Looking for some thoughts and crits

[Zipfelzeus]

Hello Varbas!


I hope I'm not to late! I really like this piece. The rendering and lighting on the face is superb!
I wish I could do that! :D
I really love that all your value  work is really paying off here.
There are some slight issues with the face like the eye that was already pointed out and I think there is also something
slighty off with the nose... but these things really don't matter to me that much.

Here are the things I take issues with: Composition
                                               - eventhough it's okay and the shape distributation works
                                                 it slightly pulling the piece to the left corner which is
                                                 putting it out off balance
                                                 

                                               

                                               -If you place the whole thing to the middle and extend the shoulder
                                                 then there is much more balance in the piece which makes it a lot
                                                 more comfortable to the viewer.
                                                 

                                     
                                                  Lighting: Oh noes black in the shadows!!!
                                                  Black is a really tricky thing and usually I would try not to use it
                                                  the shadows as much.
                                                  Usually the surrounding area reflects so much light that very rarely we
                                                  have the absolute exclusion of light (dark black shadows)
                                                  And consider this: There is a white light source in the background as well
                                                  some lightsource that light up the face from underneath.
                                                  So we should see more of the armor.
                                                  I did a crappy paintover. I hope you can at least see what I mean.




But that's really all :D Other than that this piece is coming out really strong! Awesome work.