Hey! Good work The lighting looks better now, but I think you could push it a bit more to achieve stronger contrast. You can adjust it using a Levels layer or blending modes like Soft Light or Hard Light. Now, regarding the tail and how to avoid making it look flat: first of all, think of it as a cylinder. Simplifying the tail into a basic cylinder will give you a much clearer understanding of where the highlights, core shadows, midtones, and other lighting information should go. That alone will help create a much stronger sense of volume. Also, make sure to observe and analyze references so you can apply those ideas to your own work. Do not paint from imagination if you don't know how things work in real life. Look at the fish scale example. Even though the fish itself may appear thin, notice how the upper area catches more light while the lower area stays slightly darker. At the same time, you can still see the shine of the scales within the lit areas. You can also notice a bit of ambient occlusion between the scales, which helps separate them visually and gives them more volume. Try applying the same concept to your character: Identify the lit areas while thinking of the tail as a cylinder, and paint the scales accordingly. Also, you don’t need to fully render the entire tail, since that could make it feel overly saturated with detail. Think about where the focal point of the tail is and concentrate the highest level of detail there. The rest can remain simpler, or you can just suggest some texture and allow the viewer’s eye to complete the remaining information. Hope this helps!
