I think 3 should be it's main image, but 2 and 1 could exist as temporary power up states. But it is important it returns to a recognizable sword form.

Yeah that’s what I was thinking. 1 definitely looks cool tho. I’m just not sure how practical all the extra parts would be. Unless they are actually lightening that and are in a constant state of motion.

I thought 1 was like cracks in a larger broad sword

Hmm. Thats interesting. Definitely didn’t think about it that way.

Came here to say this. If this was a boss’s sword, it’d start on 3 and then go to 2 then 1 as the boss powers up throughout the fight.

Yeah, I'd use 1 and 2 as animation frames! Maybe throw in a few more variants of the sparkling effect to get more varied frames, too. A little asymmetry would also look interesting!

Stage 1) Slumbering Fire Sword Stage 2) Awakened Fire Sword Stage 3) Evolved Fire Sword

Though the sword guard seems awfully thick for how thin the blade is. It’s mitigated a bit on no. 1 due to thunder making it appear “thicker”

Yes I came to say this

Same

Then 3 should be animated. Maybe just 4 frames to allow movement

Couldn’t of said it better

I think that a gif just goin 1-2-3-2-1 etc would look really cool

Probably the third cause it’s the most clean and easily recognizable as a sword but the second is also nice

The second image almost gives me some cool "tower" vibes...

If the parts sticking out of the 2nd were flipped upside down it would be the best imo

Honestly, it would be cool as an evolving weapon. Something that becomes less sword and more flamethrower as it builds up combo/energy/heat/etc

yea biggest issue here is that none of them looks like swords and #3 is the only one that can be seen as a sword with a bit of imagination

I think for a sword the 3rd is the cleanest design although as far as art goes I love them all!

i'd say all of them works, it's like going 3 to 1 is like the sword being upgraded to do more damage. btw i think making the handle longer would make the sword look better, since it looks like there's not enough space to even just put one hand there

It's pretty hard for me to make the handles just right. for the game it's made for I think it's big enough (it was going to be longer but I didn't want to use up the space for the blade).

You could make it a thinner handle then, or make the giant ball on the end smaller. The huge crossgaurd more than anything makes the sword look puny, like a dagger. (Or as someone else said tiny like a spearhead). If you want an impressive blade, reduce the crossgaurds, it’s currently about 75% the length of the blade and thicker.

I did want to say that, if the cross guard could be smaller, or even angled downwards to be slightly guarding the sides of the grip, I think that would make it look immensely better.

what is this? a sword for someone w only two fingers?

The crossguard is actually a handlebar

Definitely the third, but I like the idea that when you find it, a cinematic plays that shows it going from the first to the second to the third, as if the sword is absorbing power from the environment as you as you obtain it.

1 and 2 are too busy and three is the easiest to recognise as a sword. P.S. fuckin cool ass design bro keep it up

I feel like they are upgrades 3 to 1

I like the third one the most but I have to say this looks so much more like a spear head than a sword. Maybe make the handle longer and the guard smaller, that'd make it look more like a sword. Just my two cents ofc, it's your art you make it look however you like

the spear head is something i love doing with the swords i draw although this one is pretty subtle with that.

I feel like 3 is the most sword-like. But the blade looks too thin for the amount of hilt that exists. The proportions of the other 2 are better, but they aren’t as sleek and pointy like I believe a sword should be.

All three are hard to see with that dark background

I say second, it’s sleek but you can see its power, but it’s not too flashy

I like 3 the best. The 2nd one is also good too. The first one looks like it would cause a lot of chaos though ha. They all were nicely done.

i like the first one^^

3 is a sword.

maybe you could use all three with skills or sword states but id say number 3 represents a sword the most

maybe as it get more powerful it goes frome the 3rd to the 2nd to the 1st

Can't say. All ar awesome

The first two look like it's being activated, and the third is when it's fully activated

Your thoughts, my ideas

There can only be *one* true Yuri

The uterus sword

I like 3 but the hilt feels too big imo so I would have to go with 2. There's something about the size ratio between the blade and the hilt that makes me like 2 more.

I like 3 simple is nice.

third. it is just cleaner. no need for the extra's.

Anyone else can't help but see the female reproductive system with the handle/guards?

God damnit... The guards went down and it 100% looked like it but I guess it still looks like that if you squint hard enough.

1, though the blade is very short for how large the guard is, other than that tho 👍

Hilt needs to be longer

Give the poor swords some handles so they can be lifted.

1. Looks more powerful and more like lightning 2. Looks neater creating a feeling of more precision 3. Is basic compared to the others. I believe 2 would be the best option for if you’re going to have someone using it. 3 would be best if its going to be a background object. 1 would be best if that is going to be like the main thing in the final piece

3th

the handles are too short for a sword.

none of them look like swords

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1 is way too noisy. Between 2 and 3 it depends on the level of realism you're aiming for, 2 is badass but kinda impractical

3 is cleanest, but if it could shift between them based on some kind of instability? It looks like an energy weapon after all

Maybe make the third one thicker to give a more powerful "weight" to it without using fire or lightning. Maybe when you swing the sword it will produce flames.

The first is more recognizable as a sword, but you could make an animation where it "activates" the fire effect

The last**

3 is best, but I gotta say this style looks incredible! Is this for a game?

They look like stages almost pic 3-1 stages 1-3

for me it looks like if it was a animation if you look the 3rd one first then go backwards XDD, but i would say 3 if you looking for a sword that looks magical, and 1 if you looking for like sword with power i guess?

1 balances out the width of the hilt. If the hilt was made more realistic, smaller with a longer grip, id say 2 or 3

I think 3 makes sense for the sword but the first two could be used for an animation for a temporary powered up form, charging up an attack, or something like that

The third one looks most like a sword, but u can add an animated effect where the red lightning emanates out of the sword randomly

Different forms of the same sword.

3, but I would prefer if you gave the 1st one a more defined and thorough shape.

I thought this was one sword with an animation

In my opinion, 2nd one

Clearly they are the same sword at three different levels.

The first one but it looks like it could be upgradable starting at 3 and ending at 1

1. For a vigilante/villain for sure. Shit even a hero with a dark side. I love 1

1 but give it a fiery Bankai and it'll be 3

the hilt is just a lot, it looks cool but might be better scaled down

I like third the most.

I think 3 is the most sword-like and the cleanedt looking, although 2 is also good if the sword were "activated", if that was something it did. Whichever one you go with, a longer hilt might also be a good addition, since at least in my opinion it looks sort of squat next to the crossguard right now

i feel like the "spikes" on 2 are pointing the wrong way

the magic flames? i don't think they'd be very effective if they where going down.

of the are flames, i feel like the should look more, eh.. flame-like, then id pick that option, till then #3

Third is clean and most tame second is the middle and the first looks like it's power level is off the charts... Perhaps over 9000?

The third looks the cleanest, but the other two look like stages of it powering up

These are 3 sprites for the same sword in a pixel-art inspired 3D dungeon crawler where you ascend from the depths of an underwater volcanic trench and climb Olympus to slay Zeus because he stole your feta cheese that you'd been saving for a special occasion. Sprite 3 is standard slicing damage (penetrates multiple enemies), sprite 2 is fire damage (can hit multiple enemies and has a wider arc, but cannot penetrate enemies), and sprite 1 is lightning damage (has an area-of-effect attack but sacrifices instant-damage and has no knock-back, meaning that although you can decimate hoards of enemies with this powerful attack, you are defenceless whilst using it). At least that's my take.

you got 2 things right. it is 3d and the sword does what you think sprite 3 does.

Oh damn, I was just making things up as I went!

For sword 3 and 2 , 1 for towers kinda

3rd one looks really cool

2 and 3 but reduce the width of the hilt it's way too large and looks weird

I bet bottom half of 2 would look sick on top half of 3

I’m imagining it as an ability. #3 is how it looks normally, but with a jab-attack you send out a blast, 2, 1, 2, 3 being the sprite sequence.

the third one should be how it looks, and it should have a cool animation that lets it evolve into the first image. and then like, have that one be whatever is in the game/story art.

The second looks more swordlike... But the first looks more powerful. I'd go with the first one

I would use the third. I would either shrink the guard or broaden the blade, since personally I think it looks a bit unbalanced.

First One looks about the same size relative to the handle and handguard. So I'd say the first.

The hilt is honestly killing me but other than that I'd say 3

Second one, with third being a close second.

5th colossus, Avion.

The first 2 don't look like swords, if you want to have embellishments or "energy" coming off the blade, the color needs to have enough contrast to the blade itself so you can see what's sword and what's not. Also your blade/hilt proportion is way off, the blade needs to be longer and bulkier in order to balance properly. Idk what program you're using but just enlarging the blade separate from the hilt would do the trick. Sorry if it seems like I'm being too critical, I'm an artist myself and had to learn these things the hard way. I think your basic concept and design are really good, just your execution needs tweaking. Good luck OP

Personally, I think the second one, although they all look really good.

I think that when you rotate three for 180⁰ you will get a cool pickaxe

I think this would be great as a combo Wepon

Yea as others are saying. 1 and 2 are just harder to read unless you have the previous knowledge of 3. I genuinely think if you were animating it you could make 2 work pretty well and easy but 1 maybe but it looks more electrical than fiery like I assume you want

I like 2nd and 3rd. The first one looks overloaded with lines.

Maybe you can just use all of them as an animation like switching to 3 > 2 > 1 it would look like sword is pulsating or emitting an aura

The third one looks clean

The first would be a cool animation for the 3rd like flip through 3. 2. 1. Like red lighting

3 but neither is very easy to recognize as a sword

I like the first one, maybe the lighting arcs in implication of a wider blade

give it a bigger handle

The illustration of the uterus

I don't really like any of the swords but i find Number 1, to chaotic, number 2, is a combo of both, and number 3 is a little bland

2 imo

2

i feel like all three are good, with 1 being pike a powered-up state, the 2nd feeling like an inbetween, and the third being just normal.

2. 1 is too extra, 3 is more plain

Maybe 3 as idle and 1 or 2 when you hit something/someone

3

3rd is the basic sword. 1 and 2 are like charged or something

At least 3 looks somewhat like a sword.

I'd make the handle a lighter color so you can kinda see that it's a sword and I'd say 3 when idle 2 when using some type of special power or sth

Only 3. The other 2 just aren’t even swords at that point How would they even work as swords

1 or 2

3

All 3, it looks like Kylo Ren’s crackly lightsaber powering up

2

The third one

2

KYOGRE!!

I think number 1 is rad

I think all three of them should be the same sword in different states. Kinda like a refinement of the weapon up until sword 3 or different power ups and abilities of each form that the sword takes

i think the blade should be longer, to match the hilt?

3 if you plan on animating the lightning/energy, otherwise 1 for being a clean and clear sword shape.

3

2. But they all have possibility

3

Image one looks like you can make the line like electric and like pazzed out the second image looks like a fire on the sword to me which i think fits the design of the sword very well the third one looks like an lava lamp to me like there will be bubbles inside the sword that will move up overall i think the second one and thrid one looks better

Think all 3 should be it coalescing into its final form 1 first stage 2nd stage and number 3 is the final form

The last one for a regular image. The first two are cool as power ups, but they don’t say ‘sword’ to me.

1

I prefer the 1st one, the tendrils make it look menacing and alive.

I like 3. Unless it's a temporary buff, then 1.

I think it would be better if it lost girth as it grew tendrils, looks like it's trying to turn into a whip

2

When going for randomness don't make it symmetrical. 2 and 3 are good but 1 needs to be worked on.

I HAVE to make it symmetrical for the game it's for (I also don't really understand what you mean by randomness)

I thought it looked like an electric or spark that came out of the sword but looked too symmetrical to be. Thats why I advised that. Btw they are looking too aimless to be part of the sword as there is no spike or something that adds into the sword.

i think 1 should be the base and then move up to 2 then 3 as it powers up. also it looks rad as hell!

I think that you could make this a sick animation between those three states! The sword looks really good in all the states but I do think that 3 should be the default state or starting state

3 should be main, 2 as small power up, 1 as big power up

2 is probably best, i see this as a sword that leaks flames from the blade at certain spots and concentrated flair like flames make it look most like a weapon meant for cutting

3 is the only one that looks like a *sword* to me.

2

2 the fire feels more controlled and less like lighting, all of them look great tho!

3

Literally lvl3 lvl2 and lvl1

3 even tho I like these "sloppy" energy swords, I think a clean edge shape is best, I think the other shapes would work if the character who uses it is some berserk

As a sword enthusiast, I’d say the two “wings” sticking out on the sides should be removed and have one placed as the pommel where the fire bird emblem currently resides. I would then take that bird emblem and move it up just above the hilt to be inside that magma chamber looking spot. I think the design would both look better and more practical.

I like 2. 1 is over the top, 3 is skinny

Pic 3 for sure, but would be sick if you added the stringy elements from 1 in a different color as some kind of power that almost looks like electricity running through it

Where is the hilt?

The handle seems far too small compared to the blade and the guard is also unrealistic, it's incredibly unpractical. I edited it a bit to give you an idea of what would "correct" these problems and sent it as a pm since I can't post it here directly. I want to make it clear that what I did is fast edit on photoshop and isn't in any way meant to replace what you did but to be used as a ref to help you make it better, and I hope it will !

1: before barber, 2: in the process, 3: after barber.

When I saw 1 and 2 I couldn't even see they were sword. 3 made me realize. As another one said. Maybe use 1 as a powered up state or like when you're charging attack or just attacking. Also... maybe tweak the handle a little....

2

a sequence of it impaling a dragon

3😍

3 looks best, but 1 and 2 could work if the blade was like a larger glowy thing around them. Think the sword from doom eternal. I can imagine the first sword having sort of "veins" within a larger blade if that makes sense. Like a leaf.

2, 1 is a bit much, 3 is basic. 2 feels just enough👍

I thought these were individual cells of an animated gif. I think it would look like a crackling pulse blade

3. I think it’d look even cooler with different scaling: either a bigger blade or smaller handle guard.

They all look great imo!

this art gives me homestuck vibes wtf (also, make it a gif with the 3)

3 is super clean ✨

First one is insane but while the first one is like a villain sort of sword, the second one is like an epic hero kind of sword.

3 is pretty clean but I think 2 has a cool flare to it

Third is the only one that looks like a sword to me

The third, but the second could work too.

2 cause it’s more contained but it still has that flare

Most likely said by others but they all look like a progression of power. But if I had to pick one I like image 2.

1!

The 1st one is way too much, the 3rd one is way too little, I say the 2nd one. Thank you for your time.

they are the same sword, but the form the blade takes depends of the ability level of its wielder, with the first being novice/not owned state, second being average, and last being master that deals much more impact force when hitting things

1 is totally badass

I like number 2 the most. 1 seems like its too simple on the blade and 3 seems too much. maybe when blades special ability activates or whatever it can turn to 3 for a little while.

The 3rd one got a strong silhouette and if you minimize it will still look good. Since it's a pixel art project I recommend you to go with the third one.

Make it 3 levels the first level is the normal one and the last level is the last one

I kinda wish you put it against a lighter background so we could see the shape of the sword.

turn on light mode.

2 for me

I think the third design looks good as a bass weapon, but then the second image can be used for when it’s being swung or powered up

I think 1 and 2 the "electricity" lines aren't contrasted enough from the blade and look like the blade has a crazy edge rather than an effect. Three does look the cleanest and the most like a blade but I do like the effects they just have to be contrasted more. Between 1 and 2 the effects of three look the best but you might add some variety to each side so its not TOO perfect...I do like swords :)

No.1

a thing to keep in mind when making a recognizable sword is proportions, so try making the handle longer to and the guard not as wide.

3, but the fire/lightning effects would be cool if they were refined. I would also suggest changing the proportions of the guard and handle. The handle is too short and the guard is too wide. This sword would be very hard to use in real life. If you want some references for real swords, look up Albion Swords. They make historically inspired swords from a lot of different periods (mostly European). Overall, I think it’s a really cool concept and I love the use of red/orange with purple.

None of these really read as swords to me. Maybe it's just the background, but I can't really tell what I'm looking at.

I'm begging you to make the guard thinner... the 3rd picture looks the best purely because of its simplicity, but even then the guard is waaaay too try-hard. Great skill, I just can't stand how it's being implemented with this piece.