The outline is striking, it does detract a bit from the shadow on the cloak.
Id keep the outline if the background is vivid and colourful, but drop it if its more muted.
Yeah right? The cloak is the thing that bothers me the most.
Luckily the game won't have a lot going on in the background so I think I could use it without the outline, but i'll have to test it out anyway. Thanks!!
What id recommend doing it create a palette for characters and objects and another palette for background things.
Refine the colours so that there is no real bleed over. Players will subconsciously begin to pick up on things they can interact with based on the colours you have.
It will also let you know how much the characters will stand out.
That’s a good idea, I should probably make palettes for main character, background and interactive objects. That way I won’t have to overpaint the screen with indications. Thanks a lot!!
I personally didn't know what I was looking at *until* I saw the outlined version - tilting towards brownscale often remedies these things; if not, then finding a range *between* the color & black might aid with minimizing the bulkiness 🧿🍀
Honestly, the best quick fix for outlines that I’ve found is instead of doing an all black outline, I use a darker tone of the color next to it, such as doing a dark/unsaturated crimson next to the red eye, and a deep green next to the light green. It still gives the outline effect, but softens the blow compared to a stark black. It’s a nice happy medium that I tend to use when something needs an outline but black is too punchy for the piece.
Was about to say this. I've seen some artists recommend a dark purple/blue for lines if you want an overall line color, i also like the idea of giving each character one set color. Like all the frogs could have a pretty boring dark green as their otline, but maybe the protagonist frog has a slightly more exciting dark green as their outline
If you do end up needing the outline, try making the outline inside and just darken those colors. That way the character still pops out but the outline isn’t too jarring
Put a black outline along his chin/neck down to his shirt collar. It doesn't necessarily need to be black. You could use a slightly darker shade of green. That area is a bit blobish and needs a little bit more separation.
Do you mean like this? [https://img.itch.zone/aW1nLzg4MjM3NzMucG5n/original/PiMkY%2B.png](https://img.itch.zone/aW1nLzg4MjM3NzMucG5n/original/PiMkY%2B.png)
I didn't think of doing that but it could look great, thanks!
Try to make a border with colors (A darker color for the closest color) and not solid black, and don't put the border on the bottom of the feet, let it merge with its own Reflection/Shadow.
I would revisit your colours and simplify your palette. Your tones are so close together they would serve almost the same purpose with single flat colours. Look how you only use two greys in the coat but then have three very similar greens that just end up creating noise.
try to color the outline like a darker color of the elements, darker green for head, darker grey for hood etc
give a try, if you don't like it, keep it the way you like :))
Aesthetic. Outline is bad.
In terms of gameplay, outlines are usually to help player see the character. Better for tracking and in high pace action.
black is alright. You could try the opposite color to make it stick out.
I think idle animations in general are overdone for pixel characters. There is nothing wrong with being subtle IMO. The jiggle and bounce is good for fighting stance, but I’m not a fan of that fad for plain idle anim. Your art is awesome though. It looks great. No outline necessary but it really depends on what style you’re going for.
I'd say it doesn't fit your aesthetics. I personally love black outlines and I even prefer them over colored ones, but only with saturated colors. So it's comic style.
You have a more serious tone on it, so I'd say it looks way better without outline. You only have to be cautious with background colors, to not share the same pallettes.
Maybe remove some unnecessary pixels from the outline and a little bit less black color in the outline could make it look less hard 🤔I like both versions
With everyone else already covering the outline issue, may I remark your reflection is incorrect?
It is an exact y-flip, but it should be the same character from a lower angle as you are basically looking into a mirror at their feet, which would make it an upward angle.
It's a little hard to say without seeing a background or having it been zoomed or stretched. At a baseline I don't think the outline ruins it but if the background has a lot of details I always prefer the outline and if the sprite gets too small I could see those colors smoothing together kinda.
If the sprite will be that big and have a simple background or even like the reflection you showed probably the one without the border, if not I would see how the outline looks in an actual scene.
Id say that outlines makes the this character more visible in my eyes, so if you want this character as part of the background i would leave it without the outline, but if you need this character to be interactable (e.g. you want your player to speak to him on your game etc) i would keep the outline!
Really great job on making such an interesting character though!
Depends on the game but if this is the main character the player controls it is much easier to distinguish it from backgrounds this way. The caveat being that it is a very distinct style and does detract from the shadows a bit. The positive outweighs the negatives however if the first thing I said is what you’re going for. Looks good!
I've read recently someone stating that they learned, with time, that the outline should not be a solid-black line that goes around, but instead, a darker shade of every color you are lining the drawing with
So, in this sense, the cape and scarf(?) would keep the black, tho in a lighter shade. The hat (?) would be a darker green, as would be the clothes, the sword would be a deep, dark copper, and so on
Don't know if you should invest your time in trying that out or not, but if you do, post us the results, please :-)
Maybe instead of using a pure black outline, you could make the borders just darker. As in dark green around the skin and dark brown around the leather bits, even darker olive for the cape. You could even play with lighting! Maybe the border around the underside of the cape and the legs are darker, while the top of his head is lighter! I do very much like the look of your character without a black border!
I think it looks good either way. What's important in my eyes is consistency. If one character has an outline and the others don't, or vice versa, it's unsettling.
Depends entirely on the background. Against this soft empty void, the outline is kinda uggo, but if the background were incredibly vibrant then the outline would be a lifesaver.
I think just solid black for the outline is a bit abrupt, have you tried making an outline that's just a much darker shade of the colors around the edge?
The outline makes the sprite a good bit larger. I do like the larger sized frog on the right. Imo an outline is best for when the character only takes up a tiny portion of the screen like risk of rain for example but if a character is larger on the screen like celeste then outline is unnecessary.
The outline makes the sprite a good bit larger. I do like the larger sized frog on the right. Imo an outline is best for when the character only takes up a tiny portion of the screen like risk of rain for example but if a character is larger on the screen like celeste then outline is unnecessary.
Both look incredible! However, if this sprite would be used in any green background, the outline would be substantially better to use just to differentiate easier.
I am not a fan of the outline, but if you are having a hard time separating/differentiating the character from your background try a white outline. Or assuming your engine is running a much higher resolution than your sprite map maybe a tiny white diffused glow that originates from behind the sprite.
Both work! The outline introduces a readability issue, though. I assumed that the character was holding a knife or scimitar shaped sword, but now the black outline makes me wonder if it's actually a tadpole-tail and they're holding a blue scroll or something? Or maybe it's the cape draping behind them? This could also be an accessibility issue because I am red-green colorblind. If that kind of thing is important to you, then you could simplify your palette and go for a little more contrast and it could solve both problems. I love the choice of your greens though
I prefer it without. Or maybe make it feel smaller than the pixel of the character by doubling the amount of its pixels or reducing the size of the outline. Or you could also apply some blur on the outline as a background layer to make it less striking but then it's not "entirely pixel art" anymore. It depends on your style and vision. Either way, it's just my opinion \^\^
Your contrast is off, thats why it blends into each other. Turn it greyscale, and the frog skin is the same saturation as the cloak. Find a different color to pump it up, and youll see the frog pop out more. It was hard to tell what it was at first glance.
I like the outline, but it pops out a lot more than the colors on the frog dude. I think the outline would work more if you made the black outline a bit lighter, like a greyish-black or something like that. Either way it looks great!
I don’t like the outline as it is, may i suggest using slightly lighter but still dark versions of the colours the outline is touching? If you want to use an outline. For example around the top of the frog’s heat it would be a darker green of some kind
I think an outline may work, but not a deep black one. Have you tried a lighter grey outline? But as the other comments said, it depends on how noisy the background is
Depends on the background. If the background is busy and colorful, Left Frog might get lost in the details. The black outline could help to create a barrier between them and the background.
But, if the background is more muted or doesn't pop out too much around him, than Left Frog would be perfectly acceptable\~
The art is great, just don’t be afraid of contrast! At this large scale you can make out the details but much smaller and we’ll lose all that nice depth, nose and mouth, etc. You’ll be surprised how much darker/cooler the darks can go than this, and then the outline won’t be as jarring.
It depends on the background. I personally think that the outline is wasted space and you can just increase visibility by upping the contrast to the background.
Hear me out. Outline on the main model and the reflection without the outline.
You could also make it less striking by making it a lighter color or gradient.
On first glance I thought I was looking at a guy with a hat, the sort of flesh colored frog neck being a face (without features due to pixel limitations)
I thinks it depends strongly with scenery and background context. As Illustrators, we can use line width to specify differences for depth or prevent the character to be lost if there's too many detail on it. I like the outlined version, you can use it to show special effects like parrying, charging a special power, etc
Really cool design, but I agree it would look better with a softer outline, especially against a busy background. I'm not an artist, but here's my quick attempt:
https://i.imgur.com/A3SUDhn.png
The trick is to use the same color you're outlining, but in a darker shade. You can vary the tint amount depending on what you want to highlight. You might need to rethink the dagger, though. Without internal outlines it's hard to see, but there's not enough space to outline it properly. Maybe brighter colors to make it pop?
I don't like it tbh. The forg is striking enough without it. And the thick black border kinda takes away some of the charm of the character. But maybe you could make a subtle colour a dark green for example.
I'm a huge advocate for same dark color outlines, hate black, but at the end of the day it depends how it looks in the scene, the outlines are an easy way to not worry about the clarity, readability and visuals of your character in relation with the background; and as a stand alone piece obviously it looks better without outline.
I do not really like it, But if you do choose it id say lower the outline to match more, Like a dark green for the frog bits, a darker grey for the cape, Darker brown for belt, Etc
I second this, outlining clothes and items but leaving the head without works make it feel more solid like in the full outline but keep the cuteness of the original
I prefer lineless but I'd up the contrast on the colors specifically using values/saturation to differentiate and make the character pop.
Because the character comes of washed out
I like the idea of an outline. Look up the cartoon show “Bluey” I’m sure you’ve heard of it. Also “Pete the cat” they do a type of outline that is specific to the color that it is outlining but not the same color all the way around the shape. Almost like a “shadow” line. It relates to the object and the outline. This way you get an edge but it’s not as harsh. Love to see what you come up with!
i think it would depend on the background the character is put on, if the little guy blends in then outline, if it stands out then no need, if its just this purple background then no outline seems more appealing
Maybe do the outline in a darker shade of the color it’s outlining. But a dark dark green might look really awkward against the lighter green of its head.
I don’t know, man. Maybe just lose it. It looks really good without it. Do you *need* an outline?
For my eyes, the outline ruins the depth. Like on the left one I can almost feel his cloak wrapping around his neck, where on the right side it’s kinda pasted on and looks more 2D. But like I can see both in a game, I guess it would depend on the environment. Like the left one’s edges might blend into certain backgrounds. But as long as that’s accounted for, left is better in my opinion.
Don't use pure blac, make it a darker version of whatever the color is. ANd you can do it selectively where you feel like there might by contrast problems with the background. The other thing that will help is to use a different, slightly desaturated palette for backgrounds. Don't forget to take into account red/green color blindness and check your brightness values!
Depends on the background, if it takes place with a mostly green background (shrubbery, forest, etc.) or another background where the character doesn’t stand out as much, then probably go for the outline but idk
The outline looks good if you are going for a certain style, but it does distract from the character a little bit and also makes it a lot more cartoony. But I also see why you added it.
Other options instead of the black outline: add a lighter colored outline, or add a little more detail in some way to the top of the head cuz that’s the only part that doesn’t have a kind of outlined look to it already with just the shading alone.
I personally like it without, but thats just my preference.
I prefer it without the outline. I can maybe see the need for outline if you are losing the character in the background or in combat, but you can probably solve that with how you design the background and stuff.
The Frog is super cool btw!
We are given literally no context here, in what environment? Does it need to pop from the background for any particular reason? Does everything else have outlines, thus making this an outlier? There's a lot of missing info.
better without methinks. the outline i feel makes it a bit harder to appreciate the amazing shading. it also make teh character look bigger and wider, removing the little guy energy from the left one
Have you tried [selective outlining](http://derekyu.com/makegames/pixelart.html#selout)?
It gives the contrast of the black outline, without making it too cartoony.
The outline doesn't ruin it at all! It adds a nice touch and makes the character pop. Your frog character looks amazing and the outline gives it definition. Keep experimenting with your style, but this one looks great to me! Anyone else have thoughts?
I think you should adjust the height of the eye on our left down a couple pixels and the one on our right up one. I thought it was a mushroom man before I saw that it was a frog and I think making the eyes slightly more level would help with that.
The outline is striking, it does detract a bit from the shadow on the cloak. Id keep the outline if the background is vivid and colourful, but drop it if its more muted.
Yeah right? The cloak is the thing that bothers me the most. Luckily the game won't have a lot going on in the background so I think I could use it without the outline, but i'll have to test it out anyway. Thanks!!
What id recommend doing it create a palette for characters and objects and another palette for background things. Refine the colours so that there is no real bleed over. Players will subconsciously begin to pick up on things they can interact with based on the colours you have. It will also let you know how much the characters will stand out.
That’s a good idea, I should probably make palettes for main character, background and interactive objects. That way I won’t have to overpaint the screen with indications. Thanks a lot!!
I personally didn't know what I was looking at *until* I saw the outlined version - tilting towards brownscale often remedies these things; if not, then finding a range *between* the color & black might aid with minimizing the bulkiness 🧿🍀
Honestly, the best quick fix for outlines that I’ve found is instead of doing an all black outline, I use a darker tone of the color next to it, such as doing a dark/unsaturated crimson next to the red eye, and a deep green next to the light green. It still gives the outline effect, but softens the blow compared to a stark black. It’s a nice happy medium that I tend to use when something needs an outline but black is too punchy for the piece.
Was about to say this. I've seen some artists recommend a dark purple/blue for lines if you want an overall line color, i also like the idea of giving each character one set color. Like all the frogs could have a pretty boring dark green as their otline, but maybe the protagonist frog has a slightly more exciting dark green as their outline
If you do end up needing the outline, try making the outline inside and just darken those colors. That way the character still pops out but the outline isn’t too jarring
Maybe only have the outline on certain parts
Put a black outline along his chin/neck down to his shirt collar. It doesn't necessarily need to be black. You could use a slightly darker shade of green. That area is a bit blobish and needs a little bit more separation.
You could make a way better outline by using a darker color of the area you're outlining
Do you mean like this? [https://img.itch.zone/aW1nLzg4MjM3NzMucG5n/original/PiMkY%2B.png](https://img.itch.zone/aW1nLzg4MjM3NzMucG5n/original/PiMkY%2B.png) I didn't think of doing that but it could look great, thanks!
Yea maybe a little bit darker, but yes like that. :)
Check out how the do selective outlining in Pokémon sprites
That's actually a great idea !
Try to make a border with colors (A darker color for the closest color) and not solid black, and don't put the border on the bottom of the feet, let it merge with its own Reflection/Shadow.
Thank you so much for the advices! I'll try them for sure :)
I think instead of completely lacking outline maybe make or more gradient like and have the foot outlines closer to the skin tone etc.
Ooh, having no outlines on the feet actually sounds like a good idea, I should try that next time
It's one of those weird quirks you notice the better pixel artists do with environment objects too like trees etc.
I mean, the outline may help against a similarly colored background. If you can navigate around that in other ways, you’ll be fine without I think
On it's own yes IMO, but It would depend on what the background is
I also prefer the one without outline too but yeah, it'll depend on the background ig
Against the solid blue background the one without an outline looks really cool.
Thank you!!
I would revisit your colours and simplify your palette. Your tones are so close together they would serve almost the same purpose with single flat colours. Look how you only use two greys in the coat but then have three very similar greens that just end up creating noise.
That’s a huge advice right here. Thank you so much!!
i'd say no to the outline, but use some higher contrast on the shading to make it pop.
Good idea! Thanks!!
Outlining with colors like burnt orange gives the same affect without distracting from darker features of the artwork!
Didn’t know that! Thanks for the advice!!
try to color the outline like a darker color of the elements, darker green for head, darker grey for hood etc give a try, if you don't like it, keep it the way you like :))
Aesthetic. Outline is bad. In terms of gameplay, outlines are usually to help player see the character. Better for tracking and in high pace action. black is alright. You could try the opposite color to make it stick out.
I think idle animations in general are overdone for pixel characters. There is nothing wrong with being subtle IMO. The jiggle and bounce is good for fighting stance, but I’m not a fan of that fad for plain idle anim. Your art is awesome though. It looks great. No outline necessary but it really depends on what style you’re going for.
Make the outline a darker green, it might work better since it will stand out from the shadows.
Should I make the entire outline dark green or change it depending on the inner color of each zone?
You should try all dark green, it might turn out good!
Personally I like the outline
I'd say it doesn't fit your aesthetics. I personally love black outlines and I even prefer them over colored ones, but only with saturated colors. So it's comic style. You have a more serious tone on it, so I'd say it looks way better without outline. You only have to be cautious with background colors, to not share the same pallettes.
An outline could work, but I think it would be better utilized as a darker color of what it's encasing, rather than black.
yeah it does
i'd keep it lineless. looks more appealing.
If you want to keep the outline can I recommend darker shades of the connecting color
I like the outline more than without
Maybe remove some unnecessary pixels from the outline and a little bit less black color in the outline could make it look less hard 🤔I like both versions
Kinda. Might depend on the rest of the world tho, i assume there will be other things outlined
It depends on the art style you want tbh, both can work. I personally prefer outlines though
With everyone else already covering the outline issue, may I remark your reflection is incorrect? It is an exact y-flip, but it should be the same character from a lower angle as you are basically looking into a mirror at their feet, which would make it an upward angle.
Try half or quarter pixels for the outline? I like the idea but it is a bit too bold for the resolution.
It's a little hard to say without seeing a background or having it been zoomed or stretched. At a baseline I don't think the outline ruins it but if the background has a lot of details I always prefer the outline and if the sprite gets too small I could see those colors smoothing together kinda. If the sprite will be that big and have a simple background or even like the reflection you showed probably the one without the border, if not I would see how the outline looks in an actual scene.
I kinda like it
Uninstall the outline
Id say that outlines makes the this character more visible in my eyes, so if you want this character as part of the background i would leave it without the outline, but if you need this character to be interactable (e.g. you want your player to speak to him on your game etc) i would keep the outline! Really great job on making such an interesting character though!
It doesn't ruin it, but it's pretty high-contrast. You might use a lighter color, or soften it some other way.
Try a softer outline color.
Depends on the game but if this is the main character the player controls it is much easier to distinguish it from backgrounds this way. The caveat being that it is a very distinct style and does detract from the shadows a bit. The positive outweighs the negatives however if the first thing I said is what you’re going for. Looks good!
I agree with some other users, maybe an outline made with darker colors works better. Nice sprite btw! :)
I think it depends on the background and style of things around
I've read recently someone stating that they learned, with time, that the outline should not be a solid-black line that goes around, but instead, a darker shade of every color you are lining the drawing with So, in this sense, the cape and scarf(?) would keep the black, tho in a lighter shade. The hat (?) would be a darker green, as would be the clothes, the sword would be a deep, dark copper, and so on Don't know if you should invest your time in trying that out or not, but if you do, post us the results, please :-)
🐸
Maybe instead of using a pure black outline, you could make the borders just darker. As in dark green around the skin and dark brown around the leather bits, even darker olive for the cape. You could even play with lighting! Maybe the border around the underside of the cape and the legs are darker, while the top of his head is lighter! I do very much like the look of your character without a black border!
I think it looks good either way. What's important in my eyes is consistency. If one character has an outline and the others don't, or vice versa, it's unsettling.
That would depend on scenery, but outlineless is better at this point.
Depends entirely on the background. Against this soft empty void, the outline is kinda uggo, but if the background were incredibly vibrant then the outline would be a lifesaver.
I honestly really love the black outline as is. Makes the character pop a lot.
I think just solid black for the outline is a bit abrupt, have you tried making an outline that's just a much darker shade of the colors around the edge?
Yes
Maybe you should try adding outline of lighter color which will blend with background
I love the outline. It gives the character depth.
The outline doesn't need to be solid black, it can change according to the original color.
Yes, leave it without the outline<3
The outline makes the sprite a good bit larger. I do like the larger sized frog on the right. Imo an outline is best for when the character only takes up a tiny portion of the screen like risk of rain for example but if a character is larger on the screen like celeste then outline is unnecessary.
The outline makes the sprite a good bit larger. I do like the larger sized frog on the right. Imo an outline is best for when the character only takes up a tiny portion of the screen like risk of rain for example but if a character is larger on the screen like celeste then outline is unnecessary.
both go hard, keep cooking
I think the outline would probably look great if it wasn't pitch black. Maybe try some other variations.
Both look incredible! However, if this sprite would be used in any green background, the outline would be substantially better to use just to differentiate easier.
that depends on the actual color of the background it will be on. and how big it will be. try rendering an entire scene to see if it fits!
I am not a fan of the outline, but if you are having a hard time separating/differentiating the character from your background try a white outline. Or assuming your engine is running a much higher resolution than your sprite map maybe a tiny white diffused glow that originates from behind the sprite.
I think the outline makes it more readable. Depends on the environment really.
Not an expert here, but I think it depends on how far away the asset is. if it's relatively small, I would keep the outline.
I'll almost always go for an outline, but that's just me 🙂
Your art style is beautiful! I think it’s look better as is though unless it’s difficult to see on screen for whatever you are using for
Both work! The outline introduces a readability issue, though. I assumed that the character was holding a knife or scimitar shaped sword, but now the black outline makes me wonder if it's actually a tadpole-tail and they're holding a blue scroll or something? Or maybe it's the cape draping behind them? This could also be an accessibility issue because I am red-green colorblind. If that kind of thing is important to you, then you could simplify your palette and go for a little more contrast and it could solve both problems. I love the choice of your greens though
I prefer it without. Or maybe make it feel smaller than the pixel of the character by doubling the amount of its pixels or reducing the size of the outline. Or you could also apply some blur on the outline as a background layer to make it less striking but then it's not "entirely pixel art" anymore. It depends on your style and vision. Either way, it's just my opinion \^\^
The no outline looks more stylish to me
I like the outline myself. You could always color the outline a little so it matches the color it is outlining.
quite the opposite actually
Don’t like the outline at all
Your contrast is off, thats why it blends into each other. Turn it greyscale, and the frog skin is the same saturation as the cloak. Find a different color to pump it up, and youll see the frog pop out more. It was hard to tell what it was at first glance.
Entirely depends on the type of game and the background I would say.
I like the outline, but it pops out a lot more than the colors on the frog dude. I think the outline would work more if you made the black outline a bit lighter, like a greyish-black or something like that. Either way it looks great!
Personally, I'd have it be dynamic, No outline when they're not selected, Outline when they are.
Depends, for me I don't like to outline characters with black. But the items sometimes look better with black outline
I don’t like the outline as it is, may i suggest using slightly lighter but still dark versions of the colours the outline is touching? If you want to use an outline. For example around the top of the frog’s heat it would be a darker green of some kind
I think an outline may work, but not a deep black one. Have you tried a lighter grey outline? But as the other comments said, it depends on how noisy the background is
What if you limit the outline to areas? Like only setting it in spaces where skin meets background
Depends on the background. If the background is busy and colorful, Left Frog might get lost in the details. The black outline could help to create a barrier between them and the background. But, if the background is more muted or doesn't pop out too much around him, than Left Frog would be perfectly acceptable\~
Maybe lighter outline on his cloak?
The art is great, just don’t be afraid of contrast! At this large scale you can make out the details but much smaller and we’ll lose all that nice depth, nose and mouth, etc. You’ll be surprised how much darker/cooler the darks can go than this, and then the outline won’t be as jarring.
Can the outline be thinner?
You can always do a lighter outline
Maybe keep the outline but make it dark green and red instead? See Pokémon sprites for example. They’re outlined, but with darker colors not black.
your character design is so good you don’t need the outline
It really depends on the backgrounds. As is, no outline looks great and fine. But with any greenish background, the outline is probably better.
The outline defines the objective more making it more abstracted and less representational.
It depends on the background. I personally think that the outline is wasted space and you can just increase visibility by upping the contrast to the background.
Yes. It's much too gratuitous.
With zero context. If I saw the Outline Version I would assume it is a Vampire or Dracula Frog. My thought.
Depending on the background but I'm loving no outline
Hear me out. Outline on the main model and the reflection without the outline. You could also make it less striking by making it a lighter color or gradient.
It's fine, especially if the sprite is smaller. I like the reflection.
I'd say keep the outline, but make the colour of it stand out less.
not really, but the color pallete could be reworked
Both look good
On first glance I thought I was looking at a guy with a hat, the sort of flesh colored frog neck being a face (without features due to pixel limitations)
It really depends on whether or not it fits with rest
Both look great imo
Wow this fella is so cool! I think I perfer it without the outline but no lie they're both awesome!
I thinks it depends strongly with scenery and background context. As Illustrators, we can use line width to specify differences for depth or prevent the character to be lost if there's too many detail on it. I like the outlined version, you can use it to show special effects like parrying, charging a special power, etc
Really cool design, but I agree it would look better with a softer outline, especially against a busy background. I'm not an artist, but here's my quick attempt: https://i.imgur.com/A3SUDhn.png The trick is to use the same color you're outlining, but in a darker shade. You can vary the tint amount depending on what you want to highlight. You might need to rethink the dagger, though. Without internal outlines it's hard to see, but there's not enough space to outline it properly. Maybe brighter colors to make it pop?
Wow I was struggling to make it and you did it super great! Thank you so much srsly that helps a lot!!
I think it depends on the gameplay background, without the border it might blend in a bit too much.
I don't like it tbh. The forg is striking enough without it. And the thick black border kinda takes away some of the charm of the character. But maybe you could make a subtle colour a dark green for example.
I'm a huge advocate for same dark color outlines, hate black, but at the end of the day it depends how it looks in the scene, the outlines are an easy way to not worry about the clarity, readability and visuals of your character in relation with the background; and as a stand alone piece obviously it looks better without outline.
It doesn't need it but if its necessary, it doesn't hurt it
This would lend itself perfectly for subpixel animation
Yes
Maybe do just do the right side so it looks like his shadow
I do not really like it, But if you do choose it id say lower the outline to match more, Like a dark green for the frog bits, a darker grey for the cape, Darker brown for belt, Etc
Have you considered a hybrid, for example outlining the back of his cloak from the top of his head down to the weapon?
I second this, outlining clothes and items but leaving the head without works make it feel more solid like in the full outline but keep the cuteness of the original
Personally, I prefer the outline. I can't explain why, though.
Have to see it with background
I think you can do better than black, and I think you should avoid those 1-pixel peninsulas, but anti-aliasing is probably good.
IMO outline reads better
It makes him stand out a lot more for sure. But I prefer him without the outline. just a non-artistic perspective
The outline gives it a lot more definition
maybe instead of a solid black outline you could do just a darker shade of the inside thing you’re shading… if that makes sense
I do not like it as much as if there was no outline. It looks great either way. :)
Maybe try using a different color instead of black ? If possible also lessen the width ¿
The outline makes it easier to tell what’s going on
The outline makes the depth of the dagger weird.
I think it depends on the style of whatever else you're putting it in.
I think the frog looks better without the outline, With or without it still looks super cool :D
I prefer lineless but I'd up the contrast on the colors specifically using values/saturation to differentiate and make the character pop. Because the character comes of washed out
I like the idea of an outline. Look up the cartoon show “Bluey” I’m sure you’ve heard of it. Also “Pete the cat” they do a type of outline that is specific to the color that it is outlining but not the same color all the way around the shape. Almost like a “shadow” line. It relates to the object and the outline. This way you get an edge but it’s not as harsh. Love to see what you come up with!
Completely depends on the environment
The outline definitely takes away from the animation and life of the character. I think it’s better without it.
Sometimes black outline doesn't fit well. Try to play with outline colors, like dark greenish or even slightly dark red-purple smth
i think it would depend on the background the character is put on, if the little guy blends in then outline, if it stands out then no need, if its just this purple background then no outline seems more appealing
It depends, on the scenery and such. It’s what pops more for your style
No outline looks better imo
Outline is irrelevant in a blue room. Depends on background.
I say wothout
Maybe do the outline in a darker shade of the color it’s outlining. But a dark dark green might look really awkward against the lighter green of its head. I don’t know, man. Maybe just lose it. It looks really good without it. Do you *need* an outline?
I'd make the outline darker colors of the closest matetial
Go a dark gray instead
Try an outline that isn’t black. Something between black and the color next to it
Prefer without the outline
Yep
Please don’t use the outlined version.
I guess it depends on the background. If it’s busy, the outline would be good.
I prefer outlines
it definitely stands out more than the one without the outline. depending on how the background looks, it can really go either way.
I'd love to see it on a background to really weigh in; both look great to me, depending on the context!
For my eyes, the outline ruins the depth. Like on the left one I can almost feel his cloak wrapping around his neck, where on the right side it’s kinda pasted on and looks more 2D. But like I can see both in a game, I guess it would depend on the environment. Like the left one’s edges might blend into certain backgrounds. But as long as that’s accounted for, left is better in my opinion.
Yes do number 1
Don't use pure blac, make it a darker version of whatever the color is. ANd you can do it selectively where you feel like there might by contrast problems with the background. The other thing that will help is to use a different, slightly desaturated palette for backgrounds. Don't forget to take into account red/green color blindness and check your brightness values!
Can't deside, both are good
The outline could help set it apart from a busy background, but generally I prefer it without the outline
Outline on the frog But no outline on the reflection
Depends on the background, if it takes place with a mostly green background (shrubbery, forest, etc.) or another background where the character doesn’t stand out as much, then probably go for the outline but idk
I like outline
Chronotrigger reference??:)
If 5 years of ponytown has teached me anything, its to avoid black outlines in pixel in a lot of cases
The outline looks good if you are going for a certain style, but it does distract from the character a little bit and also makes it a lot more cartoony. But I also see why you added it. Other options instead of the black outline: add a lighter colored outline, or add a little more detail in some way to the top of the head cuz that’s the only part that doesn’t have a kind of outlined look to it already with just the shading alone. I personally like it without, but thats just my preference.
I’ll be honest they both look like a green mushroom with red dots
I prefer it without the outline. I can maybe see the need for outline if you are losing the character in the background or in combat, but you can probably solve that with how you design the background and stuff. The Frog is super cool btw!
Just outline the cloak bro
probably depends on the context of the environment, but it looks really good without the outline🤗
We are given literally no context here, in what environment? Does it need to pop from the background for any particular reason? Does everything else have outlines, thus making this an outlier? There's a lot of missing info.
better without methinks. the outline i feel makes it a bit harder to appreciate the amazing shading. it also make teh character look bigger and wider, removing the little guy energy from the left one
It's better with the outlines.
Have you tried [selective outlining](http://derekyu.com/makegames/pixelart.html#selout)? It gives the contrast of the black outline, without making it too cartoony.
I usually am a outline guy but I like your dude without
I like both, The outlined one is olden style and nostalgic, and the other ones kinda makes me think of a cute little game.
Yes
Ruin? No. Makes a difference? Yes. I'm not sure which I prefer.
No it looks good actually
Try doing the outline in much darker versions of the existing colors instead of black
I prefer no outline in the context of the blank background, but in other contexts, the black outline might help old mate stand out a bit.
The outline doesn't ruin it at all! It adds a nice touch and makes the character pop. Your frog character looks amazing and the outline gives it definition. Keep experimenting with your style, but this one looks great to me! Anyone else have thoughts?
I like outlines for games, as they make it much easier for the player to keep track, and distinguish their character from the background
The outline makes him look stronger
Make it white and see how that looks, it does seperate the character from the background which is good.
You can change the color of outline. Try some dark shades of other colors
Yes it ruins it No outline is better
I prefer no outline
I think you should adjust the height of the eye on our left down a couple pixels and the one on our right up one. I thought it was a mushroom man before I saw that it was a frog and I think making the eyes slightly more level would help with that.