[WIP?] Thunderflash Hero

[MisterFox]

I think I came up with a title for this game I had in mind but I forgot. I know this makes my ambition for it look incredibly half-assed.

Anyway, I made this at work just now. I haven't really done any sprites (or "pixel-art" though I feel I'm insulting the genre as I use this term)  and even back then I was nothing more than an amateur, so this was a refreshing and fun thing to do.
Took me long enough, anyway. About an hour or more. Probably more.

This is my first post, so this can be considered an introduction and maybe you guys can also tell me what you think and what things I should reconsider when doing other sprites and graphics. To be honest, I'm not perfectly happy with the colours and/or the palette in general. If you got a nifty suggestion or just a thought-provoking thing to say, please share it! Thanks in advance!

[Aelyrin]

I'm wondering why you have all these shades of each colour, but no real solid shading aside from the hair. I mean, if you wanted him to be flat-looking, then by all means, you can ignore me. (I'm not being rude, honest! I'm just saying it's fine by me if you didn't want shading.) But I did go ahead and do a little edit. Now, I'm no expert, so I can't really do a whole lot, but shading is my favourite part.
I added wrinkles to the shirt and collar-thing, as well as highlights in the hair. I didn't change the shape of it, though, which is something I feel it needs... Also, you have extra blues in your pallet that are not used.

My last point is this would probably benefit from a light source. You have three that I can find!
On the legs and arms, it comes from either side; on the pants, it comes from between his legs; everywhere else, it comes from straight in front of him. I think I managed to unify them in my edit. When I was about to save, though, I realised his face had a different light source, heheh. But I changed it.

I was then going to up the contrast, but I was afraid it would change the feel of the piece. He seems really dusty like he's been traveling a lot.
Anyways, here it is. Hope this is at all helpful.

[MisterFox]

I'm wondering why you have all these shades of each colour, but no real solid shading aside from the hair. I mean, if you wanted him to be flat-looking, then by all means, you can ignore me. (I'm not being rude, honest! I'm just saying it's fine by me if you didn't want shading.) But I did go ahead and do a little edit. Now, I'm no expert, so I can't really do a whole lot, but shading is my favourite part.
I added wrinkles to the shirt and collar-thing, as well as highlights in the hair. I didn't change the shape of it, though, which is something I feel it needs... Also, you have extra blues in your pallet that are not used.

My last point is this would probably benefit from a light source. You have three that I can find!
On the legs and arms, it comes from either side; on the pants, it comes from between his legs; everywhere else, it comes from straight in front of him. I think I managed to unify them in my edit. When I was about to save, though, I realised his face had a different light source, heheh. But I changed it.

I was then going to up the contrast, but I was afraid it would change the feel of the piece. He seems really dusty like he's been traveling a lot.
Anyways, here it is. Hope this is at all helpful.

Boy is it ever! And I appreciate it. See, I know I still got problems with colouring and shading, like, a lot, a friend of mine pointed out a lot of things you did as well when I showed her. For some reason, even now, I still pick palettes that lack any real contrast and in combination with me being cautious with that contrast, it ends up looking flat.

Thanks for your input. I'll consider it (= I'll goddamn study it) and practice some more. Maybe going to start over from scratch with this one.

[NaCl]

Getting good contrast is hard, I always struggle with it. It seems to take a delicate hand and a constantly objective eye, because its real easy and obvious when you overdo it, but not at all obvious when you underdo it. Since you made the piece it looks clear, but to someone else looking at it, it looks washed out and indefinite.

I think you were actually really close, Ael tightened it up but I think it could be taken a bit farther. Keep playing with it.