Encounter on Patrol (WIP)

Hey there! I think you could push the value contrast a bit more. For example, even though the lower part of the scene is underwater and naturally darker, you still have control over the lighting and can use it to create a clearer separation between the character and the background. I darkened the rocks slightly to create more depth, but notice how I also added some light behind the character, almost like a "fog". That helps the silhouette stand out more clearly and prevents the character from blending into the background. You could also use an Overlay layer to paint bluish tones across the scene. That can help establish a stronger underwater color palette before going in with more detailed rendering afterward. I also pushed the light rays a bit more so they read more clearly as they travel deeper into the water. Now, regarding the foreshortening: I’m not the best at drawing foreshortening, but what feels off to me is the way the arm connects to the torso. The muscles and overall connection need to be indicated more clearly so the arm feels more believable and properly attached to the body. Hope this helps!

this is a really cool and interestingly conceptualized illustration. there is an intriguing amount of threat but also insecurity communicated in the posture of both the human and the merperson, and you capture the tension of this moment well with the expression on the merperson's face. the balance of elements in the piece is also good here, using directionality and perspective to amplify the story that you're trying to tell. with regard to potential things that might be improved, i would suggest varying the values around the merperson a bit more. in the draw-over, i’ve placed a black saturation layer on top of the original illustration to show the individual values of the colors chosen; you can see that the background in the bottom area has values very similar to those of the merperson, making it more difficult for the character’s silhouette to stand out. one potential way that you could help differentiate the merperson’s character a little more from the background would be to use light to outline the contours of the characters’s features (and the contours of the hook) so that the silhouette reads even more clearly. this would make the pose stand out more starkly and reveal even more of the threat that you’ve very cleverly baked into the pose already. i hope this helps! like i said above, this is already a very cool illustration with a number of compelling stylistic decisions. great job! ❤