Back to basics...

[[Cameron]]

I want to improve my arting talent so I'm starting off as basic as possible and working on that. Then when I'm confident i'll move onto something better. So, heres what i drew as simple as possible. It's supposed to be me.
Edit: As suggest by Mr Colossal I tried to relax his stance. Also made the colors a bit more muted and less blinding. Also some shadowing.

[Angelos]

Hi

Talk about simplicity !

Though, there are enough pixels to add much more.

My critique:

GENERAL
1) I personally dislike symmetrical figures. Ususally when a person stands, his pose is more casual. e.g. he puts the weight on one the legs, or he keeps one of his hands in a pocket. Having a character so small, you can't use face expressions to expess feelings. You have to use body language.


FACE
1) The Skin color and the hair color are both very bright. Try adding some darker shading in selected places.
2) The eyes are very close to eachother and very small. Try to enlarge them by adding around the black pixel some darker pixels with color in between the eye-color and the skin-color.

TORSO
1) Put a skin-color pixel beneath the neck.
2) Make the figure more manly by bradening his chest.
3) Shade the pullover to add volume

LEGS
1) They are too symetrical.

FEET
2) Make one foot seen en-face and the other en-profile. The way you have it now is
like both feet look to opposite directions. It is not a natural pose.

I hope I helped.


Angelos.

[Reptile]

Why do people make character sprites without drawing them first? Try drawing the character on paper then scane it then colour it using some minor shading, you'll see its much easier than making it from a plain white background. 

[[Cameron]]

I didn't sketch it because I have very little drawing talent. I find pixelling easier.

[Bernie]

I made an edit of your sprite:




I added some shading, changed some colors and gave him (or you) a different stance. Hope this helps!

Reptile - your way is a way to make a sprite, but characters like those in, say, Simon the Sorcerer were hand pixelled, no scans and such. Seeing as Zigs is aiming to make something pixelly in low-res, scanning a drawing and drawing over it isn't really neccessary.

Zigs - you could always study other sprites. That really helps a lot.

[RyRayer]

That is some serious upgrade. 
Mouth still looks wierd but that's OK.

[Bernie]

Another thing one can do is this, but it's a little harder to work with:

[stuh505]

You're so good Bernie 

[LGM]

Yes.. But I think Zigs wanted to stay simple.. Not get all Japanese Anime RPG!

[[Cameron]]

Thats exactley what I wanted to do LGM. It's nice art Bernie, but I want to keep it as simple as possible.

[Bernie]

Well, okay. Maybe it'll still give you some ideas.

[lgm]: I don't think my edit looks japanese/anime-ish. Would you mind explaining why you think it looks that way? Thanks~

stuh: You're better.

Here's a more simple edit:

[Bt-Unlogged]

Bernie,


   Great edits.  Ya da man.  I don't think your first edit looks Anime-ish - but your second edit keeps it simplistic, yet still adds detail.  You're very talented.


Bt

[Gurok2]

When I saw your character, I thought, "Hey! That's the same stereotypical blue jeans and red shirt outfit I used to get around in." So then I touched up your character. I added some shading and changed the stance a little.

Then I started adding little "characteristic" things. Like, I always wear a patch on my left knee. And I'm making the funky ridgey-didge symbol with my hand, 'cause I like to do that sort of thing. Your character should have something unique about it. You wanted to base it on yourself, so start by putting things in that resemble your "character", if you were one.

My paintover worked out shorter than your original, which is bad, because you had so few pixels to play with to begin with. But I felt the legs were too tall for his body. Consider making the character larger.

Hope this helps.