So, I made some Gem OCs. For those of you not in the know, they're Steven Universe based characters.

I'm reacting very badly to this

Because they're not good or because you don't care for Homeworld Gems?

Yeah they're pretty bad imo. I mean it's all cartoony and such but even then it's really meh.I also don't know how to cnc this properly

I honestly don't know how to feel about this, since you don't like them but don't know how to CnC them either. So, uh... yeah. :I

It might seem to be a little hard to CnC these because they seem to be more like character ref sheets than anything else really.. Their poses are stiff, and like Mizu said, they seem almost too cartoony; to the point that it's impossible to CnC properly because cartoon styles are completely subjective to the artist.. Fluorite is probably the best of the three because it shows more of a full-body perspective instead of a ref of a chibi-esque gem.

But I do like Fluorite's outfit quite a bit~
(Is she a fusion of Angelite and Bloodstone? I see influences from both, and it got me wondering, but I'm not 100% sure..)

Well, Angelite and Bloodstone are meant to be chibi-sequel because they're small gems. And yes, Fluorite is their semi-permanent Fusion, hence the similarities. These are like reference sheets, not really meant to be full on portraits or similar (hence no background). I've considered doing a bit of a series on them on my DA while still working on things with Axel and Lexa whom I've not been showing around because development and story boarding and whatnot.

Just incorporating some of the many, many, many colors of fluorite into the palate without going overboard.

I think flourite's design is decent, if you loose the beret. If someone like drone would redraw her i think it'll look nice. I think if you incorporate her top design with something like Garnet's breast it'll look nicer. You could try researching dress design to get a better idea. Also, since you're going 'cartoony' you should really smoothen those lines. cartoons are all about the smooth and curvy lines.
And despite being 'cartoony' the principle to represent 3d forms and shapes still applies. few details in your drawing fails to do that. such as bloodstone's right shoulder, shoes, and left hand. being 'cartoony' doesn't mean it's completely flat, it's just that realistic structures are distorted for the sake of appeal and simplicity.

Quote from Maroon

I think flourite's design is decent, if you loose the beret. If someone like drone would redraw her i think it'll look nice. I think if you incorporate her top design with something like Garnet's breast it'll look nicer. You could try researching dress design to get a better idea. Also, since you're going 'cartoony' you should really smoothen those lines. cartoons are all about the smooth and curvy lines.
And despite being 'cartoony' the principle to represent 3d forms and shapes still applies. few details in your drawing fails to do that. such as bloodstone's right shoulder, shoes, and left hand. being 'cartoony' doesn't mean it's completely flat, it's just that realistic structures are distorted for the sake of appeal and simplicity.

Aside from the link not working, I can't help but wonder what's wrong with the beret and the problem with the dress. I didn't want her to look like Garnet, hence the radical differences between them. Also, why a redraw? ;-; Why not tips on me improving my own character?

I do get what you mean about smoothness though, and the 3D forms, though, I think the problem with Bloodstone's hand is less that it isn't positioned right for a 3D form as much as it is that I suck at hands and had to make the lines thinner to keep them from being consumed by the outline.

Quote from Azure Kite

Aside from the link not working, I can't help but wonder what's wrong with the beret and the problem with the dress. I didn't want her to look like Garnet, hence the radical differences between them. Also, why a redraw? ;-; Why not tips on me improving my own character?

I do get what you mean about smoothness though, and the 3D forms, though, I think the problem with Bloodstone's hand is less that it isn't positioned right for a 3D form as much as it is that I suck at hands and had to make the lines thinner to keep them from being consumed by the outline.

it dun matter, it was literally just a google search for dress design. I'm no fashion expert, but a beret and a dress surely just doesn't fit. True, but I think it gives it something to stick with the show's design. I was just saying the design itself is not that bad, it's just your illustration that's lackluster and I was already trying to beforehand.
That too, but the way you draw the hand is not really how a hand would form when firmly grabbing a stiff object.

Your hand grasping pictures are from entirely different angles, so it doesn't quite help your point as much as you may like.

Nah, they still apply. I guess I should just talk about Colors and Design here since it's pretty obvious you need alot more practice and work on drawing in general. Grab a book, stop by the general resource thread and pick your poison. I recommend "Key's To Drawing", "Figure Drawing For All It's Worth/Fun With A Pencil" and "Dynamic Anatomy". Blah blah vilpu proko sycra.

Remember, more colors and wacky aspects don't equal a good character. The only palette I didn't mind was Angelite.

Maroon p much nailed it though.

This is true, but I didn't really go "wacky." I just used the natural colors of the stones. And I still don't see how the hand tutorials for gripping a sword apply, when the object is clearly smaller than her palm. If it were holding a pen, I'd see how it was better applicable. The grip is different, and even modeling my own hand, it looks similar to what was drawn though less rounded.

Thanks for the tuts though.