Yeah, working in 1-bit, it's got a learning curve. Also my first try at it. You may start with shapes, and when you start texturing you realize that you might have created too much noise and lost some shapes or details.
I totally understand! At first, I put a lot of textures everywhere, and it was a mess. I had to try to strike a balance between full and empty spaces.
PS: I took a peek at your work, it's really cool!