Another view of the Aphotisan Towers

I've been continuously working on new artwork for the past couple weeks since I released my first complete painting, Aphotisan. To capture a more visual angle of Aphotisan, I started another painting in which the perspective situates on top of the mountains behind the fortress.

My ultimate goal has been just improving my painting techniques, workflow, time management, and composition. Details have been my secondary goal. With this I think i'll have a quicker composition that forms before the looks come in.

It has been frustrating as i've been continuously scratching out, and painting in my forms in and out. I never feel as if my artwork is where it can be. But with that comes motivation and determination, I believe I can reach that point eventually.

The second painting I've been working on is called "Shipwreck Cove". With motivation from Pirates of the Caribbean and just interest in islands, I chose this as my theme submission at my background design & layout class at school. I did get some crits personally from my art instructor, particularly the composition. She said that the mountain in the middle was breaking the oceans horizon line, and looked like a middle finger flying in the air. She also suggested I change the level of my focal point (the rock ledge on the bottom right) up farther so its more natural and noticeable. With that I created a waterfall. I also been working on the lighting. Hopefully I can find success in this piece as well.

original

after crits

If you have any advice for this piece, feel free to shoot em over. I can use every bit of creative help at this point. Im going through technical tunnel vision.