* Bump! *

Still looking for some serious crits.

Thanks all! 

Everything works great, but the colors don't seem to work with each other right now. The local colors are too pronounced and nothing seems to be affected by ambient or the directional lights. The skin tone of the characters also rely too much of the variants of local colors on the shadow areas. Overall, the drawings are nice but the colors don't unify the elements together very well.

Umm. here goes.You have to remember that I'm having to look really hard and in a detailed manner to pick these minor nitpicks out Red. so if you really want them, I'd suggest that you could work on the folds of fabric on her far leg to give the underlying leg shape some body. The dangling hand might also be a trifle long, but on second thoughts its probably just perspective. (oh, and just refine the feather a little so that it doesn't have an edge line on the outside)

Yian and Nimh-Thank you for your thoughtful crits. I appreciate it.

Yian-Thank you for your kind words. :) What do you mean by "local" colors? Do you mean for example the purple fairy should have more green highlights? Or Less? Or???  Or do you mean (for example) the fairies are too monochromatic? 

Nimh-LOL! Yes, I want them, thank you! Ah yes, the fairies are actually hiding her "knee bumps"! They are so pesky! I will revisit the area (you do mean her left leg? Viewing it it would be the right side? lol does that make sense?) I was having perspective trouble. Still not sure how to correct that. Ah! thank you regarding the feather. I completely forgot about it. Haha!

 

Cool, Val, loving the pic, really like the expression on her face and the details on the fairies is amazing, love the overall colours too, you always have a great way with colours. A few thoughts that might help, just an extension of what Nimh and Yian mentioned. Here goes.

I would take down all the colour behind the fae and wolves, and darken the background behind the wolves to get more depth in the image, maybe even add a cooler subtle blue tint to the trees behind, to bring the warmer colours out more in the foreground. Also darken the dress behind the fairies  to bring them out more, and at the bottom of the image, to keep the focus more towards the fae's face.

I think generally that strong colour on a subject either suggests that the subject is emitting it's own light or that you have a strong light source. Your main light source is coming from top right (presumably through the trees) The strong colour of the fae suggests that it's a strong light source, so consequently make sure that shadows are strong enough too.

To add more interest and depth, it might be nice to have a secondary light source coming from the left, since they're in a forest a soft green light would work.

Reflected light is always a good subtle way of tying everything together. Green on her arms from the dress and on the arms of the throne, on the wolfs face from the tickling fairy; on the left wolf's nose from her arm; on the throne behind her head from her hair; and maybe even on her dress from the fairies at the front holding the book.
Basically what you're aiming for is the use of colour and levels to lead the viewer and focus the eye from top left to bottom right (as per the lines in the paintover).

A subtle shadow from the feather over the nose of the wolf would help show that it's touching him. And yep her left arm and hand seem a little long but a simple cut and paste on her arm and slight scale on her arm should do the trick. Hopefully this paintover explains all this a bit better.
Hope that all helps, Val, nothing too serious mainly just colour and level tweaks. And thanks for asking! (My usual smallprint: this is all one mans opinion, it's in no way meant to offend only help, and can be ignored at will )

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Alan, thank you for the very indepth and thoughtful crit. This is immensely helpful. 

I was wondering about a second light source. I kept doubting myself on that count.

Your paint over is also VERY helpful. There are some gems of info here (written and visual). (Don't worry I won't bore you all with my thought processes ect, ect!)

I thank you Alan!

Back to the digital canvas!

Woot!

 

Nice, imaginative piece Valerie, depth of shadows on hair and dress could be improved imo, tho.

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Hail Red, i think it would benefit the mood if her highlights or lightsource were more "defined", er...you got me right?  :)

i think...umm...maybe a little more contrast, enriching (argh, how's it spelled?) the colours not destroying them...I would play a little with it and see how it goes..

Anyway, keep at it!

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