think about how to make it look completely gorgeous to sell the game and noy have any atebtion about their character weirdness . Commercial/Professional Work should be quality enough or more to have people to buy . It's ashame because all those games was masked by a beautiful cover but have a lot of mistakes.

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Re: So you want to make art for a Visual Novel: A checklist

#19 Post by Endorphin »

Well... they might have a lot of mistakes, but they are still pretty.
Art in a VN should be, in my opinion, nice on the eyes and get the point across.
Commercial artists are just regular artists, you know?
I don't think that the art in this game is that bad (but then again, I haven't played it)--I've seen far worse.
Plus, mistake free doesn't always look better--sometimes it loses it's dynamic character because of this.
People should draw in a way that makes them happy, that is "them"--and if this art touches people, makes them happy by looking at it, then I couldn't care less about a messed up shoulder.

But I'm not here to argue. =o
After all, it's a matter of taste.

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Back to topic:

Aww, nice list. :>
I don't even want to check where I stand, though. :'D
(Wouldn't want to get depressed now.)

- R.

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Re: So you want to make art for a Visual Novel: A checklist

#20 Post by Deji »

LateWhiteRabbit wrote:
nyaatrap wrote: Complements:
There are 2 more graphic assets VN needs:
・Graphical User Interface
・Special effects (SFX)

edit: I forgot Logos (-ω-*)ゞ
And of course, yes. Those things need to be added to the list. I would add one more - marketing and promotional materials.
* I wouldn't count GUI as "art", but as "graphics". I tend to separate art skills from graphic design skills because one deals with figurative depictions and the other one with non-figurative one (which I coincidentally suck at).

If somebody would care enough to make a basic-intermediate-advanced skill requirements for GUI, I'll gladly add them to the list (:

* I'm not sure about SFX? Out of the VNs I've worked on, I've never needed to draw SFX, myself. Would you mind pointing out what you mean, exactly? (: (and if possible, what you'd need to know to make them right).

*Logos are important! Then again, they're in the realm of "graphics", imo.

*Marketing and Promotional materials's skills could be drawn from the Event Illust/CGs skills, I think.

I'll add all those things as an addendum (:

Thanks! ^^
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Re: So you want to make art for a Visual Novel: A checklist

#21 Post by nyaatrap »

About SFX... If you played my game, You can immediately notice this importance - my game can't exist without SFX. However, it may be not needed for games with no budget and no intensive battles.
I think SFX is What I think one of the most thing laking here. You can make the least thing without SFX, but if you think to make more than that, SFX is just requirement.
* I wouldn't count GUI as "art", but as "graphics". I tend to separate art skills from graphic design skills because one deals with figurative depictions and the other one with non-figurative one (which I coincidentally suck at).
I know and I also don't like to those works, but people hope to do on them. If you can't do, you have to say why, and the result is something which needs some time to solve it. Can you tell you can't and do find someone other? this is where I said "finding their specialists are more harder than doing by yourself".

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Re: So you want to make art for a Visual Novel: A checklist

#22 Post by Deji »

@Nyaatrap:
So basically GFX/SFX are for battles and other action sequences? So it would be a requirement for action-oriented games, as opposed to, say, slice of life set on high-school with ordinary people games?

I added the GUI to the list with some pointers, though not with a matching skill set, because I still have no idea how to work with them (Sometimes I wished I didn't quite studying graphic design >>; ).
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Re: So you want to make art for a Visual Novel: A checklist

#23 Post by nyaatrap »

Deji wrote:[So basically GFX/SFX are for battles and other action sequences? So it would be a requirement for action-oriented games, as opposed to, say, slice of life set on high-school with ordinary people games?
Yes, You can omit, or you can use it - that your option. It makes more fertile, but not a least thing. However, thinking it doesn't hurt you, since this is the requirement of commercial works.

Those aren't drawer's job actually, but drawers are the most suitable person to do those jobs than other persons available usually.

darkphilious

Re: So you want to make art for a Visual Novel: A checklist

#24 Post by darkphilious »

I actually don't mind much about the anatomy. It's not much of an error, but artist's choice and preference, and we, as consumers, also have our own preferences. Anyway, I'm not much of a designer, and my skills are basic, so who am I to say anything?

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Re: So you want to make art for a Visual Novel: A checklist

#25 Post by 15385bic »

darkphilious wrote:I actually don't mind much about the anatomy. It's not much of an error, but artist's choice and preference, and we, as consumers, also have our own preferences. Anyway, I'm not much of a designer, and my skills are basic, so who am I to say anything?
i agree. I seem to love the grossly exaggerated anatomy that quite a few of you seem to be dissing. I mean I find CLAMP's art to be beautiful. same with starry sky.
My skills are pretty basic as well but even if I tried to draw "proper anatomy" - i just find the characters to be too stumpy ^^' - it really is a matter of preference. I mean some artists can probably imitate other styles as well but they choose particular ones because that is what they prefer (I mean seriously - you dont hear people criticising anatomy in abstract art)

In saying all that - now to that checklist
Character Sprites/Portraits:
basic - (and i hate colouring - damn)

Event Illustrations/CGs:
basic - really need somthing in the background which i have not much talent at.

Event Illusts/CGs
ehhh....

Backgrounds:
*goes search for freebies

Logo: done - just need colours perhaps

Graphic User Interface (GUI): Zero talent - need to find someone else or use "ready to use" ones

Special Effect Graphics (SFX/GFX):
may have to consider >.<

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Re: So you want to make art for a Visual Novel: A checklist

#26 Post by Greeny »

What people often forget, in my opinion, is that to draw exaggerated/stylised anatomy you first have to understand proper anatomy.
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Re: So you want to make art for a Visual Novel: A checklist

#27 Post by Deji »

Greeny wrote:What people often forget, in my opinion, is that to draw exaggerated/stylised anatomy you first have to understand proper anatomy.
^This

See this: http://stulivingston.blogspot.com/2012/ ... demoz.html
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Re: So you want to make art for a Visual Novel: A checklist

#28 Post by michi 18 »

This is very helpful.
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Re: So you want to make art for a Visual Novel: A checklist

#29 Post by Lumella »

I think aside from the visual aspect of a VN, we should also take note other assets needed in game creation. They don't fall under the tasks of the artist, but hey, they're also important.

Plot, Story & Idea
-I suppose this is self-explanatory. It gives you a preview of what is the game would be introduced as.

Script
- Practically the content of the story itself. This is where a writer comes in.

Game Mechanics
- This is vital, especially if you want to make a dating-simulation game that has various elements included. Good examples are defining your games if it has RPG elements, Stat-based, turn-based, puzzle, etc.

There are other stuffs included, but I find these crucial in creating games.
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Re: So you want to make art for a Visual Novel: A checklist

#30 Post by GabeCastro »

Thank you very much for this thread! I want to learn how to make art for VN's, so resources like this are very helpful! I love the checklist ^u^

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