[XP] Minkoff Styled Battlers

Hey there, I've just started spriting a "Minkoff Styled" battler.
I used MSPaint because my computer is 32bit and it can't handle photoshop..
I didn't have time to shade it yet, but I did my best on this so..
I need your perspective on this. 

Well, it's beyond my skill. I can't say the concept is exciting, but the work itself is done well.

Regarding your sprite sheet, the outline is jagged and thick, which it should NOT be so. The forms of the hair and clothes that you drew on the base are also funny, and the animation seems to be very crude. I don't want to go in detail, because you are definitely new in pixelling, so I would advise you NOT to start with something as complicated as a side view battler sheet. Try to read some tutorial and start with something static and simple.

The outline is a bit thick because I used MSPAINT.
I also did not used the "Pencil" tool. I just did what I could.
I appreciate your judgement though. 

It looks like you have the -how- down, but might benefit from a less restrictive program. Might I suggest GIMP or the free edition of Graphics Gale? They handle transparencies, have so many more options and can save in nearly any format.

I use Gimp, personally, for pixel stuff. It has a color picking tool so you can select every instance of one color in the entire image, which makes color changes, and shading actually, incredibly simple.

I like where this is going though, I just think you'd benefit from a different program. That way you can get thinner lines and have more control over things.

GIMP is the most useful tool I have aside from the RM software itself. I recommend it because it is free and it's easy to learn.

despain has an exceptionally good series of tutorials on spriting: http://finalbossblues.com/

I am not graphically inclined at all, but I found them really helpful so far.

Okay, so I just tried out GIMP.
GIMP is a very good paint program, I must say!
Here's a new battler pic.. Tell me what you guys think about THIS
new and improved one.. 

Better, keep at it and you will become an expert in no time!

There's nothing wrong with using MSPaint for pixelling. A lot of great pixel artists still use it, due to its simplicity. It has almost everything you need for pixelling anyway. But if you want something advance for ONLY pixelling, my recommendation is GraphicGale actually. GIMP is more of a free, down-graded version of Photoshop anyway, with lots of features pixel artist wouldn't need.
But that aside ...

I can see how your line is now a little bit better, as you no longer use 2pixel-wide lines. However, the form of the sprite itself is still funny to look at, especially the spike hair. If you don't know how to sprite that correctly, see some reference like the side view battler of Zack (from RM2k3) or this (Holder's WIP on Eric's battler). It will give you some idea on how to do the spike hair.

Moreover, your coloring is a mess. As you color, it is essential that you specify a light source and stick to in all of your sprites. By having a light source, you will know which area should be highlighted and which should be darkened, and gradually color the whole thing. Here's an example:

Ignore how color is a mess in there, this is one of the sprites I did when I first started out pixelling   however you get the idea of how it is shaded. You can tell the highlight, and the shade will define the form of the hair, and such. You can study more the RTP and see how it's colored, too.

My suggestion stands still, read as many tutorials and possible and start with SIMPLE object. The link MA gave you is quite nice, Despain is a great teacher, even though it's not a complete tut, as there are many aspects of pixelling uncovered, but you will get the idea of the general spriting from him.

The suggestion of Gimp over GraphicsGale is due mostly to pricing. Also, it has more layer control and better options for tools (and transparency is handled better).

What GraphicsGale has, that Gimp does not, is the palette. You can save your palette and import it into another project. This not only makes keeping to the same palette easier, it also lets you color swap quickly. It is also built for animation, so there's all the controls for frames and whatnot you can play with to test how your battler moves.

GraphicsGale is actually fantastic for pixelart, it's just not free. If you have the little bit of money it takes to purchase it, then go ahead. If not, Gimp will work just fine (and it's a lot less cumbersome than Photoshop, it actually feels more like the Photoshop for pixel art, if that makes sense), and do a bit more so it's just nice to have anyway.

Almost forgot, a couple extra tutorials to add to the one mentioned above;

Mark's Pixel Art Tutorial
Derek Yu