Just how awful is it to use stylized photos for bgs?

[NikiFig]

http://lemur3s.deviantart.com/art/Anime ... -371395755

Like in this tutorial... I'm getting worried for my backgrounds. They're going to suck if I make them, but if I take my own photos then stylize them, how frowned on is that usually?

[Evy]

I don't think it's frowned upon? I mean, a lot of people use photo references for their BGs, especially if they struggle with drawing perspective like I do. There are commercial VNs that use edited photos - Umineko, for example. I think it's really just a question of whether the photos you use are copyrighted or not, but there are a bunch of websites with free photographs around. It just takes a little digging.

As for taking your own photos, then I don't see a problem, since you produced them in the first place.

[That Oyajicon]

I think the main question is how well you do it. I mean, if you take a random photo of the street you live on, and then just slap some neon edges on it, it's gonna look kinda sloppy and weird. But if you actually take the time to use color and filters and things like that to make it look visually appealing, I don't see any problem with using photographs to create your bgs.

[LiveTurkey]

Wow that is an amazing tutorial. How do you find resources like that?

[storykween]

I agree with @That Oyajicon. I don't think it's frowned upon, as long as you're able to add your own touch to the photographs and make it blend with the rest of your game. (I certainly hope not, anyway, because I did it for one of my games :p )

[SundownKid]

Those are heavily edited to the point they look like actual art, so I don't see the problem with using them. It's the ones that someone throws a Photoshop sketch filter and calls it a day, that are unsuitable for most serious works.

[LateWhiteRabbit]

I think the main question is how well you do it.

This. I don't think it is frowned upon. It is all in how good the end result looks, and how well it matches up with the sprites you are using. As long as you are using your own photos there shouldn't be any probably at all.