Greetings, fellow Sylestians! In this hopefully helpful little guide, Ill be taking you through, step-by-step, on how to create an awe-inspiring, delightful theme! A little disclaimer here--this is by no means the only or best way to do it, because there is no such thing! I'm quite assuredly not the most experienced or best themed designer here, but I have had a few themes chosen and hopefully you will too!
_
Alright, first of all, I think we've all had that moment when you're looking through the theme submissions, picking out your favorites, attempting to predict which will be chosen, etc., and you stumble upon a player whose designs leave you open-mouthed in shock. How do those colors look so good together? you wonder, zooming in for a closer look. Will my designs ever be so wonderfully exquisite?
The answer to that is yes, of course! Its all about practice and patience. When I look back at my older designs (what in the name of all that is wonderful was I thinking?), I kind of--just a little bit--want to barf. On the bright side (always look on the bright side!), my designs have (thank goodness) improved, and, with time, yours will too!
Okay, okay, I know what you're thinking--you want me to get to the actual guide part already, not the icky motivational introductory paragraphs. So lets get started!
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So, to take you through this whirling rollercoaster of designing, I'm actually going to be creating a theme submission for the upcoming fall fest! I'll be making a Zolnixi, which brings me to my first step: choose a species, and stick to it!
When creating theme submissions for a seasonal fest, I would suggest just going down the list of species, in alphabetical order, but since I don't do that myself, Ill just leave it up to you. Personally, I like to look at the dropdown list in the generator and look through it for a few moments before decisively clicking the one that calls to me. But you do you.
Also, I wouldn't advise changing the species of a theme partway, midway, all-the-way, or at all, because it just won't be the same. The slots will be all different, and I just really don't advise it, unless you literally just started and only have a few colors down.
Okay, this next one is a biggie: choosing a reference! This will be what your theme is based on, and it isn't just limited to a picture. Your reference could be a color palette taken from an image, a randomly generated color palette (here), or even a wild pet whose colors you found interesting (many of my designs have wild origins, actually!) . Honestly, you could just base your design on a general idea you have, a particular word, or object. The possibilities are endless.
For this particular theme, I'm thinking of something like a ghostly candelabra vibe, with light blues and violets, as well as a dark purple--maybe something yellow. I've generated a nice little color palette from the website mentioned above:
Isn't that lovely? I generated it on my second try, which was quite lucky. Once you've chosen a reference of some sort, let's get to the actual designing part!
Edited By Eternalsilver on 9/29/2023 at 2:52 PM.
Eternalsilver
Level 75
Wondrous Witch
Joined: 2/16/2021
Threads: 21
Posts: 958
Posted: 9/28/2023 at 8:14 PM
Post #2
Base Colors
Right, so you've chosen something to build your theme on, and you're wondering, what now? That, my friends, is what I'm here for! First, let's choose a nice, lovely base color, which you will insert into the C1 slot, and this will cover most of the body. I chose a dark shade of purple:
(As a side note, you can start with whichever gender; it doesn't really matter)
Next, I like to go in with C2, which, for the Zolnixi, is the underbelly color, amongst other things. A light blue would fit quite nicely! One tip I would give, particularly to those who are new to designing, is to be diverse with colors! Don't just stick to one color, lets say blue, and make all the slots different shades of that color. I know I did that a lot with my earlier designs--yuck. You need variety--a splash of an unexpected color there, a hint of a glistening hue here, etc.! Anyhow, moving on:
The next thing I like to fill in is C3. I would try to explain what this color slot controls, but since I'm not a hundred percent sure myself, I'm not going to attempt it (as I've said before, I'm no expert). However, I believe that it varies with each species (someone please correct me if I'm wrong, or ping me to add information!), and it's not very visible without traits. In this case, it's not visible at all without them, but I made it a nice light pink. I'm not completely sticking to my original color palette, but that's okay! Whatever strikes your fancy, whatever floats your boat--you know what I mean.
For C3, I would mess around with the traits a little bit, see what the color holds and how it affects your theme overall. Actually, you should be doing that after every color you add (except for maybe the first couple)--making sure that it gets along with the other colors and doesn't get into a fistfight. Trust me, things can get ugly if actions aren't taken.
I really don't know why I do the eye color last out of the top little section. It's just a habit, I guess, but you could do it first if you really wanted to--order isn't the most important thing, is what I'm trying to say. I like to make sure that the eye color stands out from the other colors, so I'm going to make it a dainty, light yellow, like the tips of a flame on a candle:
Lets skip C4 and C5 for now, since on most species, they don't really do anything (from my experience, anyways).
Edited By Eternalsilver on 9/29/2023 at 2:47 PM.
Eternalsilver
Level 75
Wondrous Witch
Joined: 2/16/2021
Threads: 21
Posts: 958
Posted: 9/28/2023 at 8:15 PM
Post #3
Genes
Now comes the fun part--fleshing out the traits and their colors! It doesn't matter which ones you do first, though it might be smart to choose your gene colors before the mutations, since it'll be easier to see them.
When choosing traits to display on your theme, you'll want to have something different for the male and female poses, to better showcase your design. You want to display how versatile your theme design is, and how it looks great with most traits--emphasis on most, because making a theme that can rock every single trait is rather difficult, and I might even say it's impossible. There's a very careful balance in a good theme--in order to make most of the traits look good, the designer will have to sacrifice those pesky one or two.
Anywho, I'll be doing the genes first, but, again, order doesn't matter here! Generally, when choosing gene colors, you want something that stands out, and you don't want the colors to be too similar to each other. Otherwise, it'll look like a messy, indistinguishable blob of a Sylesti. Yeah, we don't want that.
Also, when choosing colors, don't just find one and move on. Fiddle around with it! Would another color look better? How does it fit with the traits in this slot? Does it clash with any other colors? Ask yourself questions, and constantly strive for better, because there is no such thing as a perfect design.
You also have to consider the traits of a certain species, because not all the slots do the same thing. For example, a Zolnixis genes are all on their general body, one on top of another. For a Ferrikki, however, that's simply not true--only G1 is on their general body. G2 controls the (what are they called?) feathers, and G3 is what is inside of their orb. Thus, its absolutely crucial to remember that not all species are the same.
I'll actually start picking colors now (it's about time, I know). Since the genes on Zolnixis are all in the same area, Ill have to be careful, and I need to make sure that all the gene colors work together. Always be hypothetical--what if my design gets chosen, and someone wants to make a 6-vis project out of it? Keeping that in mind, Ill make G1 a nice purple, and choose a matching trait:
Here's another thing--I realize that this is a restricted trait (Dragon Wisp), and isn't generally that accessible. However, I thought that it showcased the colors very well, and I'm going to use it--just don't go overboard with them, and be sure to try out every trait!
Now, for G2, I want something that works well with G1 and isnt an eyesore if they're paired together. For the female, I don't think I'll display G2, but I still need to test it out:
Ooh, how lovely! I quite like the yellow, and after testing out a few others (orange and blue), it's definitely my favorite. At this point, I've basically abandoned my original idea of a ghostly candelabra, but that's alright. Its still got a little bit of a spooky vibe.
Okie dokie, time for G3--I can really only think of one color that will actually stand out from the others, and that is a light blue, leaning towards cyan:
And here is a prime example of sacrificing how one trait looks so the majority of them can look good! Mystical Unicorn really does not look great on this girl--at least it's a restricted trait, so it wont be as widespread:
Edited By Eternalsilver on 9/29/2023 at 2:48 PM.
Eternalsilver
Level 75
Wondrous Witch
Joined: 2/16/2021
Threads: 21
Posts: 958
Posted: 9/28/2023 at 8:15 PM
Post #4
Mutations
Let's move on to my personal favorite part: the mutations! As a general rule, you don't want to overload your design, and you really wouldn't want your traits to look messy together. They need to be cohesive, and although it's not the genes or mutations that are being judged, they are still extremely important! Think of it as the eye to see all the gorgeous colors in your design--without those eyes, the picture would be rather underwhelming.
But anyways, enough said! I'll start with M1, though sometimes I like to jump around instead of working in order from one to three. I chose a light pink to balance the colors out, and this is another thing you should keep in mind--if you have one color here, it would be wise to have it (or a similar hue) in at least one other area, so that it doesn't look out of place.
As for the mutation, there are so many options--here are a couple I liked while testing the traits out:
I do believe I'll stick with the simpler trait, tri tails. I'm already using a restricted trait, and I want to show that my theme looks just as good with regular traits as well as restricted ones. Remember, versatility is key!
Next, mutation 2--for this one, I chose pretty lilac, again, to balance out the colors. I had slight difficulty choosing the mutation, but once I saw this, I knew I had to use it. I mean, just look at those colors!
Absolutely exquisite! Another tip is, if you're struggling with displaying too many traits, or if it's too messy, remove one of them, one at a time (you can do this by toggling the blue button with visible written on it to carried). If the overall vibe doesn't change once you've hidden that trait, just remove it. That way, there will be no redundancy or sloppiness, just a clear, precise design.
For this text mutation (M3), I originally thought a light orange, but there just wasn't enough contrast:
See what I mean? Then, I tried a blue, and while that was moderately nice, something about it just didn't feel right. So, as a final option, I tried purple (my trusty purple), and gosh, that looks fantastic. The reason being is that purple is a complementary color to yellow, and gets along quite nicely with pink, so it's bound to look great!
I had a lot of trouble deciding whether or not to display the wings--without them, it looked sort of empty, but with them, it was a teensy bit crowded. Here's a side-by-side comparison:
After thinking about it for a while, I decided to keep it simple and leave out the wings, despite how pretty they look. Simplicity is important!
Edited By Eternalsilver on 9/29/2023 at 2:50 PM.
Eternalsilver
Level 75
Wondrous Witch
Joined: 2/16/2021
Threads: 21
Posts: 958
Posted: 9/28/2023 at 8:16 PM
Post #5
Accents
Next, let's add in the accents. To be completely honest, I haven't the foggiest idea what each accent controls, since it's different for each species. A solution that I use is to make whichever accent (I'll be doing A1) an extremely vivid, eye-burning color, like a bright red and see what effect that has. I think that the first accent generally controls the accents in the genes, whereas the second accent controls those in the mutations (correct me if I'm wrong).
I decided to go with an orange, but since there is no change to the traits I have currently selected, I won't display the design just yet. Accent 2 adds a few colors to the mutations, and I chose a sunny yellow for that slot. Again, it's not visible on the current traits.
On most species, C4 and C5 don't do anything, at least to my knowledge. Until that's updated, I'm just going to insert a few matching colors, and this is what I would suggest you do. Don't just leave it white, because if your theme is chosen, and once those colors are implemented, your design will have unwanted, random splashes of white.
And this is the finished female design! I'm really loving how she looks, and though she isn't exactly the color palette I had planned, well, to quote a famous artist with fantastic hair, there are no mistakes--only happy little accidents. I won't go through the entire process of choosing traits for the male, but I will add the finished pair:
Edited By Eternalsilver on 9/29/2023 at 2:50 PM.
Eternalsilver
Level 75
Wondrous Witch
Joined: 2/16/2021
Threads: 21
Posts: 958
Posted: 9/28/2023 at 8:17 PM
Post #6
Naming
Now, this design clearly didn't stick with my original color palette, but that's alright. When choosing a name, you want something that sticks out and isn't too generic--if you do so, you risk the possibility of sharing a name with a theme that already exists. I love to use alliterations when naming my designs because they just sound so nice together. For this design, I had a little trouble deciding what to name it--here are a few ideas I came up with, before finally choosing the one:
Moonlit Masquerade (I liked this one, but I don't really think it fits with the colors)
Something about magic--an enchanter, sorcerer, etc.
A ghostly halloween party of some sort?
Something about stars, the moon, etc.
Eventually, I came up with the name Starlit Sorcerer which I thought worked quite nicely, so I stuck with it! Another tip, if you're struggling with the naming process, is to use a thesaurus, which I do all the time. It can help you find synonyms for what you're looking for, which is a fantastic tool to have. Also, you can create a sort of word web, where you write down a word, then write more words based on what the original word reminds you of. You can get lots of ideas this way!
Edited By Eternalsilver on 9/29/2023 at 2:51 PM.
Eternalsilver
Level 75
Wondrous Witch
Joined: 2/16/2021
Threads: 21
Posts: 958
Posted: 9/28/2023 at 8:17 PM
Post #7
Summary
In short, designing good themes comes with practice, learning from your mistakes, and finding out what works best for you and your design! I realize that this was sort of a lengthy guide, so here is a summary of the most important tips (and excluding my possibly unnecessary comments) for your convenience:
1. Choose a species, and stick to it! Each species is different, and so are the color slots! When changed, the design will have an entirely different mood, so this isn't advised, unless you have a good reason to.
2. Find a suitable reference. References don't have to be photos, necessarily--they can be a color palette, a wild pet, or just an idea in your head. It's okay if your end result doesn't match with your reference (mine didn't!)--it's your design, after all, and who's going to know anyways?
3. Be diverse with colors! What you don't want is a design that consists of different shades of one color--you need color interactions, different hues, and some variety! A little tip here is to learn the basics of color theory, since it'll help you quite a bit to know which colors get along with each other!
4. Mess around with your traits! Don't just choose one and move on, make sure that the color you've chosen looks good with the majority of the traits in that slot, as well as the other genes and mutations. After all, you wouldn't want colors to clash unnecessarily.
5. Choose different traits for the male and female poses. This will ensure that you show off as many traits as possible, to prove that your design can look good with practically anything, and to display its versatility.
6. Not all of the traits will look good on your theme! There's a very careful balance in a good design, and there will always be that one gene/mutation that just doesn't fit, no matter how good that color looks with the other traits. Just move on--as long as the color goes well with most traits, the odds are in your favor! There's a very careful balance in a good design.
7. Consider the species. Each species is different from one another, and you should take this into consideration as you're designing. Genes and mutations do different things, depending on which sylesti species you're working with!
8. You can use restricted traits--just don't go overboard! Restricted traits can sometimes look amazing on your theme, and it's perfectly fine to showcase it! Restricted traits aren't super accessible, so it's important not to do too much with them, or else you might give the impression that your theme only looks good with restricted traits.
9. Don't choose traits that make your design look messy or too crowded! I don't recommend making your design 6-vis, as it takes a while for that to happen in-game--a breeder must choose your theme to make a 6-vis out of, then they must actually make the pet 6-vis. Also, you want to show that your design can look great with any number of traits!
10. When choosing a name, be unique! Use alliterations and a thesaurus to help you out with synonyms. You can make a word web (is that the correct term?), which is where you write down whatever a word makes you think of, continuously.
Edited By Eternalsilver on 9/29/2023 at 2:52 PM.
Eternalsilver
Level 75
Wondrous Witch
Joined: 2/16/2021
Threads: 21
Posts: 958
Posted: 9/28/2023 at 8:19 PM
Post #8
Misc.
Here are a few extra tips and tricks!
- Use the trait randomizer (the four die in the top right corner of the box where you choose traits) to its fullest extent! This can be a very useful tool to see what your theme would look like without specific, tailored traits, and you can adjust the number of traits it generates by clicking the setting button in the bottom-right corner.
- When choosing traits to display for your design, I suggest that the each gender has different trait slots than the other--for example, the male could, hypothetically, be 3-vis with all the genes (G1, G2, and G3), and the female would have all the mutations (M1, M2, and M3). That way, you can depict all the trait slots, instead of just a few.
List of Useful Stuff (on and off site)
Scathreoite's Guide To Themed Pet Design Contests
Aphelion's Guide to Color and Trait Interactions
Elevensin's Guide to Color and Trait Interactions
Coolors Color Palette Generator
Thesaurus
(let me know if you have any helpful links for designing!)
Feedback is greatly appreciated! If you see any mistakes, or places to improve, just let me know!
Edited By Eternalsilver on 9/29/2023 at 2:52 PM.
Eternalsilver
Level 75
Wondrous Witch
Joined: 2/16/2021
Threads: 21
Posts: 958
Posted: 9/28/2023 at 8:19 PM
Post #9
reserved!
Eternalsilver
Level 75
Wondrous Witch
Joined: 2/16/2021
Threads: 21
Posts: 958
Posted: 9/28/2023 at 8:19 PM
Post #10
reserved!
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