Mh. we all know these marks. we all make these marks. we make them in the first 5 minutes of each sprite. lively sketching keeps things alive, and im9today has a great eye.
If he intends to make these pixel art, why is there little or no polish past the first few minutes when, if you start as well as you have here, it won't reduce the liveliness? It would sure as hell help your colors (regionally, not individually) which are perhaps the only thing lacking.
The reason? Like the thread says, these are nice scraps. They aren't meant to be finished.
This is beautiful pixel work that almost takes pixel art beyond pixel art.
Beautiful? Without a doubt. Pixel work? Not at all. It doesn't go "beyond" pixel art, it avoids it like the plague. transcending and diverging are not the same and shouldn't be confused.
(for clarity, I think going beyond pixel art would be elevating each pixel to the extent that it becomes itself rather than part of a picture. these pixels aren't even
considered let alone elevated.)
I like divergence, but the goal is different. I still wonder if pixel art is a choice that matches the goals of these quick pieces. I'm not convinced that it helps it in terms of style, process, or presentation.