Improvements for my little squirrel.

[Hoche]

Hello,
I have made a little squirrel for my arcade game but it doesn't look enough like a flying squirrel which glides down. It's a very simple art and I haven't the skills to make it better. Would be really nice, when someone could reply with some improvments.

The original width and height is about 47x23. I don't really know how I should make the tail but the animation makes it better.

[JoeCreates]

Quote from "READ THIS BEFORE POSTING":

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[Hoche]

Now I understand this point correctly. Thanks.

[Decroded]

I thought it was a hat at first glance.
Can u draw him at different angles like have him turn from left to right as he glides?
I think any angles u can give him will make it easier.
it also looks strange to have a pure red ramp. I would explore a mix of Greys and Chesnut colours perhaps.

[Hoche]

Hey thanks for the reply. I improved him also a little bit by my own and will upload the image later.  The red head shall be a helmet which can be also changed to other colors in my game.  I am not such a good drawer that I really now how I should draw it in different angles. When it glides from left to right it only rotate. Can you perhaps help me with the angles I think it would look great.

[Decroded]

maybe something along the lines of this rough sketch.
i know its not cartoony but u could always go cartoon style


i used this reference because it makes me lol - http://njpest.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/flying+squirrels.jpg
i flattened out his angle a bit compared to the reference assuming this was better for gameplay (don't know why) but if u can have as much angle as the reference it would be even better.

[Hoche]

This looks really great. But I can't master such good art that's the reason that it looks like it looks. I also don't wanted to go in such detail. Is there a way to make an angle to my squirrel?
It only should have few pixels.

[Decroded]

something like this perhaps?


progress:

[Hoche]

WTF thats looks awesome but a little bit angry. Would be so great when I could draw like this. I upload my improvement but this only contains the colors and the ears and not the angle. This improvement was before your posts. I hope that it now doesn't look like a hat anymore.

And one question, are you a professional?

[Decroded]

No not pro, I work too slow and stuck in full time job already 
Originally I was looking at ur sprite on my phone which is why I thought it was all red. Since then I can see it has browns.
Note what I did with the shading on the fur, the lightest colour uses a different hue. It's good to use a mix of hues in ur ramps.
I think a different colour underneath and maybe the tail too is a good idea, such as the white u have now.
especially if u plan to make him tilt up and down aas the colour provides a visual signal whether he's in fall or glide mode.
Generally in pixel art we avoid or reduce the use pure black/white though as it seems a bit unnatural.
normally I would have worked over the outline to make it more selective.