Looking great as ever, I'd comment on the sand but you've already got it. I think your horizon line is too high for the perspective, about half the current amount of water should be visible if I had to guess. The direction of the lighting is indistinct - it seems to be coming from about 10 o'clock /60 degrees up, according to the shadow cast by the rocks on the left, 9 o'clock by the small shadow cast toward the middle, and almost directly overhead according to the last rock, but then about 3 o'clock and near vertical by the highlights on the light colored outcropping to in the right-center area. The water is also really, really flat for a beach scene, there should be some small waves and ripples even on a really peaceful day. Despite the highlights I really dig the aforementioned outcropping though, it really pops, something about the subtlety of the highlights and shadows and the texture, especially that great crack down the middle. This is what you should be aiming for on all the rocks, which otherwise seem to have less attention paid do them. I'm not really feeling the clouds either, but that might be the fault of the reflection on the water. I'm not going to stand on this statement entirely but I think they're a little underworked compared to the best parts of the image - the sand texture and my favorite rock there. Obviously they should be less detailed than the foreground but even so I think they could use a little more embellishment.
Anyway it looks great despite the criticism.
I really envy your beautiful sprites and animations, I know that's not what you're asking about but not enough can be said about them. Once you put them up again I do have a few comments though.
Anyway it looks great despite the criticism.
I really envy your beautiful sprites and animations, I know that's not what you're asking about but not enough can be said about them. Once you put them up again I do have a few comments though. 