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Tutorial - 85 - Player Shot

If ur gunna shoot em’ up ur gunna need a gun. Learn more in the full feature.

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Tutorial 86 Source File

The original source file for Tutorial 86. See exactly how I organize and animate the tutorial.

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Pixelblog - 32 - Shmup Design Part 2

Strap in for another round of space shooting goodness, as I delve into weapon types, pickups, and environment design. Click on the link below to blast off!

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Stone Language - 2

An isolated natural stone pillar was the climax to a hot summer hike. The high afternoon sun exposed every crack and oxidized pattern, highlighting the textural beauty in this ancient monument.

My color count got pretty high for such a small piece, but every color felt necessary in order to capture the depth and details of the bleached light of the high sun. 

64x64px 128x128px canvas
39 colors
Photoshop

Thyrian Defenders - 76

Hey space cadets, I got the latest word from the Thyrian universe. The Hyperspace Alpha intro scene is all animated together, and it's on to Draconia. I've spent most of my time this past week testing the game, as we've been tweaking the balance of things in response to feedback dealing with accessibility and pace of progress. With all the balancing changes the game is much easier to get into and progress faster. Even for a pro player like me, I find the tweaks make it much more enjoyable. It...

February Schedule 2021

Hey folks! One month down and 2021 is off to a good start. We started the beta playtest for Thyrian Defenders a couple weeks ago, so that's exciting. It's going well and we've already made significant improvements in response to helpful feedback. Testing will continue throughout this month, so that will keep me busy, along with marketing work and finishing the story content. However, I still have some nice content planned for this short month.

I'll continue to keep you updated with th...

Thyrian Defenders - 75

Work continues on TD as we conduct the beta playtest. We've been getting good feedback and are busy improving the game. Thanks to those who are participating in the testing. If you are interested and would like to join the playtest, we still have capacity to accept more testers. Resister here to get piped in http://thyriagame.com/beta.html

As for this update, I'm showing some work on the intro scene to Hyperspace ...

Seaway Checkpoint

Here is the static version of Pixelmotion 28. I kept things simple and used bright cheery colors for this laid back scene.

171x96px
30 colors
Photoshop

Pixelmotion - 28

Seaway Checkpoint

The seaway offers safe routes, but it’s not free. Travel across uncharted seas at your own risk.

171x96px
30 colors
138 frames (0.1s frame delay)
Photoshop

Stone Language - 1

I’m excited to present my first entry in a new Pixelminis series. Rocks and minerals was the most popular category in the selection poll. I gave a lot of thought to my approach for this series, as I want it to be artful and authentic, not just pixel studies of images from the internet. Therefore, to bring my own expression to the subject, I decided to focus on local rock formations that I’ve observed and photographed in person. That means it’s pretty much all limestone, but this magical...

We need you!

Attention new recruits!

We still have openings to fill for our beta playtest group. We’re looking for dedicated testers who are willing to play through the whole game and supply us feedback, which can take about 10 hours for the first time player. However, testing will take place over several weeks, so you are free to play at your own pace, and are under no obligation to play if you don’t like it.

If you’re interested and willing to put in the time, we’d like to welcome ...

Thyrian Defenders playtest announcement

Attention new recruits! It’s been a long road to bring our vision of the ultimate shmup into fruition. After more than 4 years of development, Thyrian Defenders is entering the beta playtest phase! With much excitement, and nervousness, we call your thumbs to action.

Since we are only a team of 2, we feel it will be most effective and manageable to test with a small dedicated group. Therefore, to get things started we’re looking to round up about 20 testers. We apologize for the exc...

Heaven Needle

After the surface was mutilated into a wasteland of monsters, the survivors with privilege and means sustained a relatively high quality of life within sky colonies.

Artwork featured in Pixelcast 41

150x150px
38 colors
Photoshop
6 hours 10 minutes

Pixelcast - 41

It's been a long time since the last Pixelcast. Fortunately, I still remembered the workflow. In this episode I make a purely imagined scene, which is part of the Beast Planet universe. I haven't shared much of this fiction through my pixel art, but It's one of the richest imaginary playgrounds I have in my head. I'm excited to bring a new iteration to life through my pixel art. Enjoy the video!

Watch on YouTube ...

Pixel Minis series selection round 8

Okay folks, the most popular choice in the previous poll was nature. Now I'd like you to help me narrow down the specific natural goodness I'll be dabbling in. I know it's hard to choose just one, but I like to make these series consistent with a specific theme and format. Suggestions on the style of presentation are welcome. 

Thyrian Defenders - 74

This is for the introduction of Crypto, home planet of the Kraken. The Royal Space Force must protect this vital habitat, as the Kraken are the providers of precious plasma energy. The Exodon have come to harvest some energy for themselves and cause chaos through wanton destruction. Reports confirm a large craft bore its way into a nesting lair, jeopardizing millions of potential Kraken lives. Get down there and stop this menace!

Created with Photoshop and After Effects. 

Our System - Exclusives Gallery

For this gallery I've put together all the exclusive entries in the series, which includes many prominent moons and one dwarf planet. I really had to get imaginative with texture in this series, while carefully balancing the colors to maintain a sense of volume. It's amazing how much detail can be packed into 64x64 pixels. Depending on the subject, you can hardly call them Pixelminis!  

Our System - Planets Gallery

As customary, it's time to cap off another Pixelminis series with a gallery. I had a lot of fun and learned much on this journey through our solar system. Through the process of creating this series I've gained a greater sense of place in the cosmos. The more I learn the more I appreciate the miracle of our existence. It's impossible to peer into the heavens and not get lost in dreams. 

Pixel Minis series selection round 7

Time to start a new Pixelminis series! Help me narrow down the subject by participating in the poll. I'm feeing pretty open to various ideas, so for this selection I present very broad subjects. Depending on what gets picked I will have a follow up poll with more specific parameters. Please choose one.

January Schedule 2021

Happy 2021! I don’t like to put certain days on a pedestal, because I believe every day is significant and has equal potential for greatness. A year is comprised of days - make every one count. Seize every day and you’ll compose a year worth looking back on with fondness and pride.

2020 was a challenging year of much change, but I can still look on it with gratitude. The turmoil helps season my creative expression, and in turn, the art helps keep me grounded through the hard times. ...

Our System - 15 - Pluto

Pluto was reclassified as a dwarf planet in 2006, but it will always hold a special place of wonder in the minds of those who grew up when it was considered the 9th and farthest planet. Named after the Roman god of the underworld, this tiny planet would be a torturous habitat for a human, but it’s no hot hell like we typically associate with the underworld. Pluto is a frozen world covered in water ice, mountain ranges, and craters. The New Horizons spacecraft flew by Pluto in 2015, taking m...

Our System - 14 - Triton

Described as a frozen wonderland, Triton’s surface features a whimsical mix of craters, and geysers. This rugged moon always keeps the same face turned toward Neptune. Orbiting in retrograde, it circles the planet in the opposite direction the planet rotates. in about 3.5 billion years. Triton will succumb to Neptune’s gravity, breaking up into a ring system. Voyager 2 is the only human spacecraft to have flown by Triton in 1989. There are no other missions planned for the foreseeable fut...

Thyrian Defenders - 73

Merry Christmas to all! Hope everyone is enjoying the holidays. As scheduled, I've got a little TD update to make things a bit merrier.

This is some finished marketing material, which we'll publish on our Steam page. It will do for the beta, but my dream artwork to use in some instances would be something like the Star Wars movie posters with all the prominent characters, ships, and even some settings all collaged into one epic composition. If I can't find a realistic way to make that...

Our System - 13 - Neptune

Neptune is the farthest planet from the sun in the Solar System, since Pluto was reclassified as a dwarf planet in 2006. The atmosphere of this distant planet is very much alive, propelled by record setting wind gusts of over 1,200 miles per hour. Upon observation over the decades, large storms that could fit the entire Earth inside have come and gone, appearing as large dark spots on the planet. The atmosphere is made up of hydrogen and helium, with traces of methane, water, and ammonia. The...

Tutorial - 84 - Aerial Explosion

Goodness gracious great balls of fire! Learn all about how to make it go boom in the full feature.

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Tutorial - 83 - Projectiles

If you wanna shoot em’ up your gunna need some projectiles. Learn more tips and tricks on how to create awesome projectiles in the full feature.

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Tutorial - 82 - Enemy Units

Let’s make some things to destroy! Enemy units make up a large portion of the game design and should be crafted with care. Learn more in the full feature.

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Tutorial - 81 - Player Ships

Oooh, that roll action! So simple, yet so sweet. Much more explanation on the nuances of creating the player ship and animating the roll in the full feature.

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Tutorial 83 Source File

The original Photoshop source file for Tutorial 83. See how I organize and animate the tutorial.

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Pixelblog - 31 - Shump Design Part 1

Drawing from my experience on Thyrian Defenders, I present a stellar tutorial series covering sprite design, projectiles, explosions, and many design aspects of making a shmup. Click the link below to start your journey.

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