Contrast.
It isnt too bad on the tunic, but the dark brown def needs to be darker.
The lack of an outline there also makes it look bad. It’d look fine if all of it were outlined in black, but it looks more realistic if you outline each area in an almost black version of that color.
The sword could use more contrast also.
That’s called selective outlining, or selout. Apparently, a lot of good spriters use it, so it must not be as bad as you think.
But not like that.
I didnt comment on it because it says WIP, though, so I figured the outlines just weren’t finished.
Yeah, all the brown stuff needs work. I’m aware of that.
I think I’m going to leave this Link as a WIP for a while longer (I’ve been occasionally working on it for the last, oh, two or three months) and start some spriting tutorials. <_<;
It’d be nice if you’d help fill this in. http://geocities.com/christiankinesis/text/ABST.txt (That’s an outline.)
Argh… You mentioning .JPGs just reminded me of an excellent custom sprite I did and saved it as a JPG. Duh. And gutted. 
A left hand + glove.
Going for ye flask.
Nice glove shading, though his index looks like it’s been put into some acid, just like his small finger. The last but one finger is a bit fat around the glove. The black stuff on top of his thumb should be erased. Apart from that, it reminds me of Wario Ware: Smooth Moves.
the outline is really really jittery in some parts and other parts it looks fine. was it intended to be that way?
Yeah, it was just a pixel sketch. I didn’t go back to fix it up much, since I was mainly focusing on the accuracy of the overall shape and the shading (My reference, was, of course, my left hand). I was planning to do that when I colored it, but then I decided not to color it.
With a pad or a mouse? Not like I’m good at hands (they always look stubby, broken or crap) but it’s better to capture it in your mind _, once you’ve practised drawing and looking at hands. Looking at a hand’s anatomy is cool too.
Though I’m sure you knew this stuff already. And that means I’ve wasted your time.