lots of pillowshading here. one major issue is you're thinking in 2d and not in three-dimensional forms, as evidenced by the way he's hugging the sword to his body. anatomy needs work too, but first you should choose a better pose. think about what the pose should convey. is he meant to be strong and powerful? Then perhaps his pose should be sturdier, like the shape of a pyramid. Spread the feet as if he is ready for battle, have the sword ready to swing, etc.
right now I think that complicated armor will only complicate issues. For learning purposes, I would study anatomy as well as practice shading basic three-dimensional figures (sphere, cylinder, cube), then combine the knowledge and try shading human figures.
still gallery-worthy imo, just keep practicing and you'll get there.
Tip #1: Being aware of your present skill limitations is good, no need to be self-deprecating about it though. It's neither awful nor terrible and does display actual effort. Much worse pieces end up in the queue daily. Stand up to your art!
Tip #2: If you really think it's terrible (again, it's not) or just unfinished and you can't get any further by yourself, then don't post it in the gallery; head for the WIP forum instead. Only upload to the gallery (more or less) finished pieces (of course some further editing is ok).
Tip #3: check this awesome tuto if you haven't.
What's good here: obvious attention to careful pixel placement, congrats! As this is something many beginners struggle with, you're on a good start =)
What's not so good: anatomy (limbs are too short), shading (classic case of 'pillowshading', meaning there is no clear sense of a consistent light source; however you succeeded with metal reflections), palette (yikes! try reducing this to 16! also, how come the 15 transp + 7 partially transp? what software do you use?).
Keep at it and have fun!
Chin up kiddo :P! This is pretty cool for your first piece. It's good to have the courage to post something that you think is horrible. Though I would definetely say this isn't bad.
Not as bad as you think but certainly has many issues mentioned below. Just keep practicing and ask for help when you need. The forum has a WIP section just for that.