It's finally out, guys!
Spectre Resource Pack 1
For those who would like to take a look at the full post, please drop by the link here!
Voting for the theme for Spectre Resource Pack 2 ends on 14th July, so do put in your suggestions asap! In the meantime, please note the following restrictions:
Obviously, no sexually explicit, offensive, or gory imagery. You will be reported.
Please do not suggest a specific description of your original character. I'm trying to work around generic themes for everybody to use.
Please do not ask me to draw My Little Pony. You will have your cookies and friends taken away from you.
I will not entertain re-sketches of existing resources, recoloring or drawing over another's resources. If you want a tutorial or comments on your artwork, please PM me in private.
For the four of you (well, three, by the time this paragraph is done) who are wondering where I've been, recently I've gotten a part-time job as a manager for a little sales outlet at a certain major installment of my country. Anything more than that said, and I'm breaching my company confidentiality clause, so unfortunately this'll have to do for now. Owing to the fact that shifts are about 12-13 hours long, I've had almost no time at all to return, much less do up pretty art.
Thankfully, though, there is some progress. A few small updates, though:
I've dropped the dreadknight. Too much work involved to get his particle effects in place.
Each character will have two variations, one with and without the helmet.
Each character will have a bust and a portrait, derived from the bust.
Each character will have two sprite styles, one for Ace (32 x 32) and one for Mack (32 x 64).
What you see above is the almost* finished final product for the resource pack. Obviously, as my schedule is a bit more hectic now, there'll be one main change to how the next few resource packs play out - it'll be bi-monthly instead of monthly. The last resource pack I will release will appear in September, just before I complete my disappearing act.
*Subject to Spectre's schedule. Terms and conditions apply.
In the meantime, here's a small progress update for the next few days, and feel free to vote on Theme #2 in the comments below!
Aaand the vote results are in, ladies and gents... and one or two people pretending to be undead folk. I know who you are. Your titanium white makeup and lack of baths for three days don't fool me.
We've got a metric ****-ton of folk voting for "buff guys with fantasy swords", "knights" and "rugged knights", so the theme of the April-May release is, quite simply, Knights of the Non-Existent Table.
As there are a few sporadic votes as well, I'll list out the two runners-up for themes:
Sci-Fi/Futuristic
RPG Ladies/Femknights
As for the rejected themes, well, here's a quick explanation:
Goblins or Owlbears. Sorry Brackev, but I'm kinda racist against Goblins ever since one ripped me off at a bar. I'll consider for next month's release if the votes are good, though.
Elementals: Well, technically, knights are... metal... elementals?
Sexy-Alien Nurses: Just... no
Anyway, this release will have a total of 4 characters - each with their own face and bust graphics, and battlers. For each character, there'll be two different styles - one with, and one without, a helmet. For the techknight, unfortunately I don't feel like drawing his face, but rest assured you're not losing out, as he has both an alternate helmet and heavy armor variant. As you can see above, everyone has a dynamic pose, i.e. no standing straight and rigid like a guard with polio. That's the sign of assurance that Spectre Studios will not, under any means, release boring, run-of-the-mill battlers that look terrible (citation needed).
Unfortunately, I won't have the time to do up face variations, and obviously whatever I'm releasing isn't RTP (except sprites. Those will be made for Ace). Hope you like, and I'll be releasing more concept progress on the blog, and completed, unwatermarked images on the Resource Forum come May.
In the meantime, feel free to comment with any major changes or modifications you'd like to see (within reason), before I begin on the official linework.
P.S. The resources above are incomplete, and as such, are not intended for public use in commercial or non-commercial projects, or for any other form of display or educational purposes. They are solely demonstrations of concept work, and property of Spectre Studios. Plagiarists, use at your own risk.
P.P.S. Seriously, don't try to plagiarize from me. I have mod friends. You're fighting a very, very losing battle if you attempt to claim these works as yours. Peace out.
It has sort of come to my attention that I'm a rather ungenerous, Scrooge-esque individual who's primarily interested in earning cash off of his art. That is entirely true. I'm not here to make a lame excuse for that - I love money, and I don't enjoy doing work knowing I may not get paid, much less appreciated. If you're good at something, don't do it for free.
However, in light of recent events, I'd like to make two major announcements to the community.
First of all, I'll be leaving in September. I'm currently involved in mooting for my local university before my first official year as a law undergraduate, and I foresee a veritable torrent of activity after September when my term begins. By extension, I'll be gone for a very extended period of time, possibly forever if my schedule doesn't let up - which is entirely possible and probable, given what the older students are going through. In other words, there is a good chance I will not return.
Second, and this is a direct extension to the first, I will be releasing my own set of resources every month, on top of ReStaff contributions and miscellaneous bits I'm doing for Tsarmina's game Sugar Sweet.
All resource releases will be completely free to use. No catches, no fine print. Use as you see fit.
Be sure to credit me for the work. Obviously.
Also, it's Spectre/Spectre Studios, not Sceptre. I'm looking at you, random dude with 5 posts.
I will only be releasing Portraits, Busts, or Static Battlers due to time constraints.
The catch is, since I've barely enough time to do up freebies, this is the only time you can request specific resources from me. All resource packs will be released at the end of every month in the Resources Forum, under Spectre's Freebies (month & year).
How this works is fairly simple. Comment the types of resources you'd like to see from me, or their genres - sci fi, animals, robots, big armored guys with swords, big-chested ladies and skimpy attire etc. and I'll pick the most picked theme (within reason, and please make sure it's family friendly) and make freebies out of it.
If the poll/comments are largely ignored, I'll select a theme on my own accord, but mind you I'll be fairly upset about it and release significantly less resources for that month. On top of that, please note the following:
Obviously, no sexually explicit, offensive, or gory imagery. You will be reported.
Please do not suggest a specific description of your original character. I'm trying to work around generic themes for everybody to use.
Please do not ask me to draw My Little Pony. You will have your cookies and friends taken away from you.
I will not entertain re-sketches of existing resources, recoloring or drawing over another's resources. If you want a tutorial or comments on your artwork, please PM me in private.
So, exalt me, mortals, and comment with the top resources you'd like to see for this month.
A few of you may be wondering about art quality - no, it's definitely not going to be similar to the doodle I did above.
For those who have yet to see my works, or are unfamiliar with me, here is a link to my art thread.
Expect to see quality similar to, if not identical, to the pieces displayed below:
Now, it's open to you guys: ask away. I'll be publishing the first release for resources on 15th May, 2015, so vote away or suggest your favorite theme(s), and I'll churn out something that'll make unicorns go into depression for paling in comparison to what'll emerge from the dark bowels of my pen tablet.
