The OS-Tan Art Improvement Thread!

[NejinOniwa]

While I was scourging through the library of OS-Tan pictures on N-OS, i realized that there's an enormous amount of otherwise fairly well-made pictures, that are blatantly pixelate or otherwise poorly finished.

THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE!

Therefore, I say, LET US COMMENCE...THE SHOOPAGE.

As a first example, THIS...

went to THIS...

in just about one hour. I loevs my gimp.

More to come as we find moar stuff! Anyone else who has had a good go at shoopage, bring 'em up! I'll also get up more stuff as I scourge, crawl and edit moar.

SHOOP DA WOOP~

[VonDaab]

They're pixelated because they're made with an Oekaki software,
and because the original artist has chosent to do it so. Oekaki has aswell the ability to do "blurry" lines better called "anti-aliasing".

I know you want to make them better, but using blurr and smudge tool for that isnt the best way. Most of the lines look distorted and missplaced, or othervise just crappy. If you want to "improve" this drawing, I suggest redrawing(tracing) it.

IMO,
What you're doing here now, is ruining the artists original impression of the drawing.

[C-Chan]

Well I do have to agree with VonDaab -- not really sure if I want to call it improvement since the original artwork might have been left like that intentionally.  The pixelation certainly lends it a degree of sharpness that's lost with the blurring -- and while your version does lend it a degree of photorealism, that's not always desirable when creating Anime images.  

At best, I would probably say you're "collaging" a preexisting piece of work to suit your own tastes.  

On the other hand, I don't waste potential where I see it.  If you DO want to improve some pictures lying around, I've got half-a-million scrap art drawings that need shading, highlights, detail adjustments, or just basically Lotz of Love.  

Here's a Wii-tan that I abandoned when RenRen disappeared from the face of the earth:

http://ostan-collections.net/imeeji/albums/userpics/10570/Wii.png

And here's the ORIGINAL SAUCE for the Thai ME-tan that was an old commission work for someone [who eventually backstabbed me]....

http://ostan-collections.net/downloads.php?view=detail&id=67

Take your pic -- it's not like I'm ever going to go back to them again, so you're free to add any improvements you want.  

[Darknight_88]

Sorry Nejin. I know you started this with good intentions, but...

What you're doing here now, is ruining the artists original impression of the drawing.

This.

Thai ME-tan

I remember giving this a try in PS. After some time I gave up.  I can't find it anymore, I guess I deleted it at some point =/

[NejinOniwa]

Hey, no worries. I expected this anyway. Also since there's quite a few pixel artists around here, I guess I shouldn't really flaunt my RAGE about it, but really, it's just SO unnerving for me to see pixelate images. But I guess there are other ways of improving things, and other things to be improved.

Btw, with all the things everyone around here has worked on and abandoned, there should be enough stuff to fill up an entire section of abandonware imagery...it might be a good thing to gather a few things to start off from, no? At least, that's what I think.


Also.

What you're doing here now, is ruining the artists original impression of the drawing.

What I'm doing here is, frankly, trying to smoothen out the blocky design of the original to something more to my liking, while improving my own skills in the affected area. It's improvement on two levels. Besides, in the internet these days it's well known that anything you give out to public view and download can and WILL be messed with in various ways...including shoopage.

And while I agree that sharpness is a thing to strive for in anime-type imagery, one can ALWAYS, and easily, get too much of the good. Pixelate-type images fall under just that category, at least in my eyes. I'm not saying it's bad drawing - but every time I see a pixelate image, I think, "there's another work by a user who didn't finish his job". Pixelate means, to me, unfinished.
Improvement in the way of touching these up is, to me, improvement, and nothing else. Just as I get sad when seeing movies, animu and books ending..."wrong". And as the storywriter I am myself, I can't help but trying to finish the stories that were abandoned. As with these works of to me unfinished art, which I just can't leave lying.

Ah well. Enough of ranting. Up for the calls then:

How many of you have got (and how much) unfinished images lying around with no hand to draw the last touches on them? I propose we cobble them all together and create an "unfinished" gallery of its own. That way, those wanting to can pick them up and try carrying them into goal, and away.

Anyone on it?

[C-Chan]

Anyone on it?

You mean besides me and my Scrap Art gallery?  

I have a Sonata-san animated GIF just BEGGIN' to be go home with you.  

[Bella]

I can see where you would want to modify these images; while I have nothing against them, and actually like how that modded 2k-tan came out, I do agree it might be more productive to work on unfinished pictures.

I certainly have a few things I wouldn't mind seeing get done, but that I have just got no interest in completing. I would be very grateful if someone wanted to finish them, though

[NejinOniwa]

So. Scrap art, check. Now editors, because while I might be a tireless demon and sleepless to a fault, I've still got the same 24 hours a day that you have. I can't do this all alone, can I? ^^


In any case, I need something to keep me up tonight - since I just slept 3 hours last night, and I'm starting to get tired already - so if you'd like, post your scraps up for the take, and I'll have my pick.

[C-Chan]

First salvo.... ^__^

http://ostan-collections.net/post-51594.html#51594

Start it nice and slow,... see what youz got.  ^.^

[NejinOniwa]

I guess I'm more comfortable with raster graphics right now, so I'll work on the Wii one, then. See what I can get done in 1 hour...starting...NOW!

*flashes away*

[Aurora Borealis]

I'm working on revising the Thai ME-tan picture right now!

[CaptBrenden]

Okay, as far as this grand improvement project goes, I am for one against it in anyway shape or form unless the original artist gives express permission for us to do it.  In the case of C-Chan offering up his scraps for completion, thats wonderful! But going through the gallery and modifying works we feel dont meet the cut, thats a differnt story. I agree 100% with Vandaab that your ruining the artists original intention. I would no more approve of touching up images in our gallery then I would going into galleries in rome and touching up the pictures there.  

I also feel that it would be a very bad idea for use to potentialy offend our japanese counterparts and the original creators by modifying their works and essentialy telling them that "your doin wrong."  I feel that this whole project, if not limited to works where the artist gives persmission, could blow up in our faces.

I know I seem to have a doom sayers perspective on things, but thus far we have managed not to clash with the original creators enough to cause problems and Id like to keep it that way. There is a line out there somewhere, and we wont know we crossed it until its too late. Best not take too many steps towards it now, while we are well off.

[NejinOniwa]

Which was what I meant in the first (or, well, second) place - take OUR OWN PRODUCED scraps of art to the salvage grounds and make do with them.

Also, technically, unless someone's put a copyright on it, it's Fair Game, so to say. (and for me, it is anyway =w= ) Besides, I don't see a reason for any of the "original creators" to neither be known to us, nor be likely/able to view them in their modified form, if that was the case. I strongly doubt any of them ever even knew of this website, and if they did, I doubt they'd come here; and IF they still did, I doubt they'd care much. Especially if we do old stuff. Easy targets. (Wait, what am I saying here!?)

Oh well. 1-hour Improvement, successful or something? I think so.

From THAT to THIS in one hour, plus a few minutes for postage. Tax not included.

Added after 2 minutes:

So basically - no really intercepting changes so far, just added some basic shading and depth stuff to it, also edited the eyes and face a bit for a more "alive" look. I think I started experimenting with GIMP gradients halfway through. It saved me a great deal of time.

[attachment deleted by admin]

[CaptBrenden]

you know, just because something is legal doesnt mean it wont piss people off.  We are in the buisness of not pissing people off.  As an artist, I know I would be offended if someone modified my works because the didnt feel they were good enough. I mean, for instance that picture of 2K you claim to have "improved." As VanDaab said, its Oekaki, its a limited program. Its a testimate to the artists skill that they were able to create such a stunning peice of work with such limited resorces. Its a marvalous peice of work.  You smuched the hell out of it because you dont like pixel lines?  thats like adding dinosaurs to the monalisa because you think it would look cooler that way.  

As a gallery/collection site, it is not our buisness to improve upon others works.  We were created to honor those peoples works and put them up for display so that a larger audiance can view them.  Our contributions to the OS tan fandom is by creating new pictures and tans, not modifying them.  (just remember how our japanese counterparts went ape shit when dejavu decided to change NTs design because they didnt like it)

[Bella]

Yo, Nejin-san...here's an unfinished, unpublished picture I worked on back in Sept. of 2007. It's of an older RSX 11-tan. I dunno if you want to work with something so old, but you can try fixing her up if you'd like.

http://i155.photobucket.com/albums/s320/BellasOS-tans/fornejin.png

Only huge anatomical problem I see is her neck; if you could chop that down it's look better. Her hair might look better as a dark gray or black, too, and her eyes should be blueish. Thanks  ;010