From 3fb4f812dff78afce3bfe10debd057756887ba84 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Alexander Sellite Date: Sun, 26 Jul 2026 15:17:19 +0000 Subject: [PATCH] Add 2a. 2D Visual Style and Palette --- 2a.-2D-Visual-Style-and-Palette.md | 213 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 1 file changed, 213 insertions(+) create mode 100644 2a.-2D-Visual-Style-and-Palette.md diff --git a/2a.-2D-Visual-Style-and-Palette.md b/2a.-2D-Visual-Style-and-Palette.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..4ad9945 --- /dev/null +++ b/2a.-2D-Visual-Style-and-Palette.md @@ -0,0 +1,213 @@ +# 2D Visual Style and Palette + +NETFISHING uses warm, palette-limited, pixel-style 2D art that complements its chunky low-poly 3D world. + +The art does not need to follow a strict historical console limitation. It should still look deliberately constructed at the pixel level rather than like smooth high-resolution art that was reduced afterward. + +## Core visual qualities + +Assets should generally use: + +- Limited color counts +- Clear blocky silhouettes +- Intentional pixel clusters +- Minimal antialiasing +- Simple shadow shapes +- Small selective highlights +- Warm neutral interface colors +- Muted environmental colors +- Brighter accents for interactive or collectible elements + +Avoid: + +- Smooth vector-like antialiasing in pixel assets +- Soft airbrush shadows +- Large blurred highlights +- Heavy texture noise +- Photorealistic detail +- Excessive gradients +- One-pixel noise scattered without purpose +- Colors that blend into surrounding panels or terrain + +## Shared palette + +The following colors are a starting reference rather than an absolute restriction. + +### Light neutrals + +| Name | Hex | +|---|---| +| Cream | `#F3E3C5` | +| Pale panel | `#F8E8CB` | +| Warm highlight | `#FFE8C2` | +| Soft sand | `#D7A35F` | + +### Browns and earth + +| Name | Hex | +|---|---| +| Warm tan | `#D5AA72` | +| Caramel | `#B77A2E` | +| Dock wood | `#8A4F23` | +| Dark timber | `#4E2816` | +| Deep soil | `#6B2D1A` | + +### Greens + +| Name | Hex | +|---|---| +| Olive grass | `#A3A62A` | +| Moss green | `#6F7D19` | +| Dark foliage | `#40552C` | +| Muted UI green | `#5D7A61` | +| Deep UI green | `#354C39` | + +### Water and cool accents + +| Name | Hex | +|---|---| +| Seafoam | `#8FD3C4` | +| Turquoise | `#2F9E9A` | +| Deep teal | `#176F73` | +| Navy outline | `#0D1B2A` | + +### Bright accents + +| Name | Hex | +|---|---| +| Fox orange | `#D94908` | +| Playful coral | `#F04F73` | +| Strong red | `#C9003D` | +| Golden yellow | `#F0A000` | +| Purple accent | `#55305F` | + +## Color hierarchy + +Use calmer colors for: + +- Large UI panels +- Terrain +- Background decoration +- Common item frames +- Structural elements + +Use brighter colors for: + +- Characters +- Rare fish +- Important items +- Selected controls +- Notifications +- Bobbers +- Interaction icons +- Shop highlights +- Rarity indicators + +Do not make every object equally saturated. + +## Shading + +Preferred shading is restrained. + +Most assets should use: + +- Base color +- One shadow color +- Optional highlight color +- Optional outline or edge color + +Small icons may use only two or three colors. + +Larger fish illustrations may use several colors where species markings require them, but should still avoid smooth painterly rendering. + +## Highlights + +Highlights should be: + +- Small +- Purposeful +- Positioned to describe form +- Drawn as clean pixel clusters +- Limited to important surfaces + +The creature references use small cream or white highlight marks rather than broad glossy gradients. + +## Outline policy + +NETFISHING does not require a heavy full outline around every asset. + +Use one of these approaches depending on the asset: + +- Selective dark outline on visually important edges +- Dark local color at the shadow-facing edge +- No outline where strong color contrast is sufficient +- Full outline for tiny icons that otherwise lose readability + +Avoid inconsistent one-pixel outlines that appear and disappear accidentally. + +Dark navy, brown, dark teal, or dark purple may be more appropriate than pure black. + +## Pixel clusters + +Good pixel art uses connected, intentional shapes. + +Prefer: + +- Larger coherent clusters +- Clean diagonal rhythms +- Deliberate stair-step edges +- Controlled texture patterns + +Avoid: + +- Random single-pixel noise +- Dithering everywhere +- Unnecessary checkerboarding +- Jagged shapes caused only by poor resizing + +## Background awareness + +Contributors should know the likely background. + +Common backgrounds include: + +- Warm cream UI tiles +- Tan panels +- Olive grass +- Brown soil +- Teal water +- Dark green tabs + +An icon that looks good on white may disappear on cream or tan. + +Include an in-context screenshot with every submission. + +## UI color language + +Suggested UI roles: + +- Main panel: warm cream +- Inner panel: sandy tan +- Primary tab: muted or deep green +- Text: dark brown +- Secondary text: caramel or muted tan +- Selection: green outline or stronger contrast +- Warning: coral or orange +- Disabled: low-contrast cream, gray, or muted tan + +## Environment texture language + +Environment textures should use: + +- Large angular patches +- Low-frequency patterning +- Limited palettes +- Subtle value variation +- Clearly repeating but not distracting motifs +- No realistic photographic surface detail + +The grass reference uses overlapping angular shapes in nearby olive values. + +The soil and cliff reference uses dark brown and reddish shapes with sparse marks and denser texture near the base. + +The texture should support the 3D form rather than overpower it. \ No newline at end of file