[WIP C+C] A couple characters

[PeaceChaser]

Hi!

I'm trying to create some assets for a hobby game. Art has never been my strong suit, but I'd at least like to try to get to a point where the characters aren't an immediate turn-off to anyone who looks at the game. I'd also like to learn to be more efficient in the creation process. These two took me many days of fiddling an absolute failures before I got them where they are.

I think they are best viewed at 200%-300% zoom.

Please critique?

Thanks!
PeaceChaser

P.S. - I posted this on another forum recently, but no feedback there as of yet. I hope that's acceptable.

[YellowLime]

I think they're good enough, except the tip of the wizard's wand has a weird color combination, and the knight's shield has a kind awkward symbol placement. Also, the knight looks as if he's wearing a baseball cap

[PeaceChaser]

Thanks for the reply!

With regard to the staff: is it the base or the ball on top you were referring to?

I feel like the swordsman's sword-arm is out of place, or too close to the foreground. Would you agree? Any tips on how to fix that?

Thanks again,
Peace

[YellowLime]

I was referring to the ball on top, obviously! The change from red to yellow seems too jarring to me, and in any case I don't know what it's supposed to be (a ball of what)

About the swordsman, I agree that his left arm seems a little hunched, close to his torso. But it's not bad, I think. Maybe the arm should be a little longer and further away... :

[jahasaja]

I did a quick edit as I need practice with armor.

Work mostly on the helmet to see if could make it look more like a helmet.



I think you your biggest issue is the colors. The blue colors are too similar so they do not stand out. Also, You have lot of different greys and some of them are very similar so it is hard to understand what they signify in a picture as small as this.

I kinda like that he has the sword close to his body. If he has it further from his body it looks less heavy (if that makes sense)   

[Agent K]

Just a few thoughts

You light source, as it looks now, is from behind the knight?  If this is how you  want it, I feel like the front of the knight should be a bit darker with most highlighting being done at the top of the head, shoulders, shield and sword.  Your higglighting appears pretty correct, but I think his front is too bright for the most part.  Also I think the would be some space beneath him, not just shadow, with the angle it appears your light is hitting him.



I did a quick edit to show a possible light source, as well as the current with a new helmet and an alternate helmet, but looking at it now the left helmet makes him look to his left (oops).  Also I moved his forward foot up a pixel in the left and his back foot down a pixel in the right,  I just felt like they needed more space between them.

Finally I grabbed all your colors and I think You have a few extra gray's that maybe you could combine a couple?  Maybe not, but nevertheless I don't think you need the purple in the shirld emblem, I think one of your blues might do fine.  But this is all just my opinion.  Nice work 

[PeaceChaser]

Thanks AgentK for the detailed reply!

I really like what you did with the right side.

I've thought about this, and I'm really stuck on the light source, and also the unit's positioning. I was planning on using these assets in a turn based strategy game, where one group of units will be directly facing another. It would be incredibly convenient if  I could just use a flipped image for the opponent's units, but obviously that creates a problem with lighting and right/left hands. I'm not fast or efficient enough with pixel art to be able to reverse every image. I don't think anyway, unless I can learn some better techniques.

Anyway, thanks for taking your time and giving me a hand.

Peace