Looking for feedback

[rmangano]

Hi Everyone I am seeking feedback/critique on this, I guess I would call this one finished, but I am still seeking feedback so my next one doesn't suffer the same mistakes.

[Amit Dutta]

Hi! First off nice work on the rendering, I think you've got a nice finish and you balance the level of detail between focal points and non quite well.

I think there were two main issues with this for me. On first glance I found it a little hard to figure out exactly what was going on with the figure on the right? Was it falling backward, about to leap, just landed etc? Certain things suggest it is falling back and others that it has forward momentum (legs) or has just landed (the impact of ground around feet?). I did figure out they were fighting and the creature was getting trashed once I had a closer look and saw the blue flame etc. I guess fundamentally what I'm saying is the pose and gesture are really much more important than any rendered detail, because that is what gives the main read...everything else is secondary.

The second main issue is that I think you could have used the composition to really play on the conflict between the two figures to make it absolutely clear what was going down and make it appear more dynamic and immediate. Maybe the use of foreground vs background or a more interesting overlapping interplay between the figures. At the moment you could almost cut a line down the middle of the image and they would work as separate illustrations. (almost) This doesn't suggest a very dynamic relationship between the two on canvas. So yeah comp. again a fundamental is huge to add drama and create something interesting to look at.

A few minor things I can see are to do with lighting...it is a little inconsistent in areas, for example the armoured guy's light vs shadow transition is very abrupt but this isn't true for the creature. Also the main lighting is from top left, but you have a light source that seems like it should be the main behind the creature on the horizon.

Hope that helps!

[Elmst]

Great crit from monkeybread. It is beautifully rendered. The only thing I would add to the crit would be to use reference photos, the armor looks a little plastic and there are a few anatomy issues you could address. The composition needs the most work, use the background to help tell your story and enhance the composition, keep it up you have mad skills!

[Myriam]

Great piece, but I think what's slightly wrong is this:
looks like this sorcerer-knight-dude is pulling energy or something from the beast, but the blue-energy-stuff emerging from the beast is going to the wrong direction. maybe if it went to the sorcerer's hand this would be more dynamic? than the beast leaning backwords would be his effort to escape from the magic.