Update #2 - Graphics design

When I start designing the graphics for a game I take out a notepad and make sketches. I like to do this to get a feel of the design of the world before I start the drawing tool.  Also, iteration begins in this phase. Drawing a sketch, taking the bits I like into a new sketch and adding new ideas makes the creativity flow. At least for me.  Some ideas get a nice V next them and some get a nasty X. That's just the way it goes.

The art style I am aiming for is loosely based on the graphics you would see in the Arcades of the late 80's. With that decision made I also set myself the following restrictions:

• A colour palette of 16 colours. I chose the Pico-8 palette as I like the vibrant colours and the lovely contrast.
• Main sprite sizes of 24x24
• A screen size of 800x600, with double pixel sizes. This makes the screen look chunky and leaves me with enough detail to add stuff not possible in the old days, which takes me to the next point:
• Every addition needs to look as it could have been done in the day.

With restrictions comes creativity. There's a lot you can do with 16 colours but you have to make it work and it takes effort. A single colour choice can make or break a design. This makes graphics design and animation interesting and challenging. Every pixel counts and I like that. 

Designing the rockets was fun. How can you make it look and feel like a rocket when the wrong colour choice can make it look like a beer glass?  :)

A colour change and small simplifications led to the correct feel. Iteration is important and nothing comes out perfect in the first passes.

The landscape also went though a few iterations before I was happy with it. For the first areas we'll travel over a rocky surface with grass here and there... Or maybe this texture will become the landscape for Area 2. I do not know yet. Having only a few colours made the texture very important and I'm quite happy with the design I came up with.  All graphics will receive another pass later on in development to polish it some more: