It has nothing to do with being proper, excessive use of proper dithering is still excessive use... The problem is that people want to use their new skill and not just let it sit on the back burner for months until that one opportune time they actually need it(like dithering). I hardly EVER use dithering, and when I do it's a very, very subtle effect.

IMO if a new pixel artist never learns dithering, I don't feel they'd ever be at a disadvantage. It's just not that useful of a technique anymore with LCD monitors being much more prevalent. AA and proper pixel clusters are much more widely used and advantageous techniques to learn in the field of pixel art.

Well I am still teaching him how to dither, I use dithering occasionally and usually only with small areas, and I honestly do not see harm In learning it, It is however pixel art, its almost comparable to martial arts. I doubt if you knew how to use nunchucks and got into a fight there would happen to be nunchucks lying around for self defense. But I learned how to use them because it is a part of martial arts weaponry, part of the art.
If you are wanting to improve, you are gonna want to learn it all.

Love it! Its perfect!

So a guy down at PixelJoint gave me some feedback on my stuff. He told me that the difference between the colours I'm shading with isn't big enough, and that it looks like just one big colour rather than several different colours, which isn't a good thing. I took that and tried to improve my red handled sword (which he used as an example) I think it looks a tad better.

(Left image is the new one, right image is the original) I also improved the shading at the tip.

Yes. Your handle looks very sexy

Decided to make something other than a sword :P I made the damn thing too small though :/ It's a mage wand.

Wow, I really like the colors and the shading of that. Maybe take the design a step further? Although I see how that can be difficult with the size xD Nice job

Thank you :) I'm going to start again and make it bigger I think <3

Make the orb shiny yea

Emera's Pixels
not sure whats sexier, the graphics or the title
+rep, good thread

Made another wand, and it's the size I intended this time. I think I'm slowly getting the hang of how to shade things. I'm not sure about the orb on the top of it though. As much as I love the way I shaded it, it just doesn't sit right.

EDIT: Made another version. I've removed the giant orb on the top and replaced it with a green gem. Looks much better.

hawt

Working on a city scape for fun. I'm not focusing on shading or dithering here, but looking more at perspective and size. I'm not done yet though ;)

prity soarde

lizard

Did a bit more. Trying to think how I could make it look prettier. Any thoughts?

Made a wallpaper out of it. why not eh?