Lovintendo's Sprite Temple

[Gors]

I see pillowshading, gradient shading and banding there... avoid them, and use a definite lightsource when shading.

Gradient shading is when you simply make bands of color, from light to dark, without not considering the actual volume of the object (the house's roof)

Banding is when you stick to the outline regardless of its volume (chimney)

Pillowshading is when the object is bright in the middle and dark around it, making it look like a button; avoid it (the house wall)

The basis of shading is giving it volume, not making it 'more elaborate'. If you shade just for the sake of it and not representing volume, then you don't know how to shade.

People around here will be able to give more elaborate pointers than me, so I hope you'll get even more help from them!