Two Painting WIPs I'm Never Gonna Get Right

The first is that dang ninja, after I tried adjusting the highlighting down from stark white to a softer yellow:

(He looks like he's been bombed by a squadron of pollen-laden honeybees)

The other is that dang gnome with the cool armor that just refuses to look like leopard spots:

(She looks like she's either made of stone or has a serious infestation of some sort)

Sigh.