How long SHOULD a sprite take to make?

I'm talking without a template. How long should it take to make a GOOD character sprite?
I think i spent two days on the guy in my sig ALONE.
It feels like it took too long.

If it is non-RTP, especially if you are making a new template, then yes, it should take awhile.

For RTP based, with a template, i would say between 1-10 hours depending on how detailed you want it and how much tweaking you do. Without a template.... well it would be hard to get it RTPish at all without any refrences. But probably alot longer.

(Sorry, I was assuming XP. You'd have to be more specific. The range varies too much otherwise.)

depends...
well for starters no template at all, as in not even the kaiser, will take days, for the simple reason that you don't have anything to compare with
it will just about 95% end up as crap that can't be used cause it doesn't fit

now, recoloring an existing sprite (any non kaiser) should take 30-40 minutes in p.shop or 2 hours in paint, and that depends on what color detailing you put and if you'll add stuff

lastly a kaiser made thing , which you gonna draw everything for also splits to 2:
a. original, will take a day or 2 depending on work hours a day, up to even 8
b. copycat, as in you got a kaiser but you are thinking of other sprite as you make it so it ends up looking like a combination of a sprite or 2 which takes about half the time since you already know how it looks..

take or add 3-4 hours to each judging by the skills of the maker

All the ones I have made took between 40 mins and 2 hours...

But mine look rushed to some degree... The new ones I made the Twisted ones don't fit all that well even though they look OK in Photoshop... Some times its very Missleading on how the finished animated job will look...

Recolouring and Editing templates I think is the best way of keeping things uniform...