Backgrounds for Team Sprout

I wanted a break from the first background section I was working on, so I started the other section I'm allocated to doing.
As I drew up the steps of the branches for the slanted tree, I didn't want to make them to similar, but not too different at the same time. It already looks a bit too convenient that the branches are so evenly spaced out. Jo suggested making one branch slightly longer, for variation, but I thought that if the player were to jump on to the very end of the branch, they may fall down as the platform might not go that far or the player might head butt it while jumping up. Basically, it could end up tricking the player.

Taylor shared her progress of the first section in Team Sprouts facebook chat and the layers aren't as detailed as mine. Only the first layer being the midground has detail, while the rest is a silhouette. The group prefers the silhouette version over the detail fading as it gets further into the background (my first section I painted up). I was a bit guttered as I spent quite a lot of time trying to put in detail and to get it right, but as the group prefer the silhouette, I went over my detailed paint up in a matter of minutes. These things happen though and it will lessen the work load. Before I realised this all, I had already painted up a tree slightly further in the background, but I'll have to go over it with one colour....bummer, I like the way I painted. I can always save it for something else.
We all like Taylor's paint up of the first section, so I'm trying to get as close to it as possible.

My first section

My second section. I still have a lot more to do in this, but I'm getting there!!

Team Sprout Background Process

Oh dear, I didn't realise we were supposed to be blogging for this part of the assessment! (Thank you Jo for the reminder!)
So, basically what I've been doing is working on sections of the backgrounds for Game Sprout's game. Taylor, Mikayla and I are working on sections of the background. I asked Taylor what section should I work on and she said I could choose. I first chose the two trees with the fire as I'm not comfortable with underground parts and trees are pre cool.
We each allocated sections as we definitely don't want to double up and we need to know exactly what it is we are painting. We took the level design that Tea drew up and have gone over it so it is clear to each of us of whose doing what section.

I'm quite slow at digital painting as it's still quite new to me and I'm not sure what methods to use exactly. I've been taking my time with this section of the background as I want to be careful with layers. We are working with parallax so having the different layers are very important.
Taylor cut up the level design mock up and cut it up so the sizes are even. Basically so that when we go to piece all our painted backgrounds together, it'll match up. I went over one of my sections rough out the environment, basing it off one of Taylor's concepts and colour picking as well.

I quite enjoy painting environments, but trees are something I still struggle with. Taylor gave me a hand in terms of making the tree look more rounded (in the final image) and getting the lighting from the fire animated. I went over the trees more once she gave me a head start and I cleaned it up more.

The animation of the light from the fire is a tad fast, but I'm just showing this for progress.

Update on Team Sprout

It's been a while, but I'm not sure if we're supposed to be blogging for the remainder of the Team Sprout process. (it makes sense to).
We had a meeting yesterday for our level design of the game. It got very messy as we tried to draw it up on paper. We added all our obstacle/ asset ideas and tried to spread them out evenly within the level.
As our game consists of the character travelling back through the same environment, we had to think of how to reuse the obstacles slightly differently. For example, Mikayla's obstacle idea was of the sprout sliding down into a riverbed and climbing up the roots to get to the other side. Once all the water is flowing again and he has to travel back, he could either hop on a lily pad and travel across or get flown over by a butterfly, or swing on a vine etc.

Tea drew up our level design really nicely and is easy to understand, which is handy! Today Taylor is blocking it out in unity to see how it all fits and works. She also wants to do the wise old trees which I know she'll do really well! We were thinking of the trees to be Kauri trees. They are old sacred NZ native trees and it would be great to portray these NPCs as this tree. We are implementing Maori carvings on to the trees as well - whereas the female Kauri tree may have a ta moko on her face.
I suggested to Tea that the character design could have a Pohutukawa flower on top of his head rather than purple, to better tie it in with the NZ native bush etc.
Jo has been drawing each of us as sprouts too! They're super cute!! So the other sprouts that the main sprout will find will be designed as us!

I will start drawing up parts of the environment for both dead and alive. I think it'd be best if we draw up the dead enviro first to see how it fits together, then do the alive enviro. I'll talk to Taylor and Mikayla about this.

Animated Assets 008

YAAAS!! Everything is going very well! After all that stressing over the break, I've finally finished my animated assets for Team Sprout :)
On Saturday night I tried doing as much as I could, but I got stuck on the part where there's a box like set up of idle→transition_f→moving state→transition_b→idle in the Animator window. This is because I wasn't sure if I had to do this as my assets are looping entirely.
Today in class, I asked Lena and she said that all I really need is the looped animation, not even an idle. I didn't realise just how easy making all of this was, until I did it for myself. In class it was quite overwhelming, but going through Lena's tutorial videos were excellent (thank you!).

On a..bad note. As I was quite caught up with the animated assets during the break, that I forgot to contribute a background concept going from burnt down to nice. I am disappointed in myself, and I hope I haven't let my team down. We are only having one background for this hand in, but the background may change. If the team would still like me to do a concept, I will!

I am pre positive that I am done with my individual submissions, I just need to drop them into the google drive. Our team have decided that one person from our team will be putting all the animated assets into one unity file. We will all get as much as we can get done today...before we're kicked out of the class. We still have tomorrow to make final touches.

Animated Assets 007

Sprouts N Stuff

I forgot to post this in the concept stage of this assessment. Each member of Team Sprout got given quite a few assets to look at and too choose 2 to animate.
The things that I had to look at were:

• Mushrooms
• Flowers
• Plants
• Sprouts

The day before we had a minutes meeting I already had a head start and had already drawn up 2 pages of flowers and mushrooms. I drew a few sprouts, but they didn't seem as interesting. This is why I went with the mushroom and flower to develop and animate. But here are a few sketches I did of sprouts and a koru. Even though they wont be animated assets, they can still be included in the environment.





References:
http://www.harvesttotable.com/2009/05/bean_growing_problems_troubles/
http://www.ekologija.rs/razvoj-organskog-pokreta
http://www.motherearthnews.com/organic-gardening/growing-sprouts-at-home-zmaz77zbon.aspx
http://www.pranawellness.net/grow-sprouts/