I would make less of the griffin itself blurry. One reason to make part of an artwork blurry is because it's not in focus. So grass in the front could be unfocused, but the griffin and child would probably be all in focus. Blur can also imply smoke or haze. I would be careful with the perspective. It feels like the griffin is sitting on one plane and the boy is standing on another. Like he's on a hill or we're looking more down on him. I like the gold colors on the griffin and road.

Update: some changes based on the feedback! I know I still have a lot to learn and lots of hours to practice, but I really appreciate the comments from everyone, it has been very helpful for me and saw lot of things I didn’t notice before.

1) the gryphon is crammed into the corner, with his wings tucked like a chicken in a cage. It's okay to let stuff carry over the edge of the canvas. 2) it gets very airbrushed in the lights. Probably better to use real brushstrokes that force you to be more decisive. Airbrush is like a person singing under their breath, in that it makes a very non-commital, weak statement. 3) the gryphon melds with the grass to create a giant black blob. I wanna say in general that you've got really dark darks and really light lights. I think you need to work on getting more midtones in there I think overall it's your values that need work

Hi m_rybo! Hi, I like the concept, the wheat field and the child came out well, the problem is the lack of texture in the griffin. One of my life drawing teachers used to repeat "Remember the material!". Plaster looks different than wood or metal, feathers reflect light differently than leather or fur and have a different texture and grain. Obviously you don't have to paint every hair or feather, just suggest where the planes change and the light reflects differently. I suggest you start with flat colours and then define the shapes with shadows, don't use round brushes or you'll get the infamous plastic effect! (Use shadows to emphasise shapes and gestures) Try some brushes with a bit of texture (like crayons or pencils, but also brushes for materials, see for yourself, do some tests). When you have defined the volume of the body, you can suggest the texture of the fur and feathers (but also of the beak and the scales on the legs) by painting hints of detail here and there (some scales in the light areas of the legs, feathers that reflect the light in the transition zone between light and shadow, etc.). Don't be afraid to look at references, using references to understand how materials behave and how light is reflected from them is not only ok but essential!

Hey, m_rybo. I am by no means an expert, so please know that I just looked at this and do really admire the lighting and style. It seems like the leg with the claw holding the feather is much larger than the right foreleg. This could of course be the way this fantasy creature's body is shaped, but if it is not, then I would consider making the right foreleg larger to be more in proportion to the left leg. And, again, I am just an avg guy who looked at this. It's cool. For sure. Thanks for being brave enough to share it.

Update: I wanted to add the version of this illustration that has a text related to the background story. I didn’t add this one originally because I didn’t want it to be in the way for anyone who would want to give feedback :) and it seems like I can’t add new pictures to posts already submitted. Just adding it now for anyone who is curious about it :)

My feedback is just that this looks super awesome and i love it! Especially the lighting and the storytelling. I love the stern expression of the eagle while his gesture is so kind and wholesome. Is the feather meant to convey magical powers or something to the boy? I would love to hear your interpretation of the story (the og-one :D)

Hey @m_rybo ! I really enjoy the moment you're trying to depict. I did a paintover with bigger changes than usual- but hopefully some of the notes will help you enhance your own composition. First I made the canvas wider. I wanted the left wing to feel less cramped and the feather/kid to land on a third in the image. I noticed the soft lighting quality and dynamic camera angle but I omitted these so I could solidify the perspective. (The tall grass in the foreground conflicts with the perspective of the camera angle) Though lowering the camera angle misses some of the intimacy from the original- it allows us to design the surrounding environment. I made the kid smaller as well to make the griffin have an even more demanding presence. I increased the contrast to stay true to the lighting scenario you established. It helps silhouette the griffin as well. I realized how wholesome the story is here as I did the paintover- hope this helps and thank you for sharing!

I had the same issue and had exactly the same thought. I hope this message gets seen by anybody in the proko team

Update: Following the recommendation I was given, I modified the shape of the left wing, moved the tail down a little and also I felt like the shadows on the Griffin could go a little darker.