Left to Our Own Devices [Commission Speedpaint]

I've seen your animation videos and they've helped me out a lot.  I watch your speedpaints, too.  You've got some neat characters and I love the water in this one.

There's a couple things I noticed about all your pictures, though - you use very generic shading, no specifics.  Correct me if I'm wrong, but you use a layer of black with a blur applied and perhaps an opacity change?  Applies general areas of darkness, makes everything look oddly smooth?  To make things look deeper and/or more interesting I'd recommend being a tad more specific.  The shading you use would do great as the first shade layer, really light...  But when you shade, you ought to not apply the blur everywhere.  Use a few hard edges.  Example; look in the mirror.  The shadow on your cheek fades to light.  However, the shadow that begins beneath your chin....  It's not very blurred.  Compare in this picture the shading on the characters and the shadows they cast.  Or the shading on the character's back here, compared to that on her legs.  Don't be afraid to put hard edges and soft edges together, too, or have them fade into one another.

The other thing I'd suggest is using shading to apply texture.  Like here, you did the dappled pattern on the fish - this doesn't just apply pattern, it gives us the idea of scales.  So when you shade, be it a hard or soft edge, try and add in the same thing - shade to the shape/pattern of fur.  At its most basic, this is hardly more than adding ruffles in the outline of the hard-edge shading, much like you've got in the outline...  At its most complicated, it requires several layers each with different shades and edges.

Anyway.  These are a few general concepts you can apply to about anything.  Thought I'd mention them.  Just suggestions, so ignore me if you want and no feelings will be harmed.  Hope it helps

-Nyx