Hey! I would suggest pushing the values, I know you said you didn’t want to go into super dark values, but using the whole spectrum will make your lights pop and make the piece less flat. The red line shows the squirrels line of action, I think if you pushed the bend of his back more his pose would be less stiff. When I messed with the curves the orange came back, sorry lol. I do think it implies a nice sunny day tho if you are willing to let the piece be a bit orange. The background change to strengthen the silhouette of the acorns by removing some trees was a great move. I also lightened his head as it seems like a focus point and giving that contrast from his body should draw the eye more. The subsurface scattering in his ear is great :) | Artwod Feedback