I need help on my pixelart

[Rikazu]

Hello everyone, I've been doing pixel art for quite sometime now but I don't have proper knowledge or background of study regarding it. I've been making games for 7 years now but I'm not really satisfied with the art that I'm doing, it feels like something lacks but I can't seem to describe it well. I want to learn to properly or do the pixel art that I like (I know that everyone has their own styles or how they learn it).

here are some samples of what I've lately made:





Btw what application do you guys use to make one?

[Siskan]

The most important thing to improve here is the anti-aliasing. Right now there's banding everywhere. Find any pixel art tutorial out there. It should mention how to do it properly. The aa on the last figure is also barely visible, you need more contrast.

Next step would be shading and highlights. Then they won't look as flat.


I swear by GraphicsGale. But there are more popular editors. https://www.slant.co/topics/1547/~pixel-art-sprite-editors

[CFKaligula]

Edit:

I changed a loot of stuff, but thats mostly so you can pick up on a lot of important stuff. So firstly you had a lot of banding, beginner's mistake. If you don't know what it is id prefer you look up what it is instead of me explaining it here.

Secondly, shading. I see that you made a shadow below the slime, that means light is coming from above and you should have a shadow on the slime as well.

Black lines, I saw that you had both black outlines as black "inlines". so the eyes and the lines around the mouth are black as well. I would say that 99/100 times black inlines are very ugly. Either give them a lighter colour like I did with the eyes or just remove them like I did with the mouth.

[Rikazu]

Edit:

I changed a loot of stuff, but thats mostly so you can pick up on a lot of important stuff. So firstly you had a lot of banding, beginner's mistake. If you don't know what it is id prefer you look up what it is instead of me explaining it here.

Secondly, shading. I see that you made a shadow below the slime, that means light is coming from above and you should have a shadow on the slime as well.

Black lines, I saw that you had both black outlines as black "inlines". so the eyes and the lines around the mouth are black as well. I would say that 99/100 times black inlines are very ugly. Either give them a lighter colour like I did with the eyes or just remove them like I did with the mouth.

WOW you did what I just imagined or want it to be.

The most important thing to improve here is the anti-aliasing. Right now there's banding everywhere. Find any pixel art tutorial out there. It should mention how to do it properly. The aa on the last figure is also barely visible, you need more contrast.

Next step would be shading and highlights. Then they won't look as flat.


I swear by GraphicsGale. But there are more popular editors. https://www.slant.co/topics/1547/~pixel-art-sprite-editors

Thanks for all the comments! I really appreciate it, I'm having a hard time on the Anti-aliasing part and even before, there is also dithering which is also same as it (that I can't do). I really wish I can do it fine now .

Since also, I believe I am having troubles in picking the right color(s) and matching them, I will start to do Grayscale ones instead.

[CFKaligula]

Dithering is a technique that should almost never be used anymore. Only if you go pretty high-res or for textures you should use it.
So for example on a stone some dithering would make it look rough. Id advice to stay away from dithering for as long as possible.

[Rikazu]

I see. I've been checking Pixel Art tutorials but some of them are too advanced or not quite easy to understand at first.