Critique wanted!

[newmexico]

Hey folks!

I'm working on a ROM hack with fakemon, which means new sprites. I have exactly zero experience spriting (I'm a writer D: ) and I'm just learning as I go, so any advice from more experienced spriters would be extremely appreciated!

My first attempt is in the attachments. (More details in the spoiler.)

Spoiler:

This little guy in Unteer, a ghost/water type. It's part of an evolutionary chain inspired by La Llorona. (Google it if you don't know who she is! Pretty interesting story.) Unteer is based on...an onion... (because onions make you cry.)

It's for a GBA series game--37x31 pixels, 14 colors. The part I'm most concerned about is the water trail. I haven't even drawn water very often in traditional art media... :B Of course, if there are other errors or things that could be fixed in the shading, lines, palette, etc, please point those things out to me too!

Thanks, guys!

 

[newmexico]

Jeez, I'm sorry--I didn't realize there was a sticky thread specifically for sprites-in-progress. Mods, can you please go ahead and delete this thread?

 

[Yume Tsuki]

Just starting?

It looks quite good for your first attempt :)
The body looks very well shaded and the shape also looks correct. But of course the trail could use a little bit more work on the shading. Next to that it looks more like it's floating on the water. I don't know it that is supposed to be like that but maybe add some more effect to it to make it look more like a trail.