Thank you! Before I started making pixel art I mostly did digital painting so it was easier for me to transition by starting with larger images. I'm still learning to work on a smaller scale!

I started with a rough sketch and just put more lines and colors on top until I was satisfied with it. I don't have a recording of the process but here are the separated layers from the image I posted:

I think it was over 100! I wasn't really paying attention to the palette size while I was working so I went a bit overboard. For example, I wanted particularly smooth gradients on the face, so there are about 15 colors used there and nowhere else in the image

Thank you!