Awake animation is complete 

I write too slowly. It would never happen. I may submit a talk to GDC or something like that however.

Completed the double-claw animation.

Thanks for the feedback. I just completed the double-claw animation.



plus, transitional arm/disarm animations:

Congrats on this milestone! And excellent fireworks

Yes. It's hard to explain but now you got it 

Your new shoes are great too. Love the ox. Dragon is better but too much noise on the body, it's hard to read--I think it's the claws, legs and arms. I think this can be improved. I like the dragon eye change a lot.

Here's how I'd break up the layers with a bit more empty space.

|  >   )
|  >  /
|\ `^^/   }}}/\
| \  /   >__/  \
 \ \| __/__<_  |
  `/ _/___/  \ |
  / /         \ \
{{{/}         {\_}}}


|  >   )
|  >  /   
|  `^'/   }}}/\
 \   /   >__/  \
  ` | __/__/-, |
   / _/──'   \ |
 _/ /         \ \
{{{/}         {\_}}}


Additionally, but still on the same topic, I see a problem where you sometimes connect the front layer with the back.

_\   /
__\ /
___(
___|\
__/\ \


_\   /
__\ /
___\
___|\
__/\ \

or

_\  .'
__\'
___\
___|\
__/\ \

or even

_\  .'
__\'
___|
___|\
__/\ \

Good point. Animation is not everyone's cup of tea, I suppose. The techniques do transfer between mediums. I have done some pixel, pencil&paper, stop motion, vector, 3d, and now ascii. All of them are fun to work on but take lots of time.

On this topic, the Crawl logo tutorial is really cool

I type directly. It's not tedious, it's amazing fun and no more work than pixel art animation.

              _
             /,\
            /; \\
            )  //
              //
             //
            ('


              _
           ,;·.\
          /´   \\
               //
              //
             //
            ('


         -..,__
           `-·.\
               \\
               //
              //
             //
            ('


         
           `.
            \`.
             '.\
               \\
               //
              //
             //
            ('


              (
              :\
               .\
               ||
               ||
               //
              //
             //
            ('


             (
             :\
              ))
             //
            ./ 
            || 
            ||
            ||
            \'


          .·´(
       ·´     \
     ·       .´
   /        . 
  /         | 
 .          | 
            ' 
'            \
/´¯¯ ¯ `·· ·- 


 ,.---.,______
/´¯¯ ¯ `··-·--


 _,.--..-----.
/´¯¯ ¯  ¯¯¯ '-


      __
 _,·´·-·.`'·-.
/´¯       `' -

    .-·._
  ,;' `·.,`'-.
 /´        `'-

     _     
   ,;.·.       
 ,:´  `·`·.
 )       `·`·.
           `'-

      _     
    ,;.\       
  ,:´  \`.
  )     `.\
          \`._
           `'-
       _     
     ,;.\       
   ,:´  \\
   )     \\
          \\
           \\_
            `-

            _     
          ,;.|       
        ,:´ ||
        )   ||
            ||
            ||
            ||
            '-

              _
             /,\
            /; \\
            )  //
              //
             //
            ('

Animating a secondary attack for Bolesh, the Insatiable. Double claw attack. Loosely based on the Starcraft 2 Zerg Queen's melee attack.

               _                
          /\  ||\  /|          
         //\\ ||\\/_'--._      
       -´´  \\||/¯_ /\ __`._    
         __ /¯¯¯\/.|/\\--(\/    
      ,-°∞ )    //||/_\\-´\\    
        _/¯ \  ´/´||¯ //   \\  
              ¯¯  // (´     ``-
                 (´   `        
                  `            
   _
  /,\_
 /; /,\
 ) /; \\
   )  //
     //
    //
   ('

      _
     /,\_
    /; /,\
    ) /; \\
      )  //
   __(/¯//
,-'o ) //
  _/¯ ('
       ¯¯¯

    _____
  ,;----'.`.  
,:´       `.`-  
)           ¯

    ,__  
  ,;-.,`-._    
,:´    `-.,`'-  
)          `¯

    _    
  ,;.`.      
,:´  `.`.
)      `.`.
         `.`._
           `-

    _    
  ,;.·.      
,:´  `·`·.
)       `·`·.
           `-

      _    
    ,;.\      
  ,:´  \\
  )     \\
         \\
          \\_
           `-
              

 ,.---..,_____
/´¯¯ ¯ `··-·--

Trying to decide the color of the web in the background. Surprisingly difficult decision to make.

http://www.stonestory.co/gifs/bolesh_web_color.png

Original

      _____
     /   \ `\
    │ - - │ \│
    │  (  │ /│
   .┤\(-)/   ├─.
  / │       \>  \
 /  </      /    \
(   │\    \> ┬    )
├   / \/ \/  │    ┤
│\_│ .│\_/.  │\__/│
│  │ .│  │.  │/   │
├. │ .│__│.  /│  .┤
│  │-_│▄▄│_-` │   │
├  │          /   │
(  _)  ──,   (_|  )
 \_<    ││    \__/
    \__ │ \__  )
    (___)  (___)
     │  │   │  │
    /_  /   │__│
   (__)/     (__)



Some ideas

      ,,,_
     /· ·. `.
    │ - - '  )
    /  (  |  )
   ( `(-)´   )─.
   (       `)   \
  /( `     /     \
 │  (    `)  ┬    )
 │  /\   /   │    │
 \_│ .`-´│.  │\___/
 │ │ .│  │.  │/   │
 ├ │ .│__│.  /│  .┤
 │ │─_│▄▄│_-´ │   │
 │ │          /   │
 ( │  '──,   (_,  )
  `(    ││    \__/
    \__ / \__ )
    (___) (___)
     \/ (  │\/
   _/=/  ) |\=\
  (__).·´  '(__)

Sorry, I've been head-down for the last month and only now checking on Tig.

I agree, alpha-numericals should be avoided if they pop-out. They activate a separate part of the brain and can ruin the art unless you use this effect intentionally. I often use V, v, O, o and sometimes 7, M, Y, X and W. That said, the Stone Story font is 'sans', therefore alpha-numericals mix better with the line art, and was a decision done fairly early in the project. I have experimented with 9 and 6 for eyes and it helps draw attention to the eyes while giving more options for expressions, especially when animated. I am not using this trick in SS but I recommend trying it. I am using ó and ò instead.

I think your art is good, however the 'texture' is rather homogeneous. The wings on the dragon need more work. You can make use of negative space to give shading and depth when layers of the character are overlapping, instead of working so hard to separate the layers (wing, neck, wing), it becomes flat--in this technique the layer behind concedes the cells, with the layer in front receives the detail. This would be useful in the far arm of the dwarf to go stronger in the 3/4th perspective. In this example, the arm is the background layer which concedes resolution in favor of the body. Deliberate empty space between the arm and body make it look as if the arm is behind. Don't forget the useful Center Dot.

 _
 \`·.
  \  `·.
   \    `.
   / `'·-.>
  < __.-´/
   \  .´/
    )´  \
     `·, \-

It has been over two months since I last posted. Just wanted to make it clear I am still working hard on Stone Story--one task at a time--until it is complete. Right now I am working through each level and item in great detail and polishing them all.

I have picked up another (big) project that requires some of my focus. I hope to share more information about it, when it becomes possible to do so. It's an ambitious game with a full team. I am the lead gameplay dev and I expect the production to last over a year. This has pushed my schedule for Stone Story forward by a few months, but has not affected my vision or determination. It is important to adapt and not miss out on great opportunities as they present themselves!

      *
      |
     .'.
     | |
    _|_|_
   /|_|_|\
  |=|_|_|=|
  |_|_|_/_|
  |_|_|//_|
  |_|_|/|_|
 /|_|_|_|_|\
|=|_|_|_|_|=|
|=|_|_|_|_|=|
|=|_/_|_|_|=|
|=|//_|_|_|=|
|=|/|_|_|_|=|
|=|_|_|_|_|=|
|=|_|_|_|_|=|
|=|_|.-.|_|=|
'=|_||_||_|='

  ____
./    `--,
'-()--()-'

       O
      /\_
 ==-,-7. \
  (_)'´ ¯(_)

Work in progress


Final:

Working on a new NPC

 .--.     .--.
/  __\.-./__  \
'.´ .{ o }. `.'
 |  \ `-´ /  |
 ´   )   (   `
      .-.
  ,-. \ ´ .-.
  `· \ ) / ·´
 .·  _/¯\_  ·.
 `--´ `-´ `--´
      .-.
  ,-. \ ´ .-.
  ` /  )  \ ´
    \_/¯\_/   
  .·  )-(  ·.
  `--´   `--´
      .-.
      \ ´ .-.
 ,-.   )  \ ´
 '- `-/¯\-´
  .· /`°´\ ·.
  `-´     `-´




Final:

Stone Story will be on show at Pax East next month, at the Indie Megabooth!

If you attend the event come by to play!

If anyone would like to meet at GDC, send message. I'm showing SS a bit there.