Stark Sketches

[Fedodika]

Hey Riley, Im gonna give you some advice i give to many folks and that is the ol, draw more than you paint. Spend less time rendering, more time learning. Your rendering skills are already decent, its just time to catch up that drafting skill. Biggest thing that helped me personally was investing in an online program, be it schoolism, new masters, watts, proko, etc. and focus in on the drawing aspects. 

I think the biggest thing for you is to learn to break away from reference and not be controlled by it. The obvious quality difference in your alice piece and your referenced work shows you gotta train more in understanding and invention, which is what youll need since you said you want to compete with Manchess and the like. 

and for critiques you can always post your work in the critters cave for a good assblasting, Im a bit too tired at the moment to write up an in depth critique on your starwars piece, but i can try as you get further along with it ;)