Schoolkid sprites, maybe

[megane]

From an original drawn on a scrap of graph paper in Semantics class.  IIRC I was thinking of a theoretical puzzler based on subjective gravity, the Eschaton, and poor cell phone coverage.  Huh. 

Feel free to c&c.

[Arachne]

Well, first of all, I think they need to be simplified. You're trying to cram too many details into your tiny figures and that makes it more difficult to tell things apart. You need to separate them from the background a lot more. Changing the color of the blocks or giving them an outline might work. Also, I think the colors you're using are too saturated.

Something more like this, maybe?

I think there's also something wrong with how their hands line up and length of their arms, but I'll leave that to someone who actually knows how to draw isometric people.

[megane]

I don't really understand what you mean about the complexity; do you just mean my shading is noisy?

[ndchristie]

I don't really understand what you mean about the complexity; do you just mean my shading is noisy?

yeah, pretty much

a good edit, though maybe could perhaps come further.

[Tobe]

wao, Arachne's edit looks pretty neat.
The proportion of the character looks cute and how clean it looks.
Guess there's quite bit for us to learn here.

Btw, I've always like high-school theme character design ; )