The Last Signal – Astronaut Design

Astronaut_x3
This is my first concept of the player sprite for the game The Last Signal. We were going for a bulkier shape, something towards an oldschool diving suit or the austronaut suits used in the moon landings with a little tweek. This design decision was made due to the fact that the game is about a ship pursuing in the name of sience and are doing research and the trevelers need a suit that can protect them in extreme enviroments.

Astronaut Desig 1

We decided as a team to use design number three (from the left), and this is a second rendering of that character. The choice to further render this design was because it looked bulkier the the other designs, also it had a shorter weapon which would allow a more accurate hitbox and easier movment moving across the ship. As we were going for a semi-realistic look I focused a lot of attention on the rendering of the glass to make it as realistic as I was capable of. Now why did I just focus on the glass? That was because I knew that applying textures to flat surfaces was something I had done before and was familiar with, glass however I had never textured before so I wanted to take the safe route.

Astronaut_03

This is the same sprite with textures and all colors applied. This was supposed to be the final rendering, ready to get into the game. However there are some design issues that I have to deal with. When it comes to the arms and their segments it’s hard to see where the actual joints of the arms are, this can make it harder for the player to immediately recognize the arms to be actual arms which is a big problem when it comes to design. A design should immediately be understood, if it’s not something is wrong, period.

What have I learned? Well, I’ve learned that I have to pay more attention on the anatomy to convey the design I want to convey. I’ve gotten more experience on how to work in a group and come to design decisions together. When it comes to drawing though I wouldn’t say I have learned anything. Sure, every time you draw you get more experience with the pencil and you get more accurate and confident with your lines. However I think when you’re working on a project you want to stay in your comfort zone so you don’t fail to produce something in time for the product to launch. And I think that i the reason behind me not learning anything new when it comes to the drawing part.

Programmed used: Photoshop CS4/CS6

About Emil Lindgren

2013 Graphics