You have really, really tried to improve on this and for that I commend you. You must practice and use the forum for help. The links page has plenty of tutorials too. Sometimes just looking at some pixelart you like in the gallery and imitating it can be helpful in understanding how to place your pixels.
Want to give some dough back to all those amazing pixel artists? Donations provide prize money for contests, help cover hosting costs and support new initiatives.
