[WIP] Self Portrait

[bluknight]

I'm not really experienced at all with spriting, but I've been roaming around these forums the past couple days and doing so has been making me want to try.
A lot of people have self portraits, so I thought I would try one myself.

I tried to do some of that magical dithering stuff...

So, here's what I have so far. If you have any tips, please do share. I think I'm going to try to determine my palette in full before continuing...
I don't know if that's how people normally do it or if they create it as they go along, but it's getting really annoying to make it as I go along.


First:
The hand currently sucks. The only thing that looks at all decent is the neck.

Second:
A little more work done...
I don't think the hand looks so bad, I added basic shading to the face to give a better general idea of the whole picture.

Third:
Added dither stuff to the face, nose and eyes look better now I think... I need to lighten the colors of the lips.

[Niss]

Hey I'm a bit in a hurry so I can't go much into detail - anyway:
I wouldn't start dithering so early. Throw in a few shades and play with the palette. I wouldn't stick to a palette before you have done a lot more shading'n stuff on the portrait - I'd rather develop it with the picture. Although you can already decide in what direction you want to go colour-wise. Well but that's a matter of personal preference. You certainly don't have to stick to the colours of the photo. Well that may sound a bit weird but I'd decide what characteristic of yours you want to emphazise and bring out with the portrait. Then choose your colours accordingly.
Ok gotta go - good luck!

[bluknight]

Thanks for the advice. It's a little late for this one, but my next I will definitely try that way.


Could anyone give me any tips on how to do the hair and the facial hair?
I'm thinking with the facial hair I might try to use that crosshatch dithering stuff.