[WIP][CC] Chibi Commission

[Capta1n_Henry]

Ok so a guy asked me to make his oc for him here:

This is what I have so far:

EDIT: Final Piece:

Thanks for guiding me on this journey guys!

[MysteryMeat]

Not to be too harsh, but you might want to start over from the top here.
Try to work from the reference more, get a feel for what the shapes you need and don't need are.
The body is mostly fine, but the head is way too big and feels overdetailed in comparison

[Capta1n_Henry]

the head is way too big and feels overdetailed in comparison

Isn't the head supposed to be thing that stands out on a chibi?

[Capta1n_Henry]

Ok, I probably should've asked for critique on the base itself before the sprite. Is there anything else wrong with the base besides the head?

[Rosier]

I would stay away from perfect diagonal lines.  The arms are too stiff and should have a different length and less rigid shapes.

[Pizza Tom]

A bit sloppy of an edit, but you should get the idea. Some thoughts:

• You had 32 colors, way too many for a sprite this size. At 14, my edit is still a bit much.
• You're trying to pack too much into a small space. Details like the necklace, belts, or even checker pattern won't read well at this size.
• Before you do any kind of detailing, make sure you can see the forms well. I.e. don't checker the skirt until you can tell it's a skirt.
• The pose is a bit dull, especially with the symmetry. If she needs to be waving, why not exaggerate it a bit? Tell us something about her personality by the way she waves. (obviously not addressed in my edit)
• The eyes and mouth are important to get right at this scale, since a single pixel difference can completely alter her expression. Take your time, and try to get the emotion across rather than the specific details (i.e. eyebrows, eyelashes).
• You shouldn't pixel on a white background, it throws your perception of color off.

You may need to start from scratch, like MysteryMeat said. I'm not sure how much good a base like that will do you, maybe try a simple blockout of colors first, like this (example not mine, it's @puppiesandanime)

[MysteryMeat]

What he said. That base is pretty bad, and I don't really think bases are a good idea for art in general.

there's personal-opinions-on-bases in that spoiler, if you'd rather pass on that don't click, but...
Spoiler

If it's a commission, you should really not use bases in the first place unless they're ones you make yourself. And even then, I find it a bit of a morally grey tactic.
They're paying for your art, not art that's made using someone else's prefab work or really prefabbed work in general.
Plus, you don't learn a whole lot if you stick to bases and premade poses, you have to be willing to fail before you can start to get good.

[Capta1n_Henry]

I drew a few poses and styles I found on Google. Which one do you think would be better for someone of my skill? Ignore the bottom right one. (Picture's huge so I'm not gonna put a direct link)

http://imgur.com/T1G5cvA

[Capta1n_Henry]

Trying to make another body

[Capta1n_Henry]

Ok I think I've decided on pose and stuff. Does the body look ok?