Producing Artwork - Massive Time Drain?

[Big Grizzle]

I'm currently making a 2d side scrolling shooter using Python/Pygame. I have most of my classes sorted out, and the parts that are not fully implemented in code yet have design docs that I made using Dia. So I have a pretty good idea of how to go about implementing them. Plus because I'm using Python, if I get something wrong I can just tweak and re-run until I get things right.

What is really holding me up from getting anywhere is a lack of artwork. Now I'm hardly Pablo Picaso, but I am rather handy with a pencil and a piece of paper, but generating art assets on a computer is tiresome and takes me bloody ages!

Luckily for me I have a really cool GF who got a 1st in Animation(BA). Unluckily for me she is too busy doing her MA in Animation to help me with the artwork. Just to make it clear, she would help me in an instant if I asked her to. However I can't to ask her, not because of any pride, but because she is too damn busy with her graduation film and I don't want to burden her further.

What I am particularly interested in is how to go about the art. I can pencil pretty much anything and I know how to colour in a line drawing on Gimp or PS, just not very quickly.

How do the guys who produce their own artwork go about it?
How do the non coder art people go about it?
Should I leave the code alone and produce a ton of concept artwork?
Should I then disappear into my cave for an eternity and produce each sprite one by one?

[trufun202]

I'm afraid there's no magic solution here. I've done the artwork on most of my games, and it takes time.

In the case of Golvellius, I tackle the game in "chunks." A "chunk" usually requires game design, engine programming, scripting, 3D modeling, textures, and animation. My approach is quite similar to the SCRUM development cycle, where the entire development cycle is repeated in a series of several sprints (each sprint lasting 2 to 4 weeks).

For me, I find that it's easier to work with 3D graphics, even if they're prerendered for a 2D game. The time saving advantages hit when it comes to animation. You can simply animate the model and export the frames, rather than animating everything in pixels, by hand. I haven't done prerendered 3D in a few years, but, when I did, I used an application called trueSpace. There are probably some good open source tools as well.

[Big Grizzle]

Thanks dude,

I figured as much. Just getting very frustrated at the slowness of it all.

3d graphics are a little beyond me at this point. I DLed Blender a couple of months back to just have a look. I was completely baffled by the interface. I also tinkered with attempting to create simple polygons using c++ and OpenGL but I am not that great with c++ so that was a bust. I will probably revisit these thinsg at a later date when I have time.

I made a spreadsheet listing all the different images I will need. It is just too many. For now I am going to just complete the game mechanics using fugly squares the size of the sprites. When I have done that I am going to sit down for a month and pencil, ink, scan and touch up with the gimp until I have all the sprites/backgrounds I need.

[Moosader]

What is really holding me up from getting anywhere is a lack of artwork. Now I'm hardly Pablo Picaso, but I am rather handy with a pencil and a piece of paper, but generating art assets on a computer is tiresome and takes me bloody ages!

This is why I'm stuck, I'm so sick of drawing graphics for my stuff. T.T;

I should try to do 3D models too, though it wouldn't look too great.

Something you might try is (if you don't mind your characters looking RPG maker-ish) find the Character Generators out there for RPG maker, you can use those to make different people sprites. Otherwise, there are a lot of resources for RPG maker (though, most of the tilesets are rip-offs). That's all I can think of right now, short of just doing 'em all yourself or finding someone motivated to keep up with what you need. ~_~

[Big Grizzle]

I am making a 2d side scrolling space shooter. So have no use for human-like characters at the moment. If I ever finish this project I am going to make a platformer, but I would definitely get my gf to do the art for that as she can do awesome animation!

Walk cycles are a bitch to get right!

[Pickzell]

Well, yeah. I believe Falco once said "The learning curve for a programmer is much bigger than that of a composer or an artist."

I still laugh at that today. :D
Overall message:
Music and art can't be taught, programming can. In your face Falco.

[zeid]

I believe Falco once said "The learning curve for a programmer is much bigger than that of a composer or an artist."

I would argue against that viewpoint...

Music and art can't be taught, programming can.

I would argue against that viewpoint also :P.

You should explore making your art in different ways if you are wanting to find a quicker manner of doing it. When times a factor it's important to find a balance between what looks good and what can actually be accomplished. If you aren't comfortable with digital art why not use more traditional media such as paints, or even colour pencils, if it's a sidescroller you typically don't have too much animation to worry about so that allows for some lenience in what you are having to do. The post about vector art vs pixel art is a good example of changing the tools because of the time drain. Also getting someone else to do your art for you is definately the best option if you are busy programming, even if you can do both you can't do both at the same time, art can easily be more time consuming than the programming in a game (depending on the game of course) but the better someone is at it the quicker it will get done.

[Bludklok]

I believe Falco once said "The learning curve for a programmer is much bigger than that of a composer or an artist."

I would argue against that viewpoint...

Music and art can't be taught, programming can.

I would argue against that viewpoint also :P.

I was going to post but that sums it up quite nicely. Btw Big Grizzle, if your talking 2D games just look up some sprite tutorials.

[internetfx]

... For me, I find that it's easier to work with 3D graphics, even if they're prerendered for a 2D game. The time saving advantages hit when it comes to animation. ...

100% correct. If you're a game developer, you need to learn a 3D modeling program.

I can't draw, but I can model and animate. That goes especially for organic artwork. If you asked me to animate a walking character with a pencil, I would cry like a child. To model one in 3D and output an animation, that's do-able.

Sometimes even for 2D elements, if I can't throw something together in Photoshop in less than a couple minutes, I will probably model it in 3DSMAX and render it. 2D sprites, HUD elements, you name it. Design it, texture it, add a light source if needed, and render orthographically with alpha. BAM. Takes a while, but later on I can fiddle with what I've made, or project it in 3D, and I avoid the pixel-art look.

Pardon me, as I take cover to avoid the pixel-art fan mob.

[Netwatcher]

Bottom line is-
If you have the time and the skills, produce your own, if you only have the time, try really hard or... you can ask someone else to do it for you.
if you have no time and no skill, simply use someone else's.
It's always nice to know that you wrote the game and this is YOUR artwork in there, the game is then more "yours".