Spriting advices

[Hero destroyer]

Dear all spriters,
I need help with making sprites. First, I want to know what is the most important thing when spriting. You can vote that.
Please, for non-spriters or one that doesn't sprite well, don't vote!
Then, question two, what kind of brushes in GIMP you're using? The round one? Sharpy one? Do you usually use blur tool(since PF says "blur tool is our friend")?
Third, I'm not that good at making a sprite at 100%(79x79) so which percent is the best? 200%? 300%? 400%?
I really appreciate if you give any other helpful hints and tips, so hope you guys can help.

Edit:

@Siegvar
Your signature really impressed me, hope you can at least vote or reply.

[Monolith]

I was using round one,no blur tool.
Try using sprite 2x size,later when you resize it it will get bit blury,so i dont think if blur tool is good when resizing.
Since im using paint.net now,i cant tell any advices

[Whaat]

Well. Vote options aren't very good but.
Patience, ofc you need that (and even more if you sprite with mouse).
Using mouse, well, using mouse is hard. But if you are out of options, mouse has to do. It's as good as drawing table but it takes more time :/
Don't use blur or light, they are the ''easy ways'' to do it, they will do, but they won't look so good.

Well, i'm a GIMP user as some may already know, and i usually have this kinda ''brush options'':

You should maybe try making sprites in 200% and see is it enough, if not, go straight to 400%, i normally make my sprites in 400%, cuz it's like drawing the sprites, and well, drawing is s whole different thing preferred to spriting.
If you like to draw to paper, i suggest you trying the 400% spriting, but if you aren't good at drawing, 200% might be your thing.

[Gad]

• Non-fuzzy brush.
Sprites will look better if they are not overblurred.

• Knowing proportions.
In first place you have to know lf2human proportions, so you are able to make your bases.

• Shaping ability.
Know how to shape clothes and body of your character.

• Shading ability.
If character is super-shaded it won't be good enough if shape is clearly wrong. This is the hardest one though.

[Hero destroyer]

Completely solved.
OK, thanks, guys. This is a sprite I made one in an hour. What do you guys think? I don't know how to draw hair so I made a hat for him. Monolith's hair tutorial isn't good for me, too. But I learn to sprite with a help from his last spriting tut(The best one), so thanks, monolith.
First sprite:

[Monolith]

Nice one,sorry,but i think i forgot about contrast,it need more between pants colours and face colors,but its good,welcome to spriting world.

[Bupkis]

do you use paint for most of the sprites

[symaroth1]

im not a good spriter
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tell me what i can improve in?

[Dominate]

mostly shading do shading

[Hero destroyer]

I use GIMP.
I truly understand now how to sprite. If you want to learn, Siegvar sig tells you how and with a little motivation, patience and help from some tuts. You will make good sprites.