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Grapejuice
Level 71
The Kind-Hearted
Joined: 1/8/2016
Threads: 155
Posts: 22,907
Posted: 6/29/2019 at 11:37 PM
Post #1
Edited By Grapejuice on 6/30/2019 at 1:32 AM.
Grapejuice
Level 71
The Kind-Hearted
Joined: 1/8/2016
Threads: 155
Posts: 22,907
Posted: 6/29/2019 at 11:37 PM
Post #2
Written By Grapejuice, Edited By Grapejuice
The Forgotten Caverns
That's right! On May 25th the second section, the Lost Caverns, of the lost grove was released.
According to Krinadon we can expect the following new content in there:
This section consists of stage 7-12, and you can bet people have been working through them!
Furthermore, The final level cap (lvl. 75) will be implemented as soon as the community reaches section 3, so let's get through the Lost Cavern eh?
Xavion's Achievement
On June 18th Xavion was exploring the Lost Grove, completely unsuspecting to what was in store. When suddenly they came upon an egg. The first Twilight Grove Nephini. In their words:
"I honestly did not believe my eyes at first. I spent a solid minute just... staring at the egg.
>___> I was afraid I would push the wrong button in my stupor, and waited for my heart to stop pounding. And when I finally adopted the eggling, I saw the achievement notice."
The egg has since hatched and grown into a beautiful female Nephini This was truly a momentous occasion and the first server achievement! Make sure to congratulate Xavion on their catch if you haven't already.
Upcoming Content
Krinadon has released the date of the Patriotic event to be July 3rd so be sure to train up your party and stock up on potions in preparation for the event. It has also been confirmed that the wardrobe will (finally!) recieve a massive update sometime in July
June has been a very exciting month and with the summer finally here we cannot wait to see what else is in store for the year! We'll see you next month for Julys issue!
Edited By Grapejuice on 6/30/2019 at 1:34 PM.
Grapejuice
Level 71
The Kind-Hearted
Joined: 1/8/2016
Threads: 155
Posts: 22,907
Posted: 6/30/2019 at 12:24 AM
Post #3
Written by Limor,Guestarring Xavion, Edited by Letsplay & Grapejuice A few links to check out when making designs are: Themed pet reference pages by Xavion
Comprehensive Guide to Themed Pets by Lavelle
Guide to Themed Pet Contests by Scathreoite
For this article, we will only be including my and Xavion's design process, but to make up for lack of anything else this will be the most in-depth article yet!
So with the Lost Grove Themed Designs out me and Xavion decided to tackle the 'Black Opal'. It has some interesting and difficult colors to tie into one image and we both decided to make a Lupora based off of the stone that would work as a possible themed design.
Part One
Xavion
Using a reference image is the key to making a clear and concise design, but knowing the species is the key to ensuring that your reference will aptly suit the pet. Some pets are well suited for complexity; their genes are isolated to certain parts of the body, such as the Aeridini with G1 on the tails, G2 on the wings, and G3 on the body. Other pets can quickly become a collage of gene, stacked over gene, stacked over gene, such as the Luffox where all three genes will cover the same parts. Some pets are created with careful blends, such as the Kelpari whose C1 and C2 merge together for some beautiful, subtle results. Other pets will have base colors that correlate to a certain part of the pet, such as the Vulnyx with C1 body, C2 back fur, and C3 ears. There are pros and cons to all of these factors, and not all references will be ideal for every species. Knowing the species, learning what works well and where a design may struggle, is the key to making a great design.
Your base colors are vital. When it comes to themed pets especially, you'll want to ensure that any pet from the theme, regardless of how many or how few visible traits they have, is a standout. With this reference image, the first things to draw my eye were the black, the blue and purple, and the yellow and red. So let's test the options
I find myself drawn to the second, by far, but it could use a few tweaks. Let's snag a few color codes from the reference image (I use Paints color picker and transfer the RGB numbers into the pet generator to get a color hex. I'm, sure there are better options out there, but that's what I've got and that's what I'm used to doing~)
FFF31A - Nope.
FF7C06 - Better.
D52025 - Mmm nah.
FF7C06 doesn't look quite ideal, either. With a few more tweaks, looks like I'm really close to where I started.
Something still feels off though Time to tweak the C1.
Pfft, maybe something more drastic?
Ooh. I like that. There isn't much black remaining, though And it doesn't feel like a black opal without it.
*moves the red C1 color to G1; restores near-black to C1; makes C2 more yellow.*
Now let's take a look at a few genes. After determining base colors with one gender, I always test genes on the other.
Not bad. Maybe a little brighter on the red?
Ohh yeah. That's nice.
Referring back to the previous comment about knowing your species, the Lupora has *two* options for colors that pair with GC1. The ones above made use of C2 (the underbelly) while others make use of AC1. The same is true for the G2 and G3 slots, which is why I'll ignore the ones that use AC1 until I've reached G3. So for now, onward to that beautiful blue mane!
might be a little drastic.
Ooh. Yes. Check with Blotched which is the only one that pairs with C2, and
O_O I love this mane. *slinks off to save mane colors in a generator for later use* Right-o then! Onward to AC1! In my experience, the best traits to test the AC1 with are the G1/G2 Tribal Markings. They may look totally wild and a little messy, but they will ensure that your AC1 color comes into contact with EVERYTHING to check your contrast. C1, C2, C3, and of course the G1 and G2 colors themselves. Your AC1 has the potential to go anywhere! Best to make sure it isn't so close to a color you already have that turns invisible and takes away the point of the traits having an AC1.
Excellent with G2! Not so much with G1
Mm meh.
Hmm, There is some green in the- nope.
Nope nope nope nope nope.
Whoops. Heh, too close to C1.
Hmm.. too close to G1, but I think I'm on the right track..?
Alright, kinda feeling that. Time to test it on other traits! I always turn to G1 Spotted Fox and G2 Runic Swirl for my final decision on these. Unlike the tribal traits, these are bulky and take up a lot of space.
Ehhh, to dark still.
Better. Time to test out *all* the G1 and G2 traits! What struggles, what struggles
Oh you poor thing.
Oh oh dear I had a feeling youd cause me trouble from the moment you were updated with the feather engraving bits! Thank sweet, merciful Krin we got Frosting added rather than being eternally stuck with just THIS!
*takes a moment to oggle the Blotched Mane again*
*does the same for Flecked now that theres an AC1*
Ooof, that Faded Leopard. Had a feeling that wouldnt work well with a near-black C1 Could save it with a C1/G1 reversal but then it goes right back to the design not looking BLACK opal enough.
saves Hyena too, though
Everything else is either improved or just as good I *really* do like the way it looks without any traits
*listens to tons of music for the next 15 minutes while mulling over such a big decision* Throw in extra black for the mutations and give it a shot! Check over everything else to see if any tweaks need to be made as consequence
Huh. Even Frosted Mane looks better this way. Okay, Ill stick with it.
Onward to G3!
Ooohhh
Aaahhh...
Nope! Needs some green, perhaps, but definitely not there
Ooooooohhhhh.
Time to test with other traits! Since G3 is an accent trait that shows up on the tail and tips of the ears, or the body like Lunar Runes, I always throw on some genes. AC1 can find its way to G1 and G2 slots, so for the G3 test I always use traits that are 100% pure G1C and G2C, such as G1 Husky and G2 Skunk.
Lovin the yellow overall, but it struggles with Bumblebee - the odd man out for G3 that is the ONLY ONE using C2 Initially I thought that was a mistake and posted it on the bug forum, but nope, thats just how the Lupora is. * shakes fist at bumblebee * You ruined my yellow!
Ehh, not as good with the G2 active.
Bleh, same.
Mm, kinda weird
Annnd same issue across the board.
I *must* have that yellow!! I just have to tweak it until Bumblebee is happy
Ill take it!
Struggle traits are good?
Good!
Pretty traits are good?
I want this lupe.
Onward to the mutations, which means swapping back to the other gender. And in this case I need it to have a lot of black since I basically lost most of that with the C1/G1 swap. When it comes to Lupe mutations, I tend to test everything with the mutation sets. Dragon, Dragon, Dragon; Crystal Ice, Crystal Ice, Crystal Ice; Mech, Mech, Mech, in that order with M1/M2/M3 colors all being the same and working an AC2 and then EC as I go down the list. SO what looks good with black?
Not bad
Bleh, red enough already.
Hmm not sure. Think Ill stick with the blue since it fits the reference better.
Eye color, eye color Still need some green? Hows that look
Not not bad, actually. Better than I expected. Maybe brighter?
Nope! No! Definitely not!
Ooof, but poor Flaming Hellhounds
Little brighter..?
I can live with that.
Tie in some 6V samples for good measure
Limors Critique: "Ok so maybe include more blue/black on the base color, It has the pretty red oranges but I think it is missing that dark blue color that is on the base on the entire design. Overall though it's a great design and represents everything else pretty well."
Hmm *stares down Faded Leopard*
Whhhhyyyy do you have to look SO horrible any time G1 is lighter than C1 >___<
*gives several attempts at making a darker/bluer C1 work with the Faded Leopard*
*eye twitch* *drops head on desk* *mourns the technical flaws of Faded Leopard despite loving the trait when it works* *spends time listening to music again to mull over the decision a second time* *looks at the various samples and how horrible they look compared to the C1/G1 reversal*
I can't do it. I simply cannot allow Faded Leopard to look THAT hideous. It's too perfect when it works - it's GORGEOUS and I love it. But as soon as you throw on a C1 that's darker than G1, all of that beautiful blending and fading turns murky and dark, and the spots turn into atrocious, weirdly-colored abominations with unnatural grey centers that have no right blotching up a beautiful lupe and making it looked diseased like the pre-revamp Morkko glowing growths! >___<
Edited By Grapejuice on 6/30/2019 at 1:16 AM.
Grapejuice
Level 71
The Kind-Hearted
Joined: 1/8/2016
Threads: 155
Posts: 22,907
Posted: 6/30/2019 at 12:45 AM
Post #4
Part Two Limor
As with Xavion's design I wanted the base colors to be the two most prominent colors. For this, we go with the yellow/orange and blue colors. So let's take a look at a few base options...
Looking at the options above I think I like the first option, it also provides good options for some orangey-reds highlights in the gene colors. Now what I didn't touch upon above I went with a bright purple-blue color, which will show up later in many of the M1s.
Now moving onto the G1. As with most of my designs, I like to make the G1 relatively close to the main body color, as this will give something for the rest of the traits to build off and not provide anything too distracting. For this, I was thinking a brighter purple, with some blue hints.
So looking at this I believe the A1 could use some changes, the runic swirl and other traits that use the eye color become murky against the bright purple.
Yes, this is much better, but now to test with the other traits.
Yes, much better, I think I like that.
Now we will be taking a look at mane colors, I was thinking a nice red/orange color would blend with the yellow and create that yellow/orange color we see on the mane quite well.
Yes, I think I quite like that, it lays off a pretty good groundwork and makes a good blend to replicate the orange-red highlights we see on the reference photo provided in Part One.
Taking a look at tribal runes again it somewhat blends a bit too much with the A1 being so similar to the main color, so I decided to go with a more orangy color to help highlight it more against the other colors.
Taking another look at this though Spotted Fox becomes quite a mess, needing a different color, perhaps come blue/purple?
I was thinking one of these...
Looking at these options I think I will go with the second one, as it still holds up with other traits.
Using this pink Frosted Glass also has some hope for it, despite being a busy trait. Other traits also have some hope and I think I will stick with this pink.
So now we will take a look at G3, which I think could use some green highlights to get that in the design.
Hmm, I think this will work.
Looks ok with Bumblebee as well, now to test with some random traits.
Yes, I think I like this. Now we will move onto the mutations.
So for the M1, I chose a red color, which hasn't been included much yet.
Yes, I quite like the red, now onto the M2.
With the wings, we run into A2, which means we need to work on that. I was thinking some purple colors would be great on it.
I quite like this, now need to work on the M3.
For M3 I am torn between the black color and the red color.
Or perhaps some green?
Hmm that green could work... let's test it on some other traits.
--
Xavion's Critique: Your G1 is a bit lacking in contrast on traits that use AC1; Runic Swirl and Spotted Fox become a little blobby.
Similarly, your C3 and G3 are extremely close in color. Shadow Markings is most affected, but even on traits like Bumblebee and Spotted Fox, it feels like a missed opportunity to throw in some more color variance.
While the Mech M2 is a home run, the dark color, and excess of yellow feel like a miss for most of the other wings.
For M3, I don't think the near-black purple and the bright yellow blend well; stick two complimentary colors together in a blend and usually, the blending point turns to an icky grey.
--
So now as we look at the critique (which I received before writing this) you can see I already made my changes based on it. Remember when making a design asking for critique is always good, now to finally test the design lets look at some 6V pairings.
I still think something is off so I made a few final changes and I present you with the final design:
And with that, I present the end of our extra long Designers Article this month! Next month will be our regular short article with another surprise guest.
Grapejuice
Level 71
The Kind-Hearted
Joined: 1/8/2016
Threads: 155
Posts: 22,907
Posted: 6/30/2019 at 1:00 AM
Post #5
This site is full of both new and old artists, many have honed their craft and have posted some truly gorgeous drawings. Let's take a look!
Un-Named By LuciDatum
Ryori By LuciDatum
Aeridini By LucDatum (Drawn from their phone)
Check out more of LuciDatum's work url=https://www.sylestia.com/forums/?thread=75230&page=1]here[/url]
Some Traditional Chibis By Unstaeble
Avatar By Unstaeble
By Unstaeble
And a quick interview with Unstaeble about her art and time on sylestia!
Grapejuice: How long have you been drawing and what would you say drew you to keep practicing and getting better at it? Unstaeble: Well, I started out drawing those funky crayon scribbles at 3-4 years old! I've been drawing ever since and have gone through many phases from the My Little Pony one in 1st grade to Sonic the Hedgehog in 3rd to Undertale in 8th, with all the crazy fandoms in between.
I've had somewhat of a rough childhood with my parents, so art has always been my form of expression to how I've felt. Many people I've found throughout life don't appreciate all art and the emotions that come with it. I've had family tell me some of the things I've drawn for fandoms and with OCs is wrong and should be hidden, such as the skeletons I used to draw from Undertale. Some don't appreciate that art is an expression and believe it be measured with a mere "good art and bad art" scale. From the simplest doodles to wackiest explosions of color to what some label "bad art," all of these are equally unique and personalized. One of my motivations for putting up with this pain-in-the-butt hobby is to show that you don't have to make a Mona Lisa to be "good" at art, because, for me, art is art no matter what form it takes.
G: As a newer player on Sylestia what are your thoughts or first impressions of the site? U: I have to hand to Krin and Faiona, this has to be one of the best games I've ever been a part of. While I'm newer, I've felt like I've been accepted and included in many aspects of this game from design contests, art commissions, and just joking with people in Region chat. This is an experience I've come close to in a few other games such as AnimalJam when I was an artist and held my own public gallery (which is currently still open to the public despite me not playing anymore) with hundreds of pieces from me and donations from others. I want to be able to give back to the community on here as I once did on AnimalJam. I have not been here for more than 3-4 months and I've never felt more included in what feels like a big family.
G: Are there any tips you'd like to give to new and budding artists? U: Obviously I have to say the old but gold "just keep practicing," as you have to no matter where you want to get to in the art world. I've been scribbling on paper for about 13-14 years and I still have loads more work I want to accomplish art and animation wise. But another important part of being an artist is the motivation to keep pushing forward. If you give up after a year, there's very little to no chance you will be able to keep up the progress. Art is one of those things you have to keep up on to stay where you are (obviously breaks are needed and allowed, but you have to come back sometime!). Motivation is also necessary to get through the criticism that will almost certainly come with drawing. I have yet to meet an artist (and I've met a LOT) who has not had critics and people who beat down their talents with all kinds of invalidating comments and opinions. But that's all they are; opinions! So keep your head held high and never let anyone else come between doing the art you enjoy! You being happy and enjoying doing what you're doing is true art.
Check out their commission prices and more art here.
Tune in next month for some more featured art, if you have any suggestions of art you want to see on here pm it to Grapejuice under the title Artists Among Us. Have a wonderful day!
Edited By Grapejuice on 6/30/2019 at 1:01 AM.
Grapejuice
Level 71
The Kind-Hearted
Joined: 1/8/2016
Threads: 155
Posts: 22,907
Posted: 6/30/2019 at 1:08 AM
Post #6
Written By Orca2whale, Edited by Grapejuice
An Interview with Fox about Themed pet Designs:
Fox:
Found some time today. I answered them in mostly a general sense with a bit of a focus on my Last Frost Morkkos:
What was your inspiration for the themed?
I almost always use a photo reference. Occasionally, if I need to generate some ideas I will start with a pre-made colour palette. In some instances, I will even randomize colours and choose a colour I like and work around it.
When I design themed, I will search for images for the season I am designing for. When I find a photo that inspires me, I will refine my search and look for whatever was in the photo. I will sometimes use multiple photo references for a single design because sometimes the object (or animal) you are taking inspiration from is very monochromatic (one colour) or comes in a variety of colours. When I pull from multiple references it reminds me that I can introduce other colours to the design. I personally think that monochromatic designs are too plain, so I avoid it completely.
For my Last Frost Morkko I simply did the same process as I've done before. I searched for winter photos, found one of frosted foliage, and narrowed down my search. I know a thing or two about colour theory and applied that knowledge to get the result that was chosen for Spring 2019.
Did you already know what you wanted it to look like before you even started designing?
No, I never know what I want it to look like before I start designing. I always start with a photo reference or an existing colour palette to serve as inspiration. A lot of my time is spent staring at a blank generator, just trying to come up with ideas and things I would like to search for.
How easy was it to create the themed?
It really depends on the species that I am working with.
For certain species I have a really good understanding of which colours affect which traits. For those species, like ny'vene, I can have a really clear idea of what I'm designing and what colours go where. I can create a decent ny'vene design within 5 to 10 minutes. Oddly enough, I rarely submit themed ny'vene designs because I am usually more interested in using the design to regenerate one of my hundreds of regen ny'venes.
My Last Frost Morkkos is a good example of a design where I spent literally hours on it. I don't design morkkos very often, so I'm not familiar with the colour slots or traits. It took me a few hours of designing and then many revisions and tweaking to get it just right.
An important aspect of designing themes is every trait needs to work. Sometimes you'll love the design you have but then you change one trait and realize those colours won't work anymore because the trait blends into the body too much, or the mutation becomes a solid colour. I think some really good themed pets have gone through many many revisions before being submitted. I know many users who spend hours upon hours, and days, on their designs. I bet those are the designs that get chosen more often than not. I know I've spent hours on my Last Frost design.
Did you expect to have your design chosen?
No, I never expect anything (even outside of Sylestia). If you have no expectations you will not be disappointed. When something goes beyond your expectations you are ecstatic. It's always a pleasant surprise.
Anything else? Advice?
Here are some tools I recommend:
- Pinterest. Pinterest is like a curated Google Images. It's curated because people scour the internet for the best and save it on Pinterest. I always use Pinterest for my photo references because they are usually more vibrant, artistic, or conceptual.
- Colourlovers.com. I use Colour Lovers to search for pre-made colour palettes. You can also create patterns on that site. Anyone can create a palette, so you have to dig through a lot of "bad" palettes to get to the "good" ones.
- Colour theory. I recommend everyone learn some colour theory. It is so useful on Sylestia, but also in real life. I have a bachelor of graphic design, so I have taken university-level colour theory courses, but you can find information on colour theory anywhere. It's good practice to paint your own colour wheel and colour scales. Once you recognize colour terminology, combinations, and symbolism you will have a much easier time creating pleasing and unique Sylestia designs.
Design for you and no one else. Designing pets is all very subjective. Make things that you enjoy. Learning colour theory and using resources on the internet will help you make decisions you will be happier with. Considering feedback is a good idea and it will help you improve and give you new ideas, but remember that Sylestia is all about what you find pleasing and what you would like to have in your stables.
~Another random notice from the Orca~
Hey folks! Sorry this month's article isn't as polished as I was going to make it. I got sidetracked by my new orca qitaris! Just so you can check 'em out....meet Owen and Orkhanna! Based on my two fishtailed OCs! *happily waves goodbye while riding into the sunset*
Edited By Grapejuice on 6/30/2019 at 1:09 AM.
Grapejuice
Level 71
The Kind-Hearted
Joined: 1/8/2016
Threads: 155
Posts: 22,907
Posted: 6/30/2019 at 1:11 AM
Post #7
Ask Sadie Written By Grapejuice & Sadie
As the only sylesti on our staff Sadie has the inside look on a sylesti's life, so feel free to send in questions for her to answer! Just PM any questions to Grapejuice, and in the next issue, Sadie will answer them with a sylesti's perspective!
"Aww man! No questions this month? Guess I'll see everyone next month."
Edited By Grapejuice on 6/30/2019 at 1:11 AM.
Grapejuice
Level 71
The Kind-Hearted
Joined: 1/8/2016
Threads: 155
Posts: 22,907
Posted: 6/30/2019 at 1:15 AM
Post #8
Thanks again to everyone for reading this months issue! I'm happy to say that next month I'll be bringing back the games section this time with lots of prizes ranging from gold to themed pets and max stats! So keep an eye out for that and be sure to participate! I would like to apologize for a slightly sloppier issue this month I've been sick with a very bad case of the flu for the past 3 days and have done my best editing/formatting everything from bed. See you all next month and have a great summer.
~Grapejuice
Grapejuice
Level 71
The Kind-Hearted
Joined: 1/8/2016
Threads: 155
Posts: 22,907
Posted: 6/30/2019 at 1:31 AM
Post #9
June's issue is out!
Grapejuice
Level 71
The Kind-Hearted
Joined: 1/8/2016
Threads: 155
Posts: 22,907
Posted: 6/30/2019 at 1:32 AM
Post #10
Junes issue is out!
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