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Joseph W's avatar

The Tinted Watercolor's lighting aspect works the atmosphere for me. Although subjective, this style brings to my mind Victorian lighting, Miyazaki Hayao's watercolor sketches, and hatching styles like those used in the Drifting Dragons manga, which also came to my mind while reading the premise and its inspirations.

watt's avatar

Thanks for your input. I'm not familiar with Drifting Dragons, but after a quick search, I definitely need to read it now! Miyazaki's sketchbooks are probably my largest visual inspiration, but I'm hoping to emulate this older world feel, as if reading through a sketchbook/journal.

Maiya's avatar

these are all really good! though i especially loved the tinted watercolour, and the blue – voted for the former ^^ (Sky Burial is such a cool name)

Princess Monoke is very high up there among my favourite media – Nausicaä being probably just slightly higher in my regard ^^ so, this is very exciting indeed :)

watt's avatar

Thanks for the kind words, and I'm very excited you and others liked the tinted watercolor approach. Princess Mononoke is a favorite film of mine, and I'm excited to draw on some of the haunting human vs nature themes in a new setting/approach.

Cameron Murphey's avatar

1 and 4

David Rollins's avatar

In my head, before I saw your samples, I saw this world in a Moebiusesque colour pallet of muted purples and yellows.

After seeing them. I loved how your sketches felt like Miyazaki. The tinted water colour feel like a world in its uncertain end to me.

watt's avatar

Ah, thanks for such kind and contemplative words!

Cameron Murphey's avatar

Hi watt, I was reflecting on this more after reading the postmortem. I don’t know if this helps to hear, but my reaction to these color schemes is that none of them really pops or hits the kind of note I’m looking for, the way Cloud Empress did. bunch.)

I fully acknowledge that it’s easy for me to say this on the sidelines, and that it’s not realistic or fair to expect creators to always reach a 10/10 (and I’m not creating anything myself), but I still wanted to share this feedback in the spirit of transparency, especially after reading the postmortem and seeing how much can be at stake.

watt's avatar

Thanks for your feedback!

My thinking is that Sky Burial (both visually and thematically) will be a more subtle game than Cloud Empress, but I still want the art to pop and quickly draw people in.

Any thoughts on changes that might make the piece stand out more?

Cameron Murphey's avatar

There's also Mountain Resonance, which uses the Panic Engine similar to CE. It has an art style that drew me in right away and yet I would describe as subtle.

Cameron Murphey's avatar

It's funny because I think of Cloud Empress as being visually subtle, with the orange and sepia. At the same time it definitely grabbed my attention.

I'm afraid I don't have good advice. I can tell you what has caught my eye recently thought:

https://substack.com/@wizardthieffighter/note/c-242534686?utm_source=notes-share-action&r=gd7wl

Wares Blade

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/basementgameboutique/wares-blade

Wares Blade is similar in its watercolor palette to what you posted, so I can't say what makes it different.

Not sure if this helps at all.

watt's avatar

Thanks for the project links. These are neat to look through/learn from!