Different Peoples Art Methods

[Kitsu]

Why do some people say that using too many shades of a color is not a very good idea?

For me, I like to use fewer colors overall because
1. I think fewer colors is easier to manage
2. I like both the aesthetic look and challenge that comes from fewer colors

I also think it can be useful for new spriters to focus on reducing their color count, as it can essentially force them to learn at least the basics of color theory sooner than otherwise, as well as encourages them to add only what is absolutely necessary to their pieces (which is especially important in low-resolution representative art like sprites, where having too much of anything can often weaken the piece).

Of course, really, if someone can handle large numbers of colors really well, then by all means, work with more colors. Though, the larger number of colors you get, the more likely it is that you could achieve the same results more quickly with plain digital art.