Shattering the Barrier

well hi there. I found this work among the critique me folder in the group #Critiques-Requested , so here we go. take note that my critiques are meant to be helpful and constructive and by no means offensive. alright? lets roll

overall, I really rather like the shaping and design of this creature, particularly the head and with the long, striped horns and such.

I don't find the bg fitting or well incorporated though. Perhaps this creature has something to do with the cosmic space, etc, but for one, the stars are too dim and barely noticable, the style in the bg is very conflicting of the watercolor traditional style used in the creature, and most importantly, I don't get any feeling of the creature intereacting or immersed in this BG scene. sadly, it comes off as static. you shouldn't try too hard to use a bg unless you have planned it ahead and poised the creature and bg so that the creature seems to be taking a part in the atmosphere of the intended bg.

the bright outline style is an interesting and unique choice, especially given how much more it helps the creature design to be the focal point on an otherwise dark bg. the color choices is surpisingly balanced giving the bold contrasts, but it all works well together

the legs are my main qualm about this, they both seem to be on the opposite side of the side that the viewer is seeing this, and really, it takes away a lot of the depth in this and makes it come off as rather flat.

as far as the scales go, they seem rather flat and bland. I know this way of doing scales is common, but It flattens the image and looks plain. have a quick look through at this tutorial to see what I mean and how to best to do scales instead [link]

the creature design is cool, but I don't feel a sense that this creature has been thought out to the point that you considered the purpose of it's features, why it has developed these features, how it lives, etc. not really a requirement, but considering these things and more will really give your creatures to be much more believable and concepted. it never hurts to think these things through with some depth when possible.

so, to sum up, rather interesting and unique creature design here, the coloring may be flat without concrete shading and such, but it works well with the line art style and watercolors. just plan out these concepts a bit more and how they would interact with a bg if you plan on making one, and don't be afraid to try out some more dynamic posings and perspectives for your creatures. the best reference, regardless of whether your drawing fantasy or real creatures, is from actual creatures in real life.noting their features and why they have them to live their lives helps you in turn concept these well thought out features in your own works. cool work