Spyro the Dragon, classic incarnation. Reference: http://images.wikia.com/spyro/images/a/a0/Spyro_attack.jpg

What can be improved, and (most importantly) how can I improve it? I'm planning to use some distant descendant of this as the base sprite for an expansion.

I'd especially like critique on the feet, as I can't seem to get them quite right.

Well for starters, It looks like the color scheme on the lower body seems a bit gradient
Also, the tail, chest, and wings don't really match the picture much but mostly, doesn't also match the color scheme of that picture aswell

Very good for a new guy:

fix up the lining. it will help you in the long run.
move the wings closer to the upper body.
make the tail smaller
pick 2 shading colors for each color. (dark purple) (light purple) (dark orange) (light orange)

What do you mean by 'gradient'?


Hmm. I see what you mean about the chest and wings, but what's wrong with the tail?


I'll redo the colors, then.


What in particular is wrong with the lining?


Will do.


Smaller as in shorter, skinnier, or both?


I'll try that.

Thanks for the critique!

What you don't have, is a sense of art. If you want to be a spriter I suggest you learn how to draw properly. If you can draw Spyro on paper WITHOUT looking at another picture of him, then you should try tackling his sprite again.

He doesn't have to memorize what each thing he sprites looks like before he sprites it. As long as he doesn't steal he's fine.

You completely misunderstood what I was saying, it had nothing to do with the fact of stealing. I was just simply saying that his sprite has absolutely no artistic sense to it, its almost as if he made a bunch of rectangles and labeled them body parts. Without a sense of art you can't properly sprite, mainly because you have no feel for what its suppose to be or how it should be. The whole point of drawing Spyro without looking at an existing piece is to try and develop that feel for what looks right, then jump back into spriting.

I could sprite before I could draw. I'm still better at spriting than drawing too.

The point is that you obviously aren't this f*** person, can you guys stop criticizing my goddamn advice?

Oh k well... He doesn't have to draw it on paper as long as he practices...

This is the first sprite he posted on this forum... Go easy on him man...