Lemma Soft Forums

So I'm in a bit of a bind with my artist and her art. She has two really good styles and they both attract me, but I can't decide which I should pick =(.

The game I'm making is a mystery, GxG, drama story with elements of slice of life and comedy. It might be slight horror, but the story focuses more around the pasts of the girls and the main character. When I talked with echs she said the cute style could work since people like moe and I agree. However the more adult style seems to fit to, but I just don't know. So I'm posting because I want to know what you guys think. Please note this is for the Yuri jam. Anyway, let me know what style you think would fit better and why you like it. I'm hoping this post will help with my decision because I can't decide....

Merida- A quite and mysterious girl who always has her head in a book. The only thing or rather the only person who catches her attention is the main character but it's not fully understood why. Personality wise Merida is distant and a bit cold with people. She always has a bored look and seems to want to keep to herself all the time. When she writes though her words our what bring her to life. Sadly very few know of her hidden talent.

Example 1



Example 2

I prefer Example 1, because I don't like the Moe style.

Example 1 (not sure why but I don't like the second one at all)

I like the adult style more. It seems more fitting for the theme and stands out compared to all the other generic moe sprites.

Complicated...

Looking at these examples, I would assume the artist likes drawing the cute style more - it seems to be more confidently-executed, if that makes sense. There are a number of small things, like the positioning of the hands, the shape of the blazer, and the angles of the facial features, that make me think she's more comfortable with that style. If that's true, I would say definitely go with it; you'll get a better result by going with what the artist prefers, and for a jam - unless one deliberately wants to take advantage of it to push one's comfort zones - it's more important to stay motivated and finish a project, than to get a perfect product.

If I'm off the mark with my assumption, let's see... I expect most people will find the first style to be more suitable. That said, I prefer the cute style, and I don't think it looks an awful lot like "standard" moe - the proportions are different to what I'd expect, giving it a slight unnatural appearance which I find rather pleasing for this theme. It reminds me more of western anime-inspired cartoon gothic, than "moeblob". I think it would be quite striking, especially if combined with an unusual shading style.

Either way, good luck on Yuri Jam! :D

I also dislike moe style, but this cute style is ... cute? It somehow shows more personality.

I think example 1's face expresses her personality better, though the gesture of example 2 looks more natural.

Out of the two, the first appeals to me more (I don't like overly moe-ified or "deformed" characters). That being said, the first one is too far on the realistic side. Personally I would prefer something in-between, but since that's not one of the options... Yeah, the first one.

I think it should come down to two major questions:
- Which style do you find fits the version of the story you want to tell the best?
- Which style does the artist enjoy doing more?

I don't advise catering to what others want over what you want.

Kuroonehalf wrote:I think it should come down to two major questions:
- Which style do you find fits the version of the story you want to tell the best?
- Which style does the artist enjoy doing more?

I don't advise catering to what others want over what you want.

Generally speaking, I agree with Kuroonehalf. I always think you should do what *you* like best. It is best not to create art by committee.

Style 1, as someone already said, expresses her personality better.
But I think style 2 is executed better, so I believe, your artist feels more confident in second style.
I'd say go with style 2, if you can't pick one you like better.

Seconding again what kuroonehalf said. I'm a sucker for moe, I won't lie. But the reality is they're both fine. Kudos to your artist. Even though most people seem to vastly prefer the first version, you still shouldn't leave it up to majority vote. Although it all works out because it sounded like you yourself preferred the first one anyway.