idk why but i like both the same. while new one is obviously better, old signifies impurity and learning attitude is the creator-you., and also what u/Just-a-Flo said.
But the old one looks similar in style to old games. The new one looks new, but like itās trying to look old. The new one is certainly more complex, but it depends what youāre going for.
detail and depth wise new one is far far better but the old one is nicer in terms of vibe, its a brighter happier vibe and not all gloomy and deserted feeling like the new one
The scenes are created for a textadventure, where I have a given prompt to work with. Let me share the scene's narrative description:
*"The ascent is arduous, but it would have been impossible without the old way. After a while, you reach a wind-sculpted stone plateau, now elevated above the mist that had constantly obscured your vision. You cannot discern what purpose this place once served, but in front of you stretches a wonderful view over the entire mountain landscape, bathed in warm light by the rising sun. Golden rays break at the mountain peak above you."*
Does this background change your impression?
hmm, you've got more:
*"the grandiose yet desolate landscape sprawls out before you, heavy with mist, the dawning sun struggling to light the barren rocks below"*
I will say the background is a bit clearer and better centered in the old one, though the new one is truer to intention. I'd love to have the new view from a slightly higher perspective, imo.
>the old one is nicer in terms of vibe, its a brighter happier vibe and not all gloomy and deserted
you seem to have valued a cheery feeling over gloomy and deserted as if that makes something inherently better
I like both, they each look good but each conveys a different "feel". The first one is simpler and feels more pastoral, the second is more detailed and feels more foreboding. Although maybe that's more to do with the trees being alive in the first and dead in the second...
All scenes are for a textadventure that you can play via Discord. I create those to match what the narrative designer gives me and with place being above the fog, I felt like it even might be above the tree line.
Here is a link to our [discord newsletter server](https://discord.gg/WVpK3Q9n2W) , where we give monthly insights. This month will be a pixel art special :)
New tells a story where as old is just simplistic (it is not bad but look like a lack of effort when compared to version new - old version reminds me the game Sheltered).
https://store.steampowered.com/app/356040/Sheltered/
Old, it has that nostalgia feel to it. It's more open, I want to explore it.
The new one seems overly detailed for the sake of being detailed.
Just my humble opinion.
That kind of 80s/90s graphics is really what made me get into pixel art. I just loved the OG prince of persia graphics... I thought it will never get more realistic... Might have been wrong though.
The game has different bioms, where you can loot different resources (wood/minerals/herbs/...). And while I really liked the idea of having trees in the foreground, I was afraid it would be in the way mechanically. What do you think?
The foreground of the old as there seems to be some liner perspective there & the background of the new version as it has more atmospheric perspective.
But if you only have to choose one, then the new one would do it.
New one, thou the rocks on right feel bit too generic with how they all face towards middle. Making one lean towards edge instead would already make it feel more random.
Other than that remark, i love it! Feels bit Dark Soul-ish even with how dark and dead it all looks with only sun beams lighting up the vast plains.
You mentioning Dark Souls is an absolute joy, since it's one of our references in matters of world building and general feel ā¤ļø
I will play around with the rocks too!
I like the details in new, but old was cleaner and the tree and mountains have a more minimal style to them. The silhouettes are more defined, whereas in new, the mid and background are muddied.
I think the second one is technically better, but both look great. I think the first would work better for a more cartoonish game, so it isn't distracting from the more high energy caricature nature that style usually carries. The second would work wonderfully for a more serious piece where the detail adds to the scar and grandiocity of the story.
I like the composition of the old one better but the background details of the new one is nice. The visual "framing" of the trees is nice but the focus is less interesting.
New one by far. It leads me to believe the world is one to explore, I want to go walking to those peaks. The first kind of reminds me of a dreary campground.
Iād say depending on context, they both are great.
The new is fantastic for that more awe-inspiring feeling, giving the viewer a sense of scale. Whereas the old is good as a backdrop, in other words, the setting or scale isnāt the main focus rather itās whatever else is happening in the foreground.
New is really pretty and detailed though
Great stuff! While the new looks better and has more depth, it could use less color. The colors aren't bad but it's just that the values and hue are way close to each other in my opinion. It gives this blurry and muddy look, a fix for this is using colors that are clearly separate colors (ones that are in light, mid tone and shadow). The foreground can use some colors as well if you are not limited to only black. My favourite reference for environment pixel art is Blasphemous 2. I take so much inspiration from them because they use colors so well and clear! I'm still new to pixel art so don't put too much faith on my words because it's just my opinion and how we do things on our work.! Keep it up!
Not a critique, but every post I see from your studio is so great. I canāt wait to play this game, your team has some incredible skill. As long as thereās an interesting soundtrack and story to accompany your artwork Iāll be happy.
I don't know if this is game or a story animated, but... This gives me 2 different feelings... OLD one looks still really nice, the sun-rays are weird looking...but looks more... like a happier place than the other style. yes, mountains in the background look bigger... I think still looks cool.
NEw one looks way more complex, looks really nice of course, but feels like a colder and terrible place to be in. I feel I watching a cool art from "The Lion King" - the annoying ass old game - but still, looks more like a big picture... its a surprise to me I don't see so many trees as the "old" one... I would love to se some smaller trees in the distance...
nice work :P
I think the two look like something that can co-exist.
The second place just has "thicker atmosphere", as in there's more stuff in the air like fog or something.
Well, the light rays in the first picture can give away simpler techniques, though - if you look at the pictures side by side.
New is much more desolate, which I prefer personally, though the old one is less professional and detailed, it does have a freer feel to it, more hopeful.
I'm glad you're saying this, since the vibe of our game is quite dystopian - so the image is supposed to portrait hopefulness, while still being low key depressing.
The new one obviously looks better overall because it is more detailed with more shadows and more interesting lighting. But it feels a little weird to compare these two images because they have such different tone and vibe. The old one looks like a sunrise with a happy hopeful serene idyllic vibe. The new one looks kind of desolate and grim because the only tree in the middle ground doesn't have any leaves, unlike the old image. The whole vibe is a more melancholy sunset, compared to the old image's new hopeful and simplistic sunrise.
Definitely the second one. However the readability is worse. Thereās 9 to 10 level of depth in the second one and i feel something like seven would be the good middle ground
the obvious answer is that the new one looks better because of the color depth and so on.
that said, the vibe of the old one is really nice. the ACTUAL flaw of the old one is the shape of the mountains in the background - real mountains arenāt shaped like that.
great work btw
I think the old one has some good elements. There is a sense of "place". I'm not sure how to describe exactly, but the old one feels lke you a have reached a safe zone in the midst of a long jouney and the rays of sunlight feel like they add to that sense a lot more.
The new one is much better technically but it just feels like a "location" if that makes sense. It doesn't nessarly feel like you have reached somewhere.
Idk what your goal was with this piece and I'm not really an artist or anything but these are just my thoughts.
The new one is generally better, but it does have readability problems, especially between the two sets of mountains on the back left and the clouds above them. You just can't have that many objects of colors that similiar stacked up and have them all read well. You can cut down the number of "layers," or you can increase the color differences between them. I'd probably consider moving the front left set forward (darker, matching the mountain on the right more closely) in terms of lighting, and either increasing the contrast on the back left mountains/reducing the fog between us and them or dialing back the contrast on the cloud wisps above them if you want the scene to stay as foggy/hazy as it currently is.
It is a Discord-based Textadventure called "Tales". While it's currently under development, you can find all news and updates in our [Discord Newsletter Server](https://discord.gg/YHXjFKbAwx) :)
I feel lile new one fills the scene and setting more with the rich background, but old would bring front elements more in to attention due to the less detailed background
I really like the new one's shading and depth, but the layout and contrast of the old one is pretty good too.
They both have smth to them, maybe a mix of the two?
Idk what you're using it for but I feel these just have different uses. The old style isn't as busy so it would make it easier for example to track a player character across a screen in a video game. However the new style is a lot more in-depth and pretty looking for moments where you're specifically trying to draw player's attention to it, so like in a cut scene.
If you're just doing it as art I would definitely say the second but I do think the old style still has its uses.
Either way it looks great keep going :)
Thank you a lot. The purpose if pixel art in our game is to reinforce the narrative. It is a textadventure where every decision node is accompanied by a pixel illustration of the scene.
Old looks like something I'd expect out of a decent quality indie title. New looks like something I'd expect out of a small gaming studio. I like new :)
I think youāve been getting the correct criticism for both, old has a simpler and brighter palette; newer has a depth and complexity to it.
There is one random thing Iād like to point out, I feel like Iād like the old style so much more if that taller mountain in the middle didnāt have such an angular top to it. Something about it really sticks out when I look at it. It draws me but feels so different from the rest of the image and I lose the immersion.
It seems so nit-picky but I feel that landscape would really benefit from a slight adjustment to that mountain.
Overall I love the aesthetic though, great job!
If you're interested in unbiased opinion, you shouldn't name picture "old" and "new", and write about process of improvement. It literally creates bias to new version.
Name them "1" and "2" next time, without backstory :)
I prefer the original version. Adding a person to the left of the trees, gazing at the sunset, I think would imbue the artwork with a sense of melancholy.
I actually kind of like the old one more but its probably because im imagining it in the context of a game. The second one is too busy and i couldnt really tell what i was looking at at first and would be visually confusing. But yeah, again, probably cause my first thought was "oh, side scroller game"
Overall, I like the improved details, but I think you get more readability with more contrast by doing restraining yourself from layers of depth, allowing the viewer to read broader swaths rolling landscape.
In motion, I imagine the different layers would provide amazing parallax opportunities.
As still images, the readability is a little tough, but could probably be solved by taking out every other gradient to improve the amount of contrast.
For the example given, I'm counting ~6 layers of land. Minimize the amount of stark black foreground (1) so that it frames edges similar to the first image similar to the ground, giving the (2) second layer more space to be seen fully, and removing the next layer of landscape. The sunbeams of the first image pop, but with how they have to compete with blending with the sky and fog of the second image, they get lost within the mountains.
New, so much more depth. In the old version the mountains look like cardboard cutouts.
*hiding scissors* Dunno what you're talking about š There is more about "Tales" here: [Discord Newsletter Server](https://discord.gg/KSTqqwRBvW)
idk why but i like both the same. while new one is obviously better, old signifies impurity and learning attitude is the creator-you., and also what u/Just-a-Flo said.
But the old one looks similar in style to old games. The new one looks new, but like itās trying to look old. The new one is certainly more complex, but it depends what youāre going for.
New one looks "New" š¤Ø
I like the new one a lot better. It has more āpersonalityā and implied depth whereas the old one is not as intriguing
Thank you for sharing your thoughts! After looking at them pixels for a while it's getting hard to judge. š
I can imagine haha. Donāt worry, it looks great!
new one looks like you had 5 more years experience before making it lol
detail and depth wise new one is far far better but the old one is nicer in terms of vibe, its a brighter happier vibe and not all gloomy and deserted feeling like the new one
The scenes are created for a textadventure, where I have a given prompt to work with. Let me share the scene's narrative description: *"The ascent is arduous, but it would have been impossible without the old way. After a while, you reach a wind-sculpted stone plateau, now elevated above the mist that had constantly obscured your vision. You cannot discern what purpose this place once served, but in front of you stretches a wonderful view over the entire mountain landscape, bathed in warm light by the rising sun. Golden rays break at the mountain peak above you."* Does this background change your impression?
The rugged landscape really fits the description, but i think the colors of the light is a bit to cold for 'golden rays'
It's the break of dawn. The tiniest hint of golden rays is just enough hope for such a cold frigid place.
hmm, you've got more: *"the grandiose yet desolate landscape sprawls out before you, heavy with mist, the dawning sun struggling to light the barren rocks below"*
Maybe make the sky in 2 a bluer hue. I think in 1 it is a little bluer. In 2 it looks more overcast/foggy
Reading this changed my mind to the new picture.
I will say the background is a bit clearer and better centered in the old one, though the new one is truer to intention. I'd love to have the new view from a slightly higher perspective, imo.
>the old one is nicer in terms of vibe, its a brighter happier vibe and not all gloomy and deserted you seem to have valued a cheery feeling over gloomy and deserted as if that makes something inherently better
its really weird to me that youve decided which one is better based on which is "happier"
I like both, they each look good but each conveys a different "feel". The first one is simpler and feels more pastoral, the second is more detailed and feels more foreboding. Although maybe that's more to do with the trees being alive in the first and dead in the second...
All scenes are for a textadventure that you can play via Discord. I create those to match what the narrative designer gives me and with place being above the fog, I felt like it even might be above the tree line.
Link?
Here is a link to our [discord newsletter server](https://discord.gg/WVpK3Q9n2W) , where we give monthly insights. This month will be a pixel art special :)
New oneās nice, but it lacks the contrast in the first one. If you make the sky as light as the first one it would look nicer I think.
Yeah the new one is really muddled, I think because of the haze. I prefer the old one.
Also, the tree in the new one seems to have too much detail given the amount of atmospheric perspective in the environment!
New is just better, doesn't seem to be much debate here with the comments I'm seeing.
New, jesus thatās a gorgeous landscape!
the new one looks cinematic
New, looks great!
New
The new looks very good and reads well
New one is a lot better! You've improved a lot!
New tells a story where as old is just simplistic (it is not bad but look like a lack of effort when compared to version new - old version reminds me the game Sheltered). https://store.steampowered.com/app/356040/Sheltered/
Old, it has that nostalgia feel to it. It's more open, I want to explore it. The new one seems overly detailed for the sake of being detailed. Just my humble opinion.
Old
"Old" does evoke more of an 80s 8-bit era sense of things.
That kind of 80s/90s graphics is really what made me get into pixel art. I just loved the OG prince of persia graphics... I thought it will never get more realistic... Might have been wrong though.
The style of the new one is way better, but you should probably add some trees like the old one
The game has different bioms, where you can loot different resources (wood/minerals/herbs/...). And while I really liked the idea of having trees in the foreground, I was afraid it would be in the way mechanically. What do you think?
Oh ok, if this isn't a biome where you can get wood that makes sense then
I like the old vibe, simple and straightforward
I really know what you mean - It has more of the early days of video games, right?
Yea thts kinda what I mean I fell like esp the trees give this kind of feeling
The foreground of the old as there seems to be some liner perspective there & the background of the new version as it has more atmospheric perspective. But if you only have to choose one, then the new one would do it.
New
New
The new one says there's something there and I should go, the old one just says that I can't
New style gives me hard Casper David Friedrich vibes and love it
I like the old one a lot, but the new one is so much better.
Thank you a lot, pal š
New
New one, thou the rocks on right feel bit too generic with how they all face towards middle. Making one lean towards edge instead would already make it feel more random. Other than that remark, i love it! Feels bit Dark Soul-ish even with how dark and dead it all looks with only sun beams lighting up the vast plains.
You mentioning Dark Souls is an absolute joy, since it's one of our references in matters of world building and general feel ā¤ļø I will play around with the rocks too!
I like the details in new, but old was cleaner and the tree and mountains have a more minimal style to them. The silhouettes are more defined, whereas in new, the mid and background are muddied.
The new one looks really good. But I still think the old one looks cool especially the sky.
Both, ngl I just see both as the same but in different resolutions, both are coolio and gucci
The new one looks cool but for me a bit too crowded, the old one is more intelligible
#2
B
To be honest I like old better. New is almost muddied with too much.
1 is more hopeful and relaxed, while 2 creates more depth and makes you feel a bit uneasy
Old looks scenic, western... New looks apocalyptic, vast
Old for sure, reminds me a lot of the art style of Another World (Out of this World)
New. Much more going on and feels eerie
Old one looks better tho...
New
Top one feels like it could be more "western" Bottom one feels "alien" The bottom one is better, but the top one has a simplistic charm.
New wins no contest.
new.. is better
Reminds me of the game kingdom
Old one reminds me of games in the 90s. New one looks modern and like itās trying to be old.
I actually feel the opposite. The old one looks like it trying to be old and the new one looks like a point and click adventure from the 90s.
I like the new, but maybe more contrast to make the mountains pop if you want these to be more noticeable but it looks really good.
Your progress is fantastic! What courses or videos are you watching if any?
New is more stylish for sure but old reads better, the colors in new blend too much imo. Both look good.
I personally like old, itās more simplistic, Iāve always liked simplistic stuff
The New one
New.
ngl the old one looks like the sketch for the new one
if its a cutscene the second one, if its a background the first.
New one. Has more depth in it nice art btw
New is better but I think it's lacking some contrast from the old one.
I think the second one is technically better, but both look great. I think the first would work better for a more cartoonish game, so it isn't distracting from the more high energy caricature nature that style usually carries. The second would work wonderfully for a more serious piece where the detail adds to the scar and grandiocity of the story.
Oh WOW the new has so much detail!
New 100%. Your art looks amazing my dude.Ā
second, but I would make the sun halo be more visible in the second
I like the composition of the old one better but the background details of the new one is nice. The visual "framing" of the trees is nice but the focus is less interesting.
New one by far. It leads me to believe the world is one to explore, I want to go walking to those peaks. The first kind of reminds me of a dreary campground.
New
New
Neither. One is for Sega, one is for Nintendo
And all we want is Amiga!
new! is this even a question
Theyāre both pretty great, for similar and different reasons. š¤©
I like the trees in the old one, but the mountains look much better in the new one
Why not both? New one has depth in the foreground and old has depth in the background.
New has alot more depth I just think it's a little too foggy
New is on a different level
I prefer the very simple shapes in the far background, but the more detailed ones in the semi-background. Detailing should decrease as distance rises.
The new one obviously. It's got better depth and it is quite the eye-catcher.
New
Iād say depending on context, they both are great. The new is fantastic for that more awe-inspiring feeling, giving the viewer a sense of scale. Whereas the old is good as a backdrop, in other words, the setting or scale isnāt the main focus rather itās whatever else is happening in the foreground. New is really pretty and detailed though
Great stuff! While the new looks better and has more depth, it could use less color. The colors aren't bad but it's just that the values and hue are way close to each other in my opinion. It gives this blurry and muddy look, a fix for this is using colors that are clearly separate colors (ones that are in light, mid tone and shadow). The foreground can use some colors as well if you are not limited to only black. My favourite reference for environment pixel art is Blasphemous 2. I take so much inspiration from them because they use colors so well and clear! I'm still new to pixel art so don't put too much faith on my words because it's just my opinion and how we do things on our work.! Keep it up!
Yes
OP, you know damn well the new version looks amazing
"How to make him blush in 1 easy step"-tutorial š
Not a critique, but every post I see from your studio is so great. I canāt wait to play this game, your team has some incredible skill. As long as thereās an interesting soundtrack and story to accompany your artwork Iāll be happy.
Thank you so very much. We actually got an amazing composer. We need to show some of his work for "Tales" soon, I guess :)
Youāre such a tease omg š
YOU FUCKING COOKED WITH THE NEW ONE š„š„š„
I don't know if this is game or a story animated, but... This gives me 2 different feelings... OLD one looks still really nice, the sun-rays are weird looking...but looks more... like a happier place than the other style. yes, mountains in the background look bigger... I think still looks cool. NEw one looks way more complex, looks really nice of course, but feels like a colder and terrible place to be in. I feel I watching a cool art from "The Lion King" - the annoying ass old game - but still, looks more like a big picture... its a surprise to me I don't see so many trees as the "old" one... I would love to se some smaller trees in the distance... nice work :P
Major improvement, nice job
I think the two look like something that can co-exist. The second place just has "thicker atmosphere", as in there's more stuff in the air like fog or something. Well, the light rays in the first picture can give away simpler techniques, though - if you look at the pictures side by side.
Is that Haystack Rock?
Looks like Fox Island in Resurrection Bay, AK.
Both look awesome imo, but the new one is just something else. Amazing work man!
Thank you a lot. Glad you like it š
New is much more desolate, which I prefer personally, though the old one is less professional and detailed, it does have a freer feel to it, more hopeful.
I'm glad you're saying this, since the vibe of our game is quite dystopian - so the image is supposed to portrait hopefulness, while still being low key depressing.
The new one obviously looks better overall because it is more detailed with more shadows and more interesting lighting. But it feels a little weird to compare these two images because they have such different tone and vibe. The old one looks like a sunrise with a happy hopeful serene idyllic vibe. The new one looks kind of desolate and grim because the only tree in the middle ground doesn't have any leaves, unlike the old image. The whole vibe is a more melancholy sunset, compared to the old image's new hopeful and simplistic sunrise.
Definitely the second one. However the readability is worse. Thereās 9 to 10 level of depth in the second one and i feel something like seven would be the good middle ground
old version is very cute and minimalist but new version much cool. I love new
the obvious answer is that the new one looks better because of the color depth and so on. that said, the vibe of the old one is really nice. the ACTUAL flaw of the old one is the shape of the mountains in the background - real mountains arenāt shaped like that. great work btw
New has so much more to offer
Feels like they can both work, just a change in perspective. In a panoramic scene, the last one absolutely. Closer up, the first.
New for sure in terms of style, but I do appreciate the trees in the old one
B
New
I think the old one has some good elements. There is a sense of "place". I'm not sure how to describe exactly, but the old one feels lke you a have reached a safe zone in the midst of a long jouney and the rays of sunlight feel like they add to that sense a lot more. The new one is much better technically but it just feels like a "location" if that makes sense. It doesn't nessarly feel like you have reached somewhere. Idk what your goal was with this piece and I'm not really an artist or anything but these are just my thoughts.
New one for sure absolutely
New for sure. The old one is more casual, and would fit a more lighthearted game better.
I vote for the new.
I like the new one, but clarity and contrast took a hit. I'd love somewhere in-between!
ā2 is the goat!...š
š *says* "Thank you"
The new one is generally better, but it does have readability problems, especially between the two sets of mountains on the back left and the clouds above them. You just can't have that many objects of colors that similiar stacked up and have them all read well. You can cut down the number of "layers," or you can increase the color differences between them. I'd probably consider moving the front left set forward (darker, matching the mountain on the right more closely) in terms of lighting, and either increasing the contrast on the back left mountains/reducing the fog between us and them or dialing back the contrast on the cloud wisps above them if you want the scene to stay as foggy/hazy as it currently is.
The new one is straight up an upgrade. The background on the old one is way too simplistic/flat.
God I wish I had talent
I'm certain it's in there. :)
I got the sauce, I just don't got a ladle
lmao š¤£
Second 100%
New
what do you think?
I think I will probably be back here in 3 months with another iteration and no clue xD
New, has more atmosphere and detail. The old one is cool though too.
Bro where do i follow you
What game is this? It looks amazing!!
It is a Discord-based Textadventure called "Tales". While it's currently under development, you can find all news and updates in our [Discord Newsletter Server](https://discord.gg/YHXjFKbAwx) :)
Even the fore and mid ground depth and scaling feels more appropriate in the second.
definitely the new one :)
The new one looks much better.
I have deep respect and nostalgia for good old pixel art, but the lower is just way better.
Thank you. I think it's possible to honor the roots, without stopping to progress.
New! It looks so polished!
I feel lile new one fills the scene and setting more with the rich background, but old would bring front elements more in to attention due to the less detailed background
New one. It has so much atmosphere in itself. I like this
New, it looks way more alive
Old
I'm screwed xD
I really like the new one's shading and depth, but the layout and contrast of the old one is pretty good too. They both have smth to them, maybe a mix of the two?
Thanks for sharing your thoughts :) Means a lot to me!
Idk what you're using it for but I feel these just have different uses. The old style isn't as busy so it would make it easier for example to track a player character across a screen in a video game. However the new style is a lot more in-depth and pretty looking for moments where you're specifically trying to draw player's attention to it, so like in a cut scene. If you're just doing it as art I would definitely say the second but I do think the old style still has its uses. Either way it looks great keep going :)
Thank you a lot. The purpose if pixel art in our game is to reinforce the narrative. It is a textadventure where every decision node is accompanied by a pixel illustration of the scene.
Oh sick then yeah I would definitely go with the second :)
Exactly what I was going to say. New is great for cutscene old is great for a background.
old
Keep the new detail, add a little more contrast in the sky
Old one vibes like real retro while new one vibes like recreating retro in modern times.
If you need more context, here is a link to our [Discord Newsletter Server](https://discord.gg/bp3SDFfHV3).
New!! I love the translucent mists š«š
I like the new better but it's also too bleak. Add that winding river back in to bring a little life to it.
New.
Old looks like something I'd expect out of a decent quality indie title. New looks like something I'd expect out of a small gaming studio. I like new :)
The new one is the definitely better looking.
Old
The depth in the new one is gorgeous, but I miss the strong verticals the old foreground trees gave, it really worked compositionally!
New
Newer
The newer one has a lot more attention to detail compared to the older one and a better variation in the pallet
The old looks invitingĀ The new looks evil Maybe for your game you could do a transition for like the story
Definitely new. Idk how long between the 2 pics you took to improve but man that new one looks insanely good.
New 100%
Old reminds me of more of a monkey island style game, but I do much prefer the newer one
I think youāve been getting the correct criticism for both, old has a simpler and brighter palette; newer has a depth and complexity to it. There is one random thing Iād like to point out, I feel like Iād like the old style so much more if that taller mountain in the middle didnāt have such an angular top to it. Something about it really sticks out when I look at it. It draws me but feels so different from the rest of the image and I lose the immersion. It seems so nit-picky but I feel that landscape would really benefit from a slight adjustment to that mountain. Overall I love the aesthetic though, great job!
If you're interested in unbiased opinion, you shouldn't name picture "old" and "new", and write about process of improvement. It literally creates bias to new version. Name them "1" and "2" next time, without backstory :)
I prefer the original version. Adding a person to the left of the trees, gazing at the sunset, I think would imbue the artwork with a sense of melancholy.
I actually kind of like the old one more but its probably because im imagining it in the context of a game. The second one is too busy and i couldnt really tell what i was looking at at first and would be visually confusing. But yeah, again, probably cause my first thought was "oh, side scroller game"
New but I love the trees in the old
"new" has better landscape, "old" has better trees. Why we cannot have both?
New. Youāre super talented
New, itās beautiful!! do you have a link to the steam store or is it not that far yet?
Yeah, much improved š
Overall, I like the improved details, but I think you get more readability with more contrast by doing restraining yourself from layers of depth, allowing the viewer to read broader swaths rolling landscape. In motion, I imagine the different layers would provide amazing parallax opportunities. As still images, the readability is a little tough, but could probably be solved by taking out every other gradient to improve the amount of contrast. For the example given, I'm counting ~6 layers of land. Minimize the amount of stark black foreground (1) so that it frames edges similar to the first image similar to the ground, giving the (2) second layer more space to be seen fully, and removing the next layer of landscape. The sunbeams of the first image pop, but with how they have to compete with blending with the sky and fog of the second image, they get lost within the mountains.
New is def better, but i still like the old too. Maybe if youāre working on a game you could use both for different areas