Hello @Jan D., First of all I want to say that I really like the idea for the monster. It is simple and creepy and I feel like I'd be scared to death if I ever came across this thing. I think there are two main issues with the painting. 1. The values feel kind of flat. I think that some light rays would help the entire work feel more real. It would also help you emphasize the parts of the image where you want the viewer to focus. 2. In terms of color the illustration feels close to being monochromatic. I'd add some subtle warm lights and cold shadows in different hues to the existing ones. 3. Adding some blurry details to the background (i.e. fish, bubbles, some parts of the bottom that are little bit brighter, etc.) would give us something to compare tentacle-man to, in terms of size and shape. Your work is really cool, keep it up!

Hi Jan, I like it but I would try to define the lower part of the body a bit too, maybe you could put a light mist at ground level so you can at least show it as a silhouette or with diffused light. If it's just meant to be an illustration it will make it richer, if you thought of it as concept art you should always consider that the purpose is to give information to others, like the art director or the 3D artists who will have to get a 3D model from your idea and will therefore need more information.

Haha, there is something about the "sketch" mentality that helps me finish work too. Sometimes when the painting process feels forced I'll take a break and return to it even weeks later. The gap usually helps me treat all that past work I labored over like a sketch and come back to an enjoyable process. But I'm glad this one was one of the natural ones! For a critique I'd have to agree with @Luigi Manese. There are great qualities in your value comp that get lost in translation. The soft edge quality makes it feel as if this fish boy were slowly emerging into the light. There was also subtle vertical movement you created by popping out the foot/fin in light. The shape of the foot itself was also a good indication this fish dude was floating rather than standing. I think these all built up a strong sense of mystery! On a small side note regarding the light rays- try to vary them more rather than applying them evenly across the page. Since they are directed from the left, it might look nice to diffuse the light more on the right. I added Piotr Jablonksi's work below because there's a sullen/mysterious atmosphere he does so well that your piece reminded me of. And if you notice- the backgrounds are very diffused and simple but are designed to subtly direct the eye! Super cool stuff :) Thanks for sharing and nice work!

I totally understand what you mean @Jan D. the process of finishing a painting just seems like an ethereal thing, and it can range from pure frustration to pure joy. I like the concept you have here! If I were to make a critique, I would say that your comp feels better designed than the finish. In your comp, it looks like you took care to make sure you had good variety in your light and shadow shapes. Additionally, you had a strong read for your light and dark areas. In your finish, I think you lost some of these well designed shapes while rendering. The area that stands out the most would be the chest area: your rendering of form and texture created a pattern of mid tone shapes that is a bit too detailed. My advice for your future paintings would be to trust your value comp! Other than that, overall great work.