Help-a-noob: Character portraits [C+C]

[fskn]

So I'm working on these character portraits, but I hit a wall in regards to color (mostly, anyway).
I'm not after "realism", but I can't seem to be able to add more variation, yet I feel like they should have. The two bearded guys at the bottom, for instance, maybe I should add some green on them? But using Arne's Famicube palette (because I don't think I should try and develop my own at this point) it's like there are no other options.



I'm guessing if i added more saturated colors it could work... Or it might look really weird for villains (all characters in bottom row).
Could you guys please enlighten me on this?

Thanks in advance.

[combine1201]

Hey, so Im pretty new to art/pixel art myself and really shouldn't be giving advice. Since you are just looking for some variation, maybe give one of the bearded fellows a cigar/cigarette?

[rocifier]

Hmm I think your rendering is going quite well, but your problem is not with the palette, it's with design. For example the two green beard shadow men are virtually identical, one is just looking 5 degrees to the right of the other.

I'd look at some more references and brainstorm some design ideas and push the ideas on these.

[fskn]

Thanks for the fb, guys.

@combine1201
I was considering that, yes. Will probably try to add a cigar or cigarette to one or more characters. Still gotta do a bunch more.

@rocifier
Thanks.
The second guy with the bowler hat was mainly a variation of the other one... I'll cut one of those out, but still haven't decided which one will get the axe.

[fskn]

So, i made a few more, trying to make them a bit more distinct. Looked up some reference, but still didn't make an extensive research... Which probably should be my next step.

I'm thinking the two bowler hat guys could be brothers, by the way. So it would be okay for them to be similar.