Hey! Good work so far! :) One thing I'd recommend is keeping the background simple, just a ground plane and a sky. That way, you won't have to worry about painting a complex environment and can focus entirely on the character and giving it a stronger sense of volume. I tried to make a few corrections, although they may not be 100% accurate. Since I can't see the reference, I'm not completely sure about the exact muscle forms and anatomy. But anyway... The most important thing is to have a clear understanding of the body's forms. Think in terms of cylinders, boxes, and spheres, and focus on the overall volume of every object. If you only think in 2D shapes (silhouettes or outlines), it'll be much harder to create convincing three-dimensional form. With that in mind, establish a clear light direction, then think about which planes are facing the main light source, which planes are exposed to the ambient light, and which areas receive neither the direct light nor the ambient light. Those are typically where you'll find the core shadows and ambient occlusion. By ambient light, I mean the light coming from the sky. Notice how some of the shadowed areas have a bluish tint, that's because they're being influenced by the skylight, which prevents the shadows from feeling completely flat. If this still feels overwhelming, I'd recommend starting with simple exercises, like shading boxes, cylinders, and spheres, while studying the fundamentals of lighting in more depth. Building that foundation will make painting more complex subjects much easier later on. Hope this helps! :) | Artwod Feedback