Critique

[Mirna94]

Aside from the hands and architecture, what can I improve? Is it too stiff, can I create a better flow? Do the components work together well? Did I get the light right? I've stared at it for too long. >_<

[neopatogen]

I'd say you could improve lighting. Google some more refs.
With this kind of lighting from the window the figure would most likely be just a dark silouhette with rim light and quite a bit of ambient light.
If there's another source of light (a lamp on the ceiling on the right, which you use to give her arm a strong direct light), it must:
-affect the water, add some brighter reflections according to the light direction
- affect the feathers on the head, right now this form is flat, addform shadow, same direction as on the arm
I don't quite get what's the material of her torso and neck. Seems like some very light-absorbing stuff, definitely not human skin, is it black cloth gradually transitioning to white cloth? If so, make harder edge between her arm and the cloth and some occlusion shadow. If it's some unhuman supernatural skin, then we should see where the white cloth ends and skin begins.

Would be good to light some simple shapes as an excercise and then apply it to more complex stuff like this or your next artwork :)

Hope it makes sence :)

[BadWoolf]

Hey there. I really like the idea, and the setting. You've got something going here. I think, and these are really large scale things, so you may want to think about them on the next piece instead of this one -

1) You could try for a more stimulating composition & pose. If you pull this down to its basic shapes it's a triangle (the figure) on a background which is pretty flat (doesn't have any particular perspective at work, and is divided exactly in half). [Side note: It's almost always more interesting/attractive to the eye to divide things at 2/3 or unevenly in general, rather than splitting things equally]. Try researching composition and how different kinds of curve (s-curve, spiral) can be used to guide the eye around the picture.

2) You could benefit from exploiting visual hierarchy more (especially with values). The eye is always drawn to the areas where there is most contrast in the values. In your piece, there's a lot of that contrast in the architecture at the back. But I feel like you want the focus to be on the figure. So I'd tone down the background contrast. You do have a lot of contrast between the figure's neck and the background, so my eyes are drawn there, BUT the paleness on the head means that it isn't clearly defined from the backdrop. Really squint your eyes so that the image is a blur, and you'll see that the figure appears almost headless.

[BadWoolf]

Hey there. I really like the idea, and the setting. You've got something going here.  I think, and these are really large scale things, so you may want to think about them on the next piece instead of this one -

1) You could try for a more stimulating composition & pose. If you pull this down to its basic shapes it's a triangle (the figure) on a background which is pretty flat (doesn't have any particular perspective at work, and is divided exactly in half). [Side note: It's almost always more interesting/attractive to the eye to divide things at 2/3 or unevenly in general, rather than splitting things equally]. Try researching composition and how different kinds of curve (s-curve, spiral) can be used to guide the eye around the picture.

2) You could benefit from exploiting visual hierarchy more (especially with values). The eye is always drawn to the areas where there is most contrast in the values. In your piece, there's a lot of that contrast in the architecture at the back. But I feel like you want the focus to be on the figure. So I'd tone down the background contrast. You do have a lot of contrast between the figure's neck and the background, so my eyes are drawn there, BUT the paleness on the head means that it isn't clearly defined from the backdrop. Really squint your eyes so that the image is a blur, and you'll see that the figure appears almost headless.

Quick paintover to show value hierarchy

[neopatogen]

Good point Badwoolf. Yep I forgot to say I like the idea and the setting as well.
Btw there should be girl's reflection in the water at least a bit. I can see the windows only reflected http://99px.ru/sstorage/53/2013/08/tmb_77178_2414.jpg and look for more refs

[xelfereht]

Just had a quick play with it