Add 1d. Fish, Creature, and Journal Art

1d.-Fish%2C-Creature%2C-and-Journal-Art.md

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+# Fish, Creature, and Journal Art
+
+This page covers fish portraits, creature sprites, journal thumbnails, and larger collection illustrations.
+
+## Style goal
+
+Fish and creatures should be recognizable, charming, and species-specific without becoming realistic scientific plates.
+
+Prioritize:
+
+- Body silhouette
+- Fin shape
+- Tail shape
+- Major markings
+- Distinctive colors
+- Recognizable anatomy
+- Strong direction and pose
+
+Simplify:
+
+- Individual scales
+- Fine fin rays
+- Tiny anatomical details
+- Subtle realistic color transitions
+- Complex surface texture
+
+## Reference style
+
+The visual references use:
+
+- A limited palette per creature
+- Selective dark outlines
+- Small bright highlights
+- Flat or lightly shaded body regions
+- Exaggerated fins or identifying features
+- Clean transparent backgrounds
+- Side or top-down views depending on the creature
+- Enough detail for species recognition without realism
+
+## Thumbnail and large-art relationship
+
+Fish may appear in:
+
+- Collection grids
+- Cooler cards
+- Shop lists
+- Catch showcase panels
+- Journal detail panels
+- Promotional graphics
+
+The issue should clarify whether the contribution requires:
+
+- One source image reused at several sizes
+- A dedicated thumbnail
+- A dedicated larger journal illustration
+- Several directional views
+- Animation frames
+
+A large illustration may not reduce cleanly into a thumbnail. Dedicated thumbnail cleanup may be required.
+
+## Suggested sizes
+
+Provisional defaults:
+
+| Use | Suggested size |
+|---|---:|
+| Small collection thumbnail | 64 × 48 or 64 × 64 |
+| Cooler or shop thumbnail | 64 × 64 |
+| Journal detail art | 192 × 128 or 256 × 192 |
+| Large catch presentation | 256 × 192 or larger if specified |
+
+Issues should provide exact dimensions.
+
+## Orientation
+
+Use a consistent orientation within a category.
+
+Common fish may generally face left or right consistently.
+
+Do not flip text-bearing, asymmetrical, or anatomically important art without checking.
+
+Top-down creatures such as turtles may use a top view when that best communicates the animal.
+
+## Anatomy and exaggeration
+
+Reference real anatomy, then simplify it.
+
+Good exaggeration includes:
+
+- Larger identifying fins
+- Stronger body taper
+- Clearer stripes
+- Larger claws
+- More readable shell sections
+- Simplified barbels or tentacles
+
+Avoid turning different species into the same body shape with new colors.
+
+## Palette
+
+Each creature should use a controlled palette.
+
+Typical structure:
+
+- Main body color
+- Secondary body color
+- Shadow
+- Highlight
+- Dark edge or outline
+- One or two marking colors
+
+Rare species may use stronger accent colors, but should still fit the project palette.
+
+## Highlights
+
+Highlights should be small and graphic.
+
+Good:
+
+- Short cream streak
+- Small white cluster
+- One bright edge
+- A few reflective scale marks
+
+Avoid:
+
+- Large smooth glossy gradients
+- Airbrushed shine
+- Plastic-looking full-body highlights
+
+## Transparency
+
+Creature art should normally use a transparent background.
+
+Remove:
+
+- Stray pixels
+- White halos
+- Reference backgrounds
+- Unintended semitransparent edges
+
+## Scientific names and text
+
+Do not bake names, labels, rarity, weight, or scientific information into the creature image.
+
+Godot UI will display text separately.
+
+## Rarity variants
+
+Do not recolor an existing fish to represent rarity unless the game design explicitly defines that as a variant.
+
+Rarity indicators belong in the interface unless the creature itself is a distinct variant.
+
+## Source organization
+
+Suggested layers:
+
+- outline
+- highlights
+- markings
+- body
+- fins
+- shadow
+- reference
+
+References must not appear in the export.
+
+## Deliverables
+
+Include:
+
+- Editable source
+- Exported PNG
+- Native dimensions
+- Creature name
+- View direction
+- Palette
+- Thumbnail preview
+- Larger journal preview where required
+- In-game screenshot
+- Related issue number