Lileya and BMH's Phantasy Star IV Project

[Lileya]

These are both looking really awesome. And I think the color choices are very accurate. I wish I was that good at matching sprite colors. I'm still a newbie at doing cross stitch projects without patterns to tell me exactly what should be used. I compare what both PC Stitch and KG Chart suggest, but even then I often pick something else entirely. I'm kind of inclined to get all OCD about it and obsess and debate with myself over my color choices endlessly, and I'll still end up a little disappointed with my choice after it's stitched and ends up looking way off. I swear, colors can look so different in the skein or on a bobbin from when they're stitched! And that's not even getting into how colors can look completely wrong before stitching or even after stitching but then perfect when the project is farther along.

I'm exactly like you, I get so obsessive compulsive about it and change my mind 4 times... I pull stitches just because the color is slightly off hue and have to restart hours of work... For this project, because it's a pretty important one to me, I actually stitched on a scrap fabric all the possible colors and picked the best ones from there. But I'm still doubting myself... XD

I think its also not how close the color you pick will be to the pixel color, but also how the colors you pick blend well together. Some colors I've picked looked pretty close to what I was seeing on screen but once put together, it looked really weird so I changed one of the color then. Not that I'm an expert or anything, I'm pretty new to this too ^_^;;

[Aggie Tsubi]

Yeah, I totally agree about the color relationships. I'd rather get that right than match exactly what's on the screen, especially when different screens will make the sprite look different, and a cross stitch piece is never going to have the brightness of an image on a backlit screen, anyway. The last thing I'd want is to have colors that are supposed to have noticeable contrast blend together too much, or to have colors that are supposed to have a gradual, smooth change from one to the next to have too much contrast and clash. In that regard, I often find it helpful to look at the official DMC names of the colors I'm working with and stick with a "sequence" if I'm dealing with something that, in concept, would be one solid color (like hair, skin tone, a solid-colored article of clothing, whatever) but has multiple colors in the pattern because some parts are in the light and others in the shadows. I've noticed that PC Stitch and KG Chart just picks out whatever, with no regard to sequence unless it happens to pick a sequence by chance, and then one or more of the colors will be leaning slightly more toward another color than the others.

[blackmageheart]

It's been too long since I posted about this! So busy with samplers and things!
Anyway, I recently got back to this and worked on it a little more:

BMH_Rika_WIP_Aug.jpg (86.12 KiB) Viewed 5115 times

I've started working on the darker colour of her hair since this picture. I actually changed the colour twice because I wasn't happy with it! But it's looking better now. Hopefully will get some more done very soon!

[Lileya]

Go girl!

So what color did you use for the darker pink?

I was thinking to change some colors around for Rika, like not using the skin tone for the shinny part of her hair, but rather a lighter pink. I feel when the game was created, they couldn't afford to use too many colors back when because it was an older game, so I'd like to use more colors than they did. But anyway, I'm ahead of myself, poor Rune won't get done for another 3 years at this rhythm...

[blackmageheart]

Been a while since I stitched much of anything, but recently I've been forcing myself to do it (my therapist calls it behavioural activation - you get motivation by making yourself do things) and so I've managed to make a little progress with Rika.

Rika_BMH_6.jpg (131.14 KiB) Viewed 5022 times

I've done all of the remaining colour in the hair and started on her cape (3843)
And I forgot to mention previously that I changed the darker colour in the hair to 816.

[starrley]

Ooh, BMH, Rika's looking awesome!

[Lileya]

I've done all of the remaining colour in the hair and started on her cape (3843)
And I forgot to mention previously that I changed the darker colour in the hair to 816.

Oooh, it's looking awesome!! *_*

Great choice on 816, it looks so much nicer than if you had picked the same brown as the skin.

I've been desperately trying to find another dark blue to use than 3843, but I have to face it, 3843 is the best choice...
Have you ordered the new DMC colors? For the lighter blue, I think 3890 might be better suited than 3846. I haven't had the chance to stitch both colors next to each other though and see how it truly looks.

[blackmageheart]

Have you ordered the new DMC colors? For the lighter blue, I think 3890 might be better suited than 3846. I haven't had the chance to stitch both colors next to each other though and see how it truly looks.

They aren't available in the UK yet *grumble* but as soon as they are they will be ordered! If you do get the chance to see if the 3890 is better than the 3846, let me know!

[Lileya]

They aren't available in the UK yet *grumble* but as soon as they are they will be ordered! If you do get the chance to see if the 3890 is better than the 3846, let me know!

Ok I stitched both 3890 and 3846 next to 3843 and I have to say, 3890 is definitely a better color than 3846 for the lighter blue. 3890 is pretty much just a lighter version of 3846. The only problem is once it's stiched next to 3843, there's just too much contrast as I find 3843 to be too dark for the darker blue.

So, frankly, I don't know what to do personally! Picking colors is seriously the bane of my existence!! XD

[Jack Lias]

You're making great progress on this, and Phantasy Star IV is one of my favourite RPG's. I can't wait to see the finished result!