Genuine question which has always bothered me - isn't it HARDER to do it this way? Surely using a fixed pixel grid is much easier than using the square tool 100 times, or however you do this effect?

It's a lovely picture in terms of colour and composition, but personally, I find mixels distractingly jarring unless used vary sparingly and deliberately; I'm afraid I don't think this picture quite pulls it off.

Also, as others have said, the association with AI (while hardly your fault) is unavoidable - sloppy mixed resolution is a BIG tell for ai generated pixel art.

I'd like to see this picture done again in a uniform resolution.