When the icons are this small, it's probably better to ditch the shading entirely. Not only do the darker skin tones make a lot of characters lost in the background(s), But it also makes a blurred effect instead of showing more constructed form.
I'd suggest to either have them flat, or, if you're up to it, to have one significantly darker shade to show the major facial features (shadow around eyes, cheekbones, etc).
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When the icons are this small, it's probably better to ditch the shading entirely. Not only do the darker skin tones make a lot of characters lost in the background(s), But it also makes a blurred effect instead of showing more constructed form.
I'd suggest to either have them flat, or, if you're up to it, to have one significantly darker shade to show the major facial features (shadow around eyes, cheekbones, etc).