Hey Kevan: Glad you made changes. Better, but I recommend these tweeks:
1) Better values / value structure. I played around with your really quick, just so you get an idea. See how the trees on left side silhouette better? It also breaks up that big open light value area. It was competing too much with your focal pt. I also touched up a few other areas.
2) Get a consistent light source. Light is directional, Use it to describe direction and time of day. Also: BE CONSISTENT. It should be hitting surfaces on the same side throughout your composition. Alluded to this in the way I reworked the values. Just make it more accurate than I did.
3) Made Owl a bit smaller, just to give breathing room. Also, look at the clusters of leaves behind. You want to have negative space around him, but there should be continuation of leaves on other side. Tree, left hand side, framing waterfall. I moved it back a little bit.... Mushroom: refer to your reference how they a) grow & b) look grouped. These remind me of Smurf Village. Add a bit of contrast to foreground elements: don't go overboard. Maybe just a sprinkling of light just to show form, low contrast but just a bit...
That's about it. Hope the comp I tweaked and notes make sense.
- Nelson
Ok..here's another go at the friendly forest. I tried making the focal point off-centered...reduced the size of the owl, and redesigned the trees.
feedback would be appreciated, thanks.
-kevan
