Nes Controller

[Jaffa]

Hey,

I started to learn to pixel today and I got to the point where I had read a fw tutorials and felt like having a proper go without any tutorials to work from. I took into perspective what I knew and started to use a picture of a Nintendo Nes Controller and started work in GraphicsGale.

This is what I got:

The Line art:   Shading:

What do you think? I thought it was okay, untill I looked at some other people's work, then I thought it sucked. 

I would like to hear comments on what you think I have done correct/wrong. I only started today, I hope it's cool!

[Crazy Asian Gamer]

Hi.
You were better off than I was when I started. Good job picking up skills like this!
  Trust me, it takes time to pixel like those crazyass pixelpushers here.

Anyways:

I edited your picture. One aspect is that you use many unnecessary colors in your picture. DO learn to economize your colors. I managed to reduce your color count from 14 to 10. Colors that are extremely close together (in this picture's case, would be the multiple shades of gray that look alike), should be merged together.
As I use GraphicsGale, you can quickly "merge" two colors together by CTRL + dragging one color onto another (in other words, replacing a color with a copy of the other), and then, from the palette menu, merge similar colors together.
I also gave your picture a third dimension. I picked a random vanishing point and lined it up using that.
I varied the hues, and added some details to your controller. I also added some (not very good) texture to the dark "grip" pad... thing. (Yes, I used to have a NES...)

[Andy Tran]

 That's a good edit there Crazy Azn, however I think it lacked something. 16 colors to make it look like SNES.

[hawken]

I'm sorry to sound so negative but that looks nothing like a nes controller. Please do some research.

http://www.planetquake.com/polycount/cottages/iwow/CES_Log/Photo_Log/CES_Log04/NES_Controller.jpg

[Crazy Asian Gamer]

My memory fails me... again. 

[Andy Tran]

 Yeah, the controller does like a nes controller.

[Miguel]

That's a good edit there Crazy Azn, however I think it lacked something. 16 colors to make it look like SNES.

Sorry but Pixel Art its not 16 color snes bitmaps...

[Andy Tran]

 Sorry, wrong about 16 colors thing. There is no such thing as an SNES style really. Heh, my bad.

[Jaffa]

Thanks for the replies, guys.

I never knew about the color merge on GraphicsGale, yeah I use it too. I'll try and use that next time. Thanks, and be economics in colors you mean try not to have too many unnecessary colors, or just try to keep the color content low?

[Crazy Asian Gamer]

Thanks for the replies, guys.

I never knew about the color merge on GraphicsGale, yeah I use it too. I'll try and use that next time. Thanks, and be economics in colors you mean try not to have too many unnecessary colors, or just try to keep the color content low?

Whether you want to always try and keep the color content low is a sketchy thing to criticize. It correlates with style, and, well, we try not to convince people to go for a specific style.
One should always eliminate any unnecessary colors, but there's a fine line between that point where one kills all the colors one doesn't need, and that point where one actually destroys detail.

A little shameless self-promotion: In General Discussion, there is a thread about color selection. Very useful. (Though I actually encourage you more to look at what Dhaos and Helm says)