/ic/ - Artwork/Critique

>>7286624
>>7289165
>>7289176
3. shadow follows form - simplify your colors if you are losing the contrast between your light and shadow shapes is weakening and the forms of your figure are feeling off; color is very flexible so long as you keep your values and depth of form strong

i say this generally, because your taste for color is honestly very good (be proud of this), but your figure broadly lacks structure in perspective (including that building in the background), and as a consequence, your shadows miscommunicate the figure's forms everywhere (no/unclear cast shadow for the hand on the purse, her right arm is in shadow but we don't know why, there's a clear contrast indicating shadow on the skirt but that shadow does not carry down the thigh past the skirt, shadows being cast by the fabric beneath her betray the light source indicated elsewhere)

even in color palettes (or greyscale/charcoals and pencils) with very low contrast, there is still a obvious separation of darks and lights that follow forms - see pic related (artist is stealthnacho)

i made a paintover that emphasizes these concepts for another anon the other day in the /sex/ thread, you can see it here: >>7281931

lastly, take everything i (and others) say with a grain of salt - i'm not an expert, i just want to say what i see to help and offer guidance for what i personally think is off, but there are plenty of people out there that are way better than me. it's easy to get lost in critique hell where your only desire is to get better and achieve the level of your taste, so you study, fall on your face, study some more, and repeat until you get burnt out. like i said earlier, i like the colors you chose. keep pushing yourself, but remember to enjoy yourself. it gets easier with time and practice. make time for pieces where you just have fun and don't have the expectation of making something spectacular or learning something. art is pointless when you treat it like a chore imo.