{"author_link":"\/users\/sobigdrasil","author_name":"Sobigdrasil","author_uid":"sobigdrasil","comments":[],"epoch":1777098623,"event":"LD59","format":"md","ldjam_node_id":432029,"likes":26,"metadata":{"p_key":"96693","p_author":"Sobigdrasil","p_authorkey":"1065865","p_urlkey":"312339","p_title":"How to make art for a game when you have only 2-3 days?","p_cat":"LDJam ","p_event":"LD59","p_time":"1777098623","p_likes":"26","p_comments":"0","p_status":"WAYBACK","us_key":"1065865","us_name":"Sobigdrasil","us_username":"sobigdrasil","event_start":"1776470400","event_key":"113","event_name":"Ludum Dare 59"},"node":{"_collation":{"body_sanitizer":"TextUtils::SanitizeHTML via existing importer","event":"LD59","removed_author":false},"_superparent":424249,"_trust":1,"author":65865,"body":"## Hey, everyone! I would like to share with you some tips and tricks I used to do art for our game.\n\nI thought that it could be helpful for everyone who doesn't know where to start but wants to improve the art side of a game. I know that my style isn't everyone's cup of tea, but I can say that these simple rules have never failed me (so mb you can find them useful).\n\n\nAt the end of a day we have very limited time and the one big lesson I learned through gamejams: **cut the scope**\n\n\n![guide_to_style_01.png](\/\/\/raw\/941\/01\/z\/72a77.png)\n\n\n### The secret isn't skill but decisions that were made early.\n\n\n- First and most important: find your **mood and references** of art the moves you, games you like to look at and try to captivate not a particular style, but mostly mood and atmosphere. It's not cheating, it's your style compass. I collected ~30 different images from Pinterest what helped me a lot to lock our style and also helped our composer to start working on music.\n\n\n- Second is: find a nice **palette** that would give you an extra kick on a style. You can go on Lospec (what I personally do a lot when I don't have much time) or take 4-5 colors from game you like, photograph you find beautiful or even pinterest. A restricted palete makes everything looks intentional (even if it isn't xd).\n\n\n- Third Pillar: **Strong shape and silhouette**. As a 3D animator I can say that nothing helps your work more than a very nice, pushed and clean shape. Silhouette is a structure that will work as a nice glue for your art.\n\n\n- **Simplification** - and we are on the 4th stage of making good art. When we don't have time let's use flat art, bold outlines, minimalism and treat them not as a shortcuts but like a deliberate style.\n\n\n- The last but not the least rule I put on the wall in front of me: **CONSISTENCY**. One asset that is different from the whole style hurts the perception of a game more than just a simple clean style. Keep everything the same from the moment you made first asset - the brush, palette, the outline's thickness, level of details, scale of items on the screen etc. If it's hard for you to keep consistency - work in the same file or use your character(main point of interest) as an anchor of a style.\n\n\n#### These rules saved us during this jam and I hope they could save you on the next one :3 If you have any questions _OR_ you have your own secrets how to draw art for game and not become insane - share them in the comments below! \n\n![Shell_02.png](\/\/\/raw\/941\/01\/z\/72a76.png)\n\n### And if you're curious to see how I applied those rules to our game you can check it here >\n\n## [OUR GAME](https:\/\/ldjam.com\/events\/ludum-dare\/59\/jims-quest-for-birthday-present)","comments":4,"comments-timestamp":"2026-04-25T18:59:18Z","created":"2026-04-25T06:14:43Z","files":[],"files-timestamp":0,"id":432029,"love":26,"love-timestamp":"2026-04-27T17:25:01Z","meta":[],"modified":"2026-04-27T17:25:01Z","name":"How to make art for a game when you have only 2-3 days?","node-timestamp":"2026-04-25T06:33:45Z","parent":424425,"parents":[1,5,9,424249,424425],"path":"\/events\/ludum-dare\/59\/jims-quest-for-birthday-present\/how-to-make-art-for-a-game-when-you-have-only-2-3-days","published":"2026-04-25T06:30:23Z","scope":"public","slug":"how-to-make-art-for-a-game-when-you-have-only-2-3-days","subsubtype":"","subtype":"","type":"post","version":1371989},"node_metadata":{"n_key":"432029","n_urlkey":"312339","n_parent":"424425","n_path":"\/events\/ludum-dare\/59\/jims-quest-for-birthday-present\/how-to-make-art-for-a-game-when-you-have-only-2-3-days","n_slug":"how-to-make-art-for-a-game-when-","n_type":"post","n_subtype":"","n_subsubtype":"","n_author":"65865","n_created":"1777097683","n_modified":"1777310701","n_version":"1371989","n_status":"WAYBACK"},"source_url":"https:\/\/ldjam.com\/events\/ludum-dare\/59\/jims-quest-for-birthday-present\/how-to-make-art-for-a-game-when-you-have-only-2-3-days","text":"## Hey, everyone! I would like to share with you some tips and tricks I used to do art for our game.\n\nI thought that it could be helpful for everyone who doesn't know where to start but wants to improve the art side of a game. I know that my style isn't everyone's cup of tea, but I can say that these simple rules have never failed me (so mb you can find them useful).\n\n\nAt the end of a day we have very limited time and the one big lesson I learned through gamejams: **cut the scope**\n\n\n![guide_to_style_01.png](\/\/\/raw\/941\/01\/z\/72a77.png)\n\n\n### The secret isn't skill but decisions that were made early.\n\n\n- First and most important: find your **mood and references** of art the moves you, games you like to look at and try to captivate not a particular style, but mostly mood and atmosphere. It's not cheating, it's your style compass. I collected ~30 different images from Pinterest what helped me a lot to lock our style and also helped our composer to start working on music.\n\n\n- Second is: find a nice **palette** that would give you an extra kick on a style. You can go on Lospec (what I personally do a lot when I don't have much time) or take 4-5 colors from game you like, photograph you find beautiful or even pinterest. A restricted palete makes everything looks intentional (even if it isn't xd).\n\n\n- Third Pillar: **Strong shape and silhouette**. As a 3D animator I can say that nothing helps your work more than a very nice, pushed and clean shape. Silhouette is a structure that will work as a nice glue for your art.\n\n\n- **Simplification** - and we are on the 4th stage of making good art. When we don't have time let's use flat art, bold outlines, minimalism and treat them not as a shortcuts but like a deliberate style.\n\n\n- The last but not the least rule I put on the wall in front of me: **CONSISTENCY**. One asset that is different from the whole style hurts the perception of a game more than just a simple clean style. Keep everything the same from the moment you made first asset - the brush, palette, the outline's thickness, level of details, scale of items on the screen etc. If it's hard for you to keep consistency - work in the same file or use your character(main point of interest) as an anchor of a style.\n\n\n#### These rules saved us during this jam and I hope they could save you on the next one :3 If you have any questions _OR_ you have your own secrets how to draw art for game and not become insane - share them in the comments below! \n\n![Shell_02.png](\/\/\/raw\/941\/01\/z\/72a76.png)\n\n### And if you're curious to see how I applied those rules to our game you can check it here >\n\n## [OUR GAME](https:\/\/ldjam.com\/events\/ludum-dare\/59\/jims-quest-for-birthday-present)","title":"How to make art for a game when you have only 2-3 days?","wayback_source":[]}