.: a Firefly's Serene Embrace :.

Hey, Chelsea! Sorry it took me a little while to get around to this, but I'm glad that I finally have the chance to take a look at your nice art. ^^

The very first thing that stands out to me about this when compared to your original is like you've mentioned, the colors. Your choice of more muted tones is definitely marked improvement from the original. I feel that your palette is much more convincing of a nighttime scene, whereas before the colors gave off the impression of midday. On that note, I also appreciate the fact that your sky shifted from the colorless black tones to the bluish tinge that fades in intensity. This is, to me, a lot more appealing and interesting. Though, it looks like the sun is almost completely gone, but not entirely. As if nightfall has only just begun. I don't know if this was the intention, but it looks nice. If you want the scene to appear to take place in the middle of the night, darker and more muted tones can help out (just not too dark). We have to consider moonlight as well.

Again, the tones of the trees are muted and much better matched to the scene. I like the detail you've added to them, and that I can see some definition in the bark. The same goes for the shrubbery in the background, as well as the leaves in the trees. They were before very blurry and undefined, and now they are certainly taking on a stronger form. Well done!

I would say to take it a step further and add even more detail, as well as to try experimenting with color yet more. Try muting the hues until the bark of your trees appears almost a bluish-gray. This will create an even greater nighttime effect. You can try (just for fun) playing around with hue and brightness adjustment in Photoshop to see what I mean. Try the photo filter with a darker blue color. See what different ambient effects can be achieved just by color shifts. Most importantly, make sure your whole image appears balanced. If you desaturate your painting entirely, does anything stand out awkwardly? Any particularly bright/dark tones? We can oftentimes become so distracted by color that we lose grasp of what is actually bright and what isn't. Level it out a bit, and if necessary, concentrate the brighter spots on your main focal point. In this case, I would say the character in the foreground that's reaching out to the fireflies is the main focus. You can go further yet and add some glow casting off of the fireflies onto her face.

The fireflies... They do look better this time around, though they are still a bit blurry. I am under the impression that they are all directly in front of the camera, causing them to appear large and blurry. This is okay if you add smaller and sharper ones behind the larger blurry ones. This will give off the impression of depth and be a lot more convincing to the viewer, especially since we are led to believe that the character is holding one in-hand (which would be made smaller, in this case). It would be unlikely that they would all be in the same place at the same time, so just a small variance in size and sharpness will remedy this tiny issue. Concentrate a small, sharp round brush stroke in the middle (where the insect is) and then go over that stroke with a larger and softer brush at lower opacity. This will define the glow around the bug. You can put the fireflies on a separate layer and play around with different blending modes, like linear light. That can create beautiful glowing effects if used just right.

The grass blades are much sharper and nicer. For a more convincing effect, try to make the grass even denser. You should make the blades smaller as they get further away from the viewer and closer to the horizon line until they fade away into obscurity. This will give off a lot more depth. Also, take note that as objects get further away from you, they become more muted in color and definition, taking on the color of the ambient light. Think of it this way... There are tons of little micro-particles in the sky. As objects drift further away from you, they become obscured by these particles. Also, to simulate human eyesight, objects lose their clarity as well. Concentrate definition and detail around your focal point. The rest can remain muted in detail, and lacking in detail as objects recede into the horizon. Try this theory on those trees in the background, and you may see what I mean. The ones in the very back should take on most of the bluish color of the atmosphere, and the others gradually getting brighter as they grow closer.

The characters are drawn very well, and I really appreciate your relocation of the purple character. I can now see her clearly, without being covered by the character in the foreground. Much better planning and execution! The sidewalk is much more convincing within the perspective plane, and I love your addition of the light and bench! That glow casting off of the light is very nice, and I would suggest to try something similar with the fireflies. Definition inward, blurry glow outward.

I also want to add that the shading on the characters is much more pleasing to the eye this time around. I love how you shaded their clothes, it looks very natural and relaxed. Clothes can be tricky, so I appreciate your good work!

Please don't be disheartened. You have improved so much in so little time... Just keep at it, and you will certainly reach your goals. We are always improving, and that's part of what makes being an artist so rewarding. There is definitely fun to be had in the challenge of creation, and helping each other along the way.

You are a very gifted artist, and I'm proud of your progression! I can't wait to see where you'll be in another year from now. You have a lot of great visions and a vivid imagination. Combine this with your continued efforts and you will go a long way.

I hope that some of my advice will be a little helpful to you. Remember that nothing is set in stone... Art is very subjective, and there are no truly "right" or "wrong" answers. For personal projects like this, you are free to trust your own intuition. These are just my personal opinions for improving overall technique to achieve better balance and realism.

What is most important is to love what you do. Enjoy what you create, and paint with passion. The rest will come naturally. Good luck!