How do graphic artists get so good?

I just was at my friends house and we played Age of Empires 2. How are the buildings so real? The castle even has weathering marks on it!

Uh...maybe it's a secret that only kewlos artists know. I WANNA KNOW IT TOO!!!! >:( I am working pixel by pixel on my tilesets. They are decent but I sure could use some realistic looking stuff.

I heard they used textured 3D models in AoE...but that might be a rumor or something.... Other than that its prolly just practice ;)

I think it is rendered 3d textured graphics, that would be almost impossible to make any other way...what programs do they use? Other than 3D studio max...is Truespace any good? Pov-ray?

rofl, you can always take a screen shot of AOE and use those textures! j/k :)

I was thinking about that...those buildings look pretty good...hehehe ;)

Lol... You can look at them and spend hours trying to recreate another version for yourself. That is what I do. An then, you created it! lol

Hey DarkMoose, since I have some free time and I guess I am going to start practicing my drawing, you want any help you your tiles?

btw. what kind of game are you making, Steve?

I just thought of this a few days ago, so it isn't going to be started for a while...but It will be a medieval rpg...not with dragons and magic though, it will be more realistic. The main character is forced into a thieves guild because his family was kidnapped, so you have to go around stealing for them. And I'm not going to give away the ending...;)

I'm trying to start a Midiaval RPG too...Do you mind sharin some code with me, lol! I am a beginner

I haven't made many games in VB either. Im using BitBlt. I learned it from fox http://www.foxmccloud.tsx.org.

Like I always say. Vb isn't the fastest language! So USE your possibilities and take DDraw. It workes just as easy, and has many speed advantages

You know any really beginner tutorials I could look at?

I really should do the URL of this genious page into my signature. But I don't want anybody to think the page would be mine.

www.ur.co.nz

that's it

thanks, I'll check it out :D