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Limor
Level 72
The Kind-Hearted
Joined: 7/5/2016
Threads: 293
Posts: 19,132
Posted: 2/14/2019 at 10:32 PM
Post #241
Ahh cool!! I'll have my designers guide when BobRoss answers, i'm interviewing them.
Orcastration
Level 74
Fishy
Joined: 11/1/2018
Threads: 318
Posts: 33,448
Posted: 2/17/2019 at 12:39 AM
Post #242
bumpity bump
Orcastration
Level 74
Fishy
Joined: 11/1/2018
Threads: 318
Posts: 33,448
Posted: 2/17/2019 at 6:46 PM
Post #243
My themed bulbs are rebelling for not getting THEIR pic on an article and so I sent my artcile for february in early. Expect march to be delayed due to the fact I am in the process of tryig to compromise with them. ;D
Orcastration
Level 74
Fishy
Joined: 11/1/2018
Threads: 318
Posts: 33,448
Posted: 2/23/2019 at 11:02 PM
Post #244
bumpity bump
still have bulb issues...*sigh*
Limor
Level 72
The Kind-Hearted
Joined: 7/5/2016
Threads: 293
Posts: 19,132
Posted: 2/24/2019 at 7:50 PM
Post #245
Hello again! Limor here with the second ever designer's guide! This month I will be featuring an interview with well known designer Upsidedownsarah. I will be showcasing the making of a design for a Qitiari and analyzing a popular theme from a while ago.
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
~What makes a theme successful~
For this section we will be taking a look at the Fresh Earth Vulynx. Most players (even the newbies) have heard of the Fresh Earth. It is one of the cheaper and more populated of the themes. I myself remember purchasing a Fresh Earth as one of my first themes.
Taking a look at the flat colors the design can appear somewhat bland without any traits, but this is to be expected with many designs.
When taking a look at the color scheme you can find an array of browns with some speckles of green.
If you remember my tips from last months issue this design also follows having a similar color scheme with only having a single color (or slight color variants) as a pop.
One of the best things that makes this design successful is the aesthetically pleasing color scheme. The design fits the name, pushing the 'fresh earth' aspect of the design. The fresh greens, earthy browns, with darker browns hinting at perhaps a slightly wet ground from a new rain, brings forward an idea of a pleasing design. Even without knowing the name of the design you can get an idea of what the color pallet itself is representing. Being able to get an idea of what the design is without knowing the name shows a truly successful design.
Another import aspect of the design is the way the colors work. The colors all fit will with all the traits and this is a MUST for all themed designs. You design cannot be a design if it is not accommodating to all (or almost all) the traits of a species.
~Basing off an idea~
For this section I will show how I personally create a design off an idea.
With this design I decided I wanted to make a "Muddy Rapids" Qitatri. The main idea for this was how water gets all muddy after snow melts and rushes. After doing some research online I finally decided upon how I would go about making my design.
This was the photo I used as reference but unlike last time I did not use a color picker and just eyeballed it.
In this design I wanted the orangy-tans and browns to be the focal point. I also wanted the blue to show up in the design and found the main of the Qitatri the perfect way to show this off. For the back and pelt I chose varying shades of an orangy brown. For the eyes I chose a brighter, some what unnatural, blue. The mane itself was a somewhat grey blue, complimenting the earthy colors. When making a design be sure that the colors are pleasing to the eye and work well with what your aiming for.
Now for the body colors I decided to work with the more earthy colors on g1 and g3. Having a tan on the g3 will create a nice offset on the slate blue and I made sure to pull the color to a more bright orange. The g2 I chose a darker blue-purple, creating a pleasing, but not distracting, addition to the color scheme. With all these colors I made sure to check each trait, ensuring that the colors worked well with each.
When choosing colors for the mutations you have to take in mind what colors will be showing up on them besides just the trait colors. With the m1 of the Quitari I had to keep in mind that the eye color would be making an appearance and to accommodate this I chose a paler tan which compliments the eye color well. For m2 I chose an orangy tan color, drawing back to the main body color and g3. For the m3 of the Qitari I chose a brighter blue, bringing a nice pop to the design.
Now for most species accent have little to no affect. For the few traits accents affects on the Qitari I made sure the colors fit with them. Now when showcasing the finished design (if you plan on entering it for the themed design contests!) Make sure to show six different traits for each gender.
~Interview with Upsidedownsarah~
For this month I will be showing an interview conducted with Upsidedownsarah. Below is some advice and tips from Upsidedownsarah on how to make a successful design and how to sell it.
What advice do you have for newer designers?
Try to design outside of your color/trait preferences sometimes, to improve your skills and increase your scope as a designer. Try to analyze what it is you like and dislike about designs, to help you better understand how to fine-tune your own. Finally, take the time to adjust the details and polish your work (this is honestly my weak point).
What inspires you to create designs, how do you choose what to make a design based off of?
I'm an absolute color addict, and for me traits are fun but it's all about color. For example, tonight I wanted to play in the generator, making vene designs. I pulled up a random color combo, fine-tuned it a bit, and chose traits. Then I ran it through a refining process, during which I completely changed up the colors twice--once for a stark black and white with pops of bright colors, and once for a vene in shades of blue and white like a collector's plate. I see things I like and take note of them, as I am going through my day. That way I have a never-ending source of inspiration. It can be as tiny as the color combo of my dog's eyes and fur as he lies in the shadow of my blanket. Or as sweepingly huge as the shadowed velvet darks of a night sky.
How do you figure out if a design will do well on the market?
Very honestly, I'm still figuring that out. Those who have bought max stats from me over the years know I like blue, and I learned the hard way that too much of one color in your sales stable is not good. I think people like to come in and see a variety, because it makes shopping more fun. So I try to do things I've never done before. For example, I am mildly famous for my blue puffs. But it got to the point where I was overrun with them. So the last puff project I started, I pulled inspiration from the Haunted Depths Ryori, one of my favorites. I created in shades of black and grey with pops of fluorescent greenish blue. Quite different from the others, but still artistically satisfying to me--and though the project is still finishing up, preliminary sales have been promising.
How do you decide colors and traits for your designs?
I believe the best designs come out of freedom and 'state of flow'--the state of mind where you aren't aware of yourself or really your surroundings, but only of the creative endeavor you are in at the time. So when I'm creating, I try things unreservedly, like a giant science experiment in a lab where you can change any variable you want freely (which is sort of what it is). I have learned to save designs periodically in this state, because my memory is sadly poor. Deciding colors is done based on lots of experimentation, hunches, and guesses. The nice thing is, this process gets refined as you do it over and over, and becomes more streamlined, saving you time and frustration. As for choosing traits, when I'm working with essences I try to choose newer traits as most people seem to prefer them. However, I will choose an older trait that fits the design better over a newer trait. The challenge is to get things balanced, so that the elements of the design create an impression of harmony and of unity in diversity, which I think is the basis of beauty in a design as visually complicated as most six vis designs are. It takes practice and lots of trial and error, plus a good dollop of creativity.
Is there anything else you'd like to say?
I honestly think when you are designing, it's important to balance what will sell with what pleases your heart. Why play a game and create a project that takes a year or more to complete, only to be looking at pets that don't appeal to you visually? That doesn't sound like fun. It's like a Venn diagram. You've got to find the common ground between what a majority of people like, and what you enjoy breeding. That's the sweet spot, and when you can hit it, it's satisfying. I love knowing people are enjoying the pets I create. That's the most satisfying of all.
--
If you have any questions feel free to message or ping me, Limor, and I will answer them in the next article!
Edited By Limor on 2/27/2019 at 11:57 PM.
Bellaviper
Level 51
Scout
Joined: 1/20/2019
Threads: 168
Posts: 913
Posted: 2/24/2019 at 8:07 PM
Post #246
https://www.sylestia.com/forums/?thread=73725
could you make an add for those?
Limor
Level 72
The Kind-Hearted
Joined: 7/5/2016
Threads: 293
Posts: 19,132
Posted: 2/24/2019 at 9:17 PM
Post #247
~Limor's Newbie Tips and Tricks~
Hello all! Welcome back to Limor's second tips and tricks for all who need help! Last month we discussed making money, fests, forums, and pet parties. This month we will be going over many other things newbies could find helpful.
~Referrals~
Although not many people may think of something I think they could be something fun for newer players (and some older players) to hear about! Referrals are a goal setting type of thing where when you invite your friends to play with you (and they accept!) you get some prizes out of it as well as having a friend to have with you on your journey through sylestia. Your referral code can be found under 'account' on the section labeled 'referrals'.
~Newbie Mentoring~
Under the Q&A section of the forum you might have noticed the pinned thread named 'Newbie Mentoring'. Although the front thread itself is not updated the thread itself is still thriving. The mentoring thread is a great place for newbies to get started. You just post a form,
Screenname:
How Active are you?:
Mentor Preference (Optional):
How much help do you need? (Scale of 1-10, 10 being that you need Major Guidance):
Other:
and an older player will 'claim' you and you can ask this player for help whenever you need! This is also a great way to meet a friend and help get introduced into the community.
~Region Chat~ Region chat is a great place for newbies (and some older unaware players) to get to meet each other. Region chat is place where players can talk and (as long as your polite and follow the basic rules!)
Region chat is a great place to come together and you can often find me in it outside of school hours almost all the time! You can access region chat through the link provided or by clicking the little 'chatrooms' button on the bottom left corner of your screen.
If you have any questions I didn't answer feel free to check out the player guides which offer in-depth information on parts and the play-through of sylestia.
--
Also feel free to send in your questions and we will try to answer them in the next issue!
Orcastration
Level 74
Fishy
Joined: 11/1/2018
Threads: 318
Posts: 33,448
Posted: 2/24/2019 at 9:23 PM
Post #248
So. I have some time. Like serious time. Can I do a little "nerdoff/comdey" column thingy on the side?
(I already have my first topic, lol):
https://www.sylestia.com/forums/?thread=73630
Limor
Level 72
The Kind-Hearted
Joined: 7/5/2016
Threads: 293
Posts: 19,132
Posted: 2/24/2019 at 9:34 PM
Post #249
Yo if someone could make my part of the games (sylestia go) that'd be great this month. My drawing pen broke and I won't have one till march so I will be unable to edit the pets into to random google earth places. If you need help knowing how to make it just ask me. Also winner (for sylestia go) last month was Vigil for all three, she was the only one to enter lol
also last months places were:
jhaishan township Cheltenham Europe Kinsale Europe
