I don't really use references, I just guess, and assume
Don't make an "ass" out of "u" and "me" buddy.
Please do listen to Decroded's advice about using references if you want to get better. You want to waste your time as a wannabe pro, content with thinking you know everything about your subjects there is to know, that's up to you, but you're gonna be pretty stagnant in your skill level while your peers, who *do* use references, pass you by.
References help you to understand your subjects -- the more of these types of studies you do, the better you'll become at art in general. Pixel art isn't "easy" just because it *appears* simple. A lot of knowledge in both rendering and construction goes into a well-executed piece of pixel art. Using references will make you better at understanding and rendering that underlying construction of things, and constructing art is what the pros do. It doesn't pay to be lazy. The renaissance masters had to travel far and wide and even cut up corpses to even begin to achieve an understanding of their subjects -- all *you* have to do to understand a subject *you* want to draw is just google it. :/
