I think it looked better without the details you added. But I like the roboter's shape and look a lot. I'd love to see the reference.

edit: I just realized I can find it in the book's preview. Nice for exercising. But how about creating a brand new sprite for your game instead of using someone elses? 

An edit I made, tried to make it pop out more, hope it helps, good luck.

I think the skin is too dark to have enough contrast to the hair. Either the skin should be lighter or the hair should be darker than in your example to be better defined.

I agree so far. And it cerntainly it is not that simple as I just wrote it down.

Bringing up Leonardo da Vinci's drawings and comparing it to ones sketches today - regardless of weather those are good or not - you may not want to ignore the fact that in da Vincis times anatomical studies for example were something outrageously new and, the way da Vinci learned it, something strictly illegal and dangerous, too. We all benefit from his work today. So one should always keep in mind the temporal context and the originality in art as well as the plain result.

Uh, the question what is art - I have seen other communities stumble about this before, I guess the definition of art is defined individually.

That is going to be hard to explane now: In German language I am always on about telling people to differentiate between art and and somehow nice looking pictures and objects - which is more precisely to be called illustration in my opinion. And illustration to me is not art in a deeper meaning just as design is not art to me. Its rather some pretty and/or functional handcraft to make something work better or to casually comunicate with people in a way, maybe, and it is somehow related to art of course. But real art to me is something that is meant to touch people deeply, to stimulate and to make them think, even to make them change opinions or perspectives. Doesn`t matter if this works on a large amount of people or just on the artist him- or herself though. And it doesn't matter if it is commercial or not. And again of course the bounderies whrere this would begin and that would end are not that clear... But as being a graphic designer I would never call myself an artist - my aims are just not that ambitious.

But I know that the English language is more open in the definition of art and almost anyone that is creative in a way is called an artist. Quite confusing to deal with that for me, in a way.  

In other words: you might fiercely disagree but pixel art as you define it here to me is not really art, at least not by my German definition. Its more exactly some kind of illustration first of all. Which doesn't mean it is not possible to create real art by pushing pixel I guess.

Beat me up now, if you want.

OK, I give up, you wonīt be on my side, I guess. 



And now for something completely different...