Feedback For A Robot Sensei?

[Yeet]

Hey,

I've just discovered this forum, and it seems like a really nice place.
I started getting into pixel art properly in January, and I feel I've gotten a lot better since then, but I know I still have a long way to go until I reach the point where I feel "good enough". Anyway, I'd really appreciate it if you could take the time to give me some feedback on my art, as it's pretty much essential for me to get better.

It's supposed to be some sort of robot, what do you think?:

[Sersch]

Hey, you need to copy "direct link" of imgur for it to work in this forum, its the one starting with an i.imgur.com/...

in your case: http://i.imgur.com/xQwJfc3.png

[Yeet]

Thanks, as you can tell I'm new around here.

[MysteryMeat]

It looks good but it's missing something. Perhaps look to samurai jack for some inspiration, but one thing I'd change is the static, spack posing.
Another would be some robes, or a waistcloth.
And the last would be gifting him a properly sagacious staff.

[Aniki]

Some things that I notice:

1. The joints don't look like they are connected. Especially true of the upper legs where to me, it looks to me like sheets of metal welded on top of each other. In places like the elbows and shoulder-upperarm  connections, it doesn't look like there are any joints at all. It doesn't have to look realistic but I find that art tends to look less "off" if each component has an "explanation/suggestion" for it's existence and how it works if that makes sense.



This robot for example would definitely not actually be able to stand and walk around, but you can see how it would if it could. I think that helps make it feel right when you look at it.

2. I like the general colors, but I think you could reduce the number that you are using. Your hue-shift is awesome looking on the pallet but on the figure I don't think it's working. You have way more colors than you need given the size of each single-color-area.

3. The shape your shading takes doesn't seem to match the intended shape of the volume. For example looking at the knee area, the shadows are round but the shape is rectangular. I didn't do a great job but here is my attempt at how I would shade something like this:



I think you are going for a rusty feel to the metal, which is manifesting itself as the little strokes of shading coming in to each other which I don't think works. Here I tried to make the metal look rough and rusty by adding imperfections to my dithering which I think looks way better than the way I had it before.



I'm not that great an artist but hopefully this gives you some ideas.

[Yeet]

Thanks for the response MysteryMeat  , I completely understand what you mean about it missing something, but I should have stated before that I plan to use the finished sprite in a game. The character is essentially in its most basic form, as upgrades to the sprite come later in the game, however, I do plan to add a cape or robes like you suggested. This also partly explains its static pose, as what you're seeing is it in its stationary stance. I definitely agree though, despite it being in its resting pose, it could still have a more interesting stance, to give it more life.
Thanks again for the feedback, I feel this forum will help me improve a lot.

[Yeet]

Thanks for such a helpful response Aniki! I'll definitely take action on the things you've mentioned. I too like the colors, but could you elaborate on how to make them "work" on the sprite and not just the palette, please? Did you mean just lose a few of them?
I really like the improvements in shading you've made to the legs and hand. I don't know if it was it was clear that the light yellow/orange part near the top of the leg(and the other parts) was supposed to a sorta low glowy light source, but now you've edited it I think it'd look better without them. Also, I really like the rust effect you've added to your dithering; I'll definitely be using that.

Thanks.