"Basilisk 2000" (Aesthetic/Moodboard)

"Basilisk 2000" (Aesthetic/Moodboard)

[sources: x / x / x / x / x / x x ]

Aesthetic/moodboard for the horror game 'Basilisk 2000' made by Akuma Kira @stylishkira, made in GIMP and Aseprite with stock images from pexels.com and wikimedia commons (CC BY 4.0). The pictures have been edited via color indexing.

(I recommend opening the aesthetic/moodboard in a separate tab for the best viewing experience, tumblr really compressed esp the top right picture.)

Good thing the video by Sagan Hawkes about this game taught me that 'perfection is the enemy of finished', or I would have struggled to finish this piece. Which is kinda fitting.

I found and followed a tutorial by tofupixels about color indexing with palettes in Aseprite and found out that this isn't just great for making pseudo-pixel-art backgrounds, but also for emulating the low poly graphics of the 2000s web and video game graphics. Which in turn made me remember this little game and inspired me to try and make a moodboard for it in a matching art style.

I (re)listened to the video by Sagan Hawkes about the game while making the moodboard. Making this was fun and a bit frustrating at times. But I also learned a lot, which is always great (and a good antidote to perfectionism, since learning new things is always an improvement imo).

I might post some of the graphics I used (or didn't use) for this piece separately, since I like how they came out so much.

"Head In the Clouds" (album/playlist cover + 2 variations)

(sources: x / x / x )

Digital collage made in GIMP with stock images from pexels and unsplash. My first attempt to make grunge-poster-style art.

It took me *far* too long figuring out how to correctly modify/use the noise filter plus a few other settings to get the 'grunge poster' type artstyle I had seen and admired online. Once I figured it out, I did a very quick test and also tested out 2 variations, which you can see here.

Not 100% the look I am going for, I want to do black-and-white artwork with colored/colorful highlights in the future, but for a first test this is pretty nice imo. Reminds me a bit about the soft grunge days on tumblr tbh.

Can't wait to properly get into grunge and maybe even xerox style art - I would really love to design posters for example.

[background picture: x ]

Mixed media collage with an original drawing made by me that I then edited and colored in GIMP, and combined with a picture from pexels.com for the background. Based on whatever the heck Kane Pixels may or may not be teasing in his instagram stories and on his server connected to sun imagery and the phrase "splendor"/"splendid".

Further thoughts below the cut:

This was *awesome* to make; I haven't done traditional drawing in a long while and while I had to edit and combine multiple drawings in GIMP, it was great to see that I could make something like this myself completely from the ground up. I honestly wasn't sure I could and seeing that I indeed can do this is a huge boost for my self-confidence.

Coloring isn't something I am very good at tbh, but this gives this piece a sort of uncanny look that I actually think fits it quite well. Kinda gives it tarot-card vibes a bit.

To give a bit of background on the inspiration for the pic, Kane Pixels has had a few instagram stories and posts in his server that include similar motifs; a smiling sun and the phrase 'splendid'/'splendor'. Personally I think it might maybe be connected to the "Splendor Solis", but it could also just as likely be trolling on his part. We'll see.

No matter whether this ends up being *anything* on his part, it was fun to try and recreate the general idea and feel of the posts and just run with it, and to prove to myself that I could make something like this in the first place.

I have a different picture with a stock photo background as well as a picture with just the sun-mask-figure, which I will hopefully also post in the future.

"Mind Your Head" (Digital Collage)

[add sources! sources: x / x ]

Two variations of a digital collage made in GIMP with stock images from pexels.com.

An original piece, believe it or not. I mostly just wanted to cut out the 'doorframe' and then played around with what I could put into the resulting space. I actually planned to put a person in there, but looked at the picture I ended up using and it just fit so well.

I really like the contrast between the dark blue and the red, though the visibility in the 2nd variation makes the uncanniness of the 'doorway' stand out more in some ways.

While this piece is not consciously inspired by anything, it reminds me of SCP: Overlord, the Backrooms, and House of Leaves.

"The Pixel Giant" (pixel art)

My first pixel art! Pixel art/sprite of 'The Rolling Giant' from Kane Pixels' The Oldest View series. The original Julien Reverchon Giant was made by Kevin Obregon. I made this in Aseprite and upscaled it for better visibility.

So I really wanted to make pixel art *and* I wanted to make more fanstuff for The Oldest View, since there doesn't seem to be a lot of fanart etc. online. From this I got the - frankly - bonkers idea to make a pixel sprite of The Rolling Giant from TOV.

I didn't think my attempt would amount to much tbh, considering this is not exactly what I would call a 'beginner friendly' entity to recreate. But somehow, it turned out very well imo. I guess because there are some creative liberties that can be taken, but also because I might actually be able to do stuff I didn't even think was possible.

Of course, I could still improve bits and pieces, but for a first try I think this is...actually great. I am quite proud of myself, not just for making this, but for even trying in the first place.

(Making this has also reminded me that making art is great for the self-confidence it can bring, the joy of creating things, but also for the inherent feeling of community and 'silent communication' - so many things intersected that lead me to make this, and I am grateful for all the people and the art that has touched my life as I look at this little sprite. Even if some of them may never know I exist.)

(Also, this is likely only funny to me, but the creator of TOV goes by Kane Pixels and people make pixel art of TOV)

"Ladybug" (pixel art)

Made in Aseprite. 2nd ever pixel art project/sprite, made on the first day trying out Aseprite for pixel art.

(A big thank you to pixel artists like @tofupixel, @pixelartjourney and all the others who post tutorials, share their knowledge, and encourage people to try their hand at this artstyle. I wouldn't have even tried this if it weren't for you and people like you!)

(Originally written 08/24/24) HOLY SHIT I AM DOING PIXEL ART LET'S GOO-

Ahem. Sorry for the outburst. But like. At the point I am at rn, first preparing this post, I made this piece literal minutes ago, and it is my *first day* attempting to do pixelart and like...I love this piece. So much. I haven't felt this giddy in a while, which is saying something, considering how happy making art has made me feel those last few weeks.

After I made my first project (a little sprite, which I will also post soon), I wanted to try other stuff in Aseprite, preferably stuff I might be able to make into patterns for example. I thought about veggies and fruits first, then thought of a ladybug. Considering they are meant to bring luck and I love those little critters, it was a perfect choice.

There's still room for improvement, obviously - my first attempts at lighting anything but what I did in this version wasn't...great. But considering I spent about 2-3 hours on this and this was my second ever project/first day of doing this, I'd say this is a huge win.

I might continue to tinker around with this, we'll see. But I am already so happy with this version I wanted to share it.

Also, for anyone reading this (in which case - thank you for letting me ramble lol) - I used references and am not very fluent in Aseprite yet, and still I was able to do this. I do not think it is some kind of inherent 'talent', just determination and willingness to try a hundred different things until one is satisfied with the result. As well as the joy of creating stuff.

If I can do it, you can do it too, is what I am saying. I never would have thought I'd be able to make something like this and yet I did. And I think others can too.