Add 1. 2D Art Contributor Guide

1.-2D-Art-Contributor-Guide.md

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+# 2D Art Contributor Guide
+
+This section explains the general 2D art requirements for NETFISHING.
+
+NETFISHING uses a warm, stylized, low-resolution visual direction. The project combines:
+
+- Pixel-style user interface art
+- Inventory and hotbar icons
+- Fish and creature illustrations
+- Character clothing and cosmetic thumbnails
+- Low-resolution environment textures
+- Simple signs and interaction symbols
+- Promotional and website artwork where requested
+
+The goal is not strict retro pixel art for its own sake. Assets should use deliberate pixel structure, limited palettes, simple rendering, and strong silhouettes while remaining readable in a modern third-person game.
+
+## Visual direction
+
+NETFISHING 2D art should feel:
+
+- Warm
+- Cheerful
+- Cozy
+- Handmade
+- Chunky
+- Slightly imperfect
+- Easy to read
+- Consistent with the low-poly 3D world
+- Stylized rather than realistic
+
+Prioritize:
+
+- Strong silhouettes
+- Clear color blocking
+- Limited palettes
+- Readability at the intended display size
+- Bold, recognizable forms
+- Simple highlights and shadows
+- Consistency with neighboring assets
+- Clean transparent edges
+
+Avoid:
+
+- Photorealism
+- Smooth airbrushed rendering
+- Excessive gradients
+- Very fine linework
+- Tiny details that disappear in-game
+- Large amounts of texture noise
+- High-resolution art reduced carelessly to icon size
+- Generic mobile-game icon rendering
+- Generative-AI-created artwork
+
+## Reference characteristics
+
+The current reference direction uses:
+
+- Cream and tan interface panels
+- Dark brown text
+- Muted green tabs and controls
+- Large rounded corners
+- Simple item silhouettes
+- Fish and creatures built from a small number of strong colors
+- Selective dark outlines
+- Small bright highlights
+- Low-resolution grass and soil textures with repeated angular shapes
+- Minimal visual effects
+- Accent colors reserved for important items and creatures
+
+## Main asset categories
+
+Contributors may work on:
+
+- UI panels and button graphics
+- Inventory and hotbar icons
+- Fish and creature sprites
+- Journal thumbnails and larger illustrations
+- Character clothing and cosmetic thumbnails
+- Environment textures
+- Signs and interaction icons
+- Emotes
+- Promotional illustrations
+
+Each issue should identify the intended asset category and final use.
+
+## Human-made work only
+
+Do not submit generative-AI-created:
+
+- Illustrations
+- Icons
+- Sprites
+- Textures
+- Concepts presented as original artwork
+- Paintovers generated from another artist’s work
+- Upscaled or altered generated images
+
+References may be used for inspiration, but submitted assets must be original human-made work.
+
+Do not submit:
+
+- Ripped game assets
+- Copyrighted commercial art
+- Unapproved marketplace packs
+- Traced artwork
+- Assets with unclear licensing
+- Work copied from another project
+
+## Recommended software
+
+Suitable tools include:
+
+- Aseprite
+- LibreSprite
+- Krita
+- GIMP
+- Inkscape for vector source work
+- Affinity Designer or Photo
+- Photoshop
+- Blender for UV preview and texture testing
+- Godot for final import and in-game review
+
+The final file requirements matter more than the specific software used.
+
+## Repository organization
+
+Use the issue’s specified path when provided.
+
+Suggested organization:
+
+    art/
+    ├── source/
+    │   ├── ui/
+    │   ├── icons/
+    │   ├── fish/
+    │   ├── creatures/
+    │   ├── cosmetics/
+    │   ├── environment/
+    │   └── promotional/
+    └── exported/
+        ├── ui/
+        ├── icons/
+        ├── fish/
+        ├── creatures/
+        ├── cosmetics/
+        ├── environment/
+        └── promotional/
+
+Examples:
+
+    art/source/icons/items/coffee.aseprite
+    art/exported/icons/items/coffee.png
+
+    art/source/fish/bluegill.aseprite
+    art/exported/fish/bluegill_journal.png
+
+    art/source/environment/grass/grass_olive.aseprite
+    art/exported/environment/grass/grass_olive.png
+
+## Required deliverables
+
+Unless an issue says otherwise, include:
+
+- Editable source file
+- Exported PNG or SVG
+- Asset dimensions
+- Palette or color list
+- Screenshot at actual in-game size
+- Screenshot in the relevant Godot UI or environment
+- Notes about transparency
+- Notes about tiling, if applicable
+- Related issue number
+
+For animated assets, also include:
+
+- Frame count
+- Frame timing
+- Looping behavior
+- Sprite-sheet layout or individual frame convention
+
+## Readability test
+
+Before submitting, check the asset at:
+
+- Native resolution
+- Actual in-game display size
+- A typical gameplay screenshot
+- A smaller window size where applicable
+
+Ask:
+
+- Can the object be identified immediately?
+- Does it still read without zooming in?
+- Are important edges distinct?
+- Are the colors too similar to the background?
+- Does it contain unnecessary detail?
+- Does it fit beside the existing UI and environment art?
+
+## Start from an issue
+
+Do not create large batches of unsolicited assets without discussing them first.
+
+Good questions include:
+
+- What is the target size?
+- Is this an icon, illustration, or texture?
+- Does it need transparency?
+- Should it tile?
+- Is nearest-neighbor scaling required?
+- Does it need an outline?
+- Will it appear on a light or dark background?
+- Is animation required?
+- Are color variants needed?
+- What is the final Godot node or material using it?
+
+A quick clarification before drawing is better than rebuilding a completed asset.