[WIP] Myself in pixels - one of my handful first

[spektre]

Hello Pixelation!
I've been a lurker for quite some time here, and I'm really impressed with all the wonderful pixel art one can find. ptoing, helm and a lot of other artists really inspired me.
This is one of my first handful of pixel art works, the ones before this has mainly been small and simple game sprites.
Now I decided to make an avatar of myself to try to advance a bit.

The reference I'm using is this picture:


And this is how far I've come:


Now I'm in need of your expertise! I'm having trouble mainly with the eyes, and with the mouth. I also have a feeling that I'm dithering way too much, but I'm running into trouble with the shades otherwise...
Also, I don't know if it looks like me generally or if it's the eye-part that's lacking.

Anyhow, thanks in advance for any C+C!  

Edit: I somehow failed at actually linking to the images, that's a good start.

Update one:
I took a break from it and when I came back it was so obvious that it was the (lack of) brows that made it look weird, don't know how I missed that.
Experimented a bit with lighter eyes.


Quick update:
At least it's going the right way, I think. Though I look really pissed off
I think I'm getting influenced by the squint in the reference picture, but all the other eyes just looks worse.


Update three:
Begone with the dithering.


Update four:

[PASSOUT]

Your Idea of what things "should be" are getting in the way of showing you what things are.
Take the eyes for example, anyone could say that they are white Yes? But look closer at the picture, and you can see that white is absent. Your mind and your eyes are having conflicting signals, you need to think with your eyes so to speak. Also, for an example look at your right cheek, you can see it. And you cognitively know its there, then why should it be absent? Unless absence is what your striving for which I have no problem.

     The trick with theses things, which I always have problems with, is adequately representing a person. To work on such a small scale and make it look like you. Your intentions are great, representation is in tack. After further analysis I must say you nailed every thing as to where body parts are located. Its the shading that kills it. You're over complicating it representation is key and its all clogged up with dithering. Simplify the forms and shapes.Refine them.



I think you can see what I'm saying.

[spektre]

Absolutley, the eyes was much nicer when they didn't stand out that much. I don't want the result to be squinting though, but I'll experiment more with the eyes until next update.
It was much nicer withouth the dithering.  
I'll have to work more on the cap, it's a bit blocky.

Oh, and I liked the slightly changed perspective more, therefore no cheek, but I see what you mean. Maybe there should be something there anyway...

Thanks.

[PASSOUT]

Okay I see, since this is you, then just maybe take some time looking in a mirror. Since you are the model you can take an exact picture to get the perspective correct and you can see how things are spaced out look at forms and lighting. Over all its getting better, try to strive to make it look just like you. If you think that it doesn't look like you then try to see why and adjust.

[spektre]

Posting an update...
I've messed around with the placement of eyes, mouth and nose and I think they are where I like them to be.
It's fascinating how much difference it makes to move something a single pixel

As I feel stuff is where it's suppose to be I don't really know how to take it further. I've been messing around a lot with the eyes too and I think this is the best I can do for now.

[Pixelized]

I think your third update looks better then the newest one. it looks like your wearing the hat way too high on your head. Also the clouds in the background, in 1X view, it looks like something is going through your head. Maybe you could adjust em a little so that it doesnt look like you could draw a line from one to the other, because they are so close together that it just looks like a squiggly going through your head.

[Jeremy]

You've certainly improved but are concentrating overmuch on the lines. Try to block out colours, and look back to you reference frequently.

Here's an edit I made of the face/beard, note how I didn't even try to put the white of the eye in, details like that can be implied by variations in tone.


Now that I look at it, I can see that your face needs to be longer (horizontally) too.