Pixelart Chinese Dragon by nikamanoukian on DeviantArt (original) (raw)

I worry this critique is going to sound like a lot of complaints, so I’ll start with two important points. First is that I really like this piece, from the vibrant pink and blue style, to the impact of the circle and lines design, even the tip of the tail with its plumage like the feathers of a dinosaur. Dragons are inherently cool. Second, my concerns are in fact tiny compared to how much I like this piece, but I’m here to list my concerns. Let’s start with the circle around the head of the dragon, which is apparently centered on the nose? I would understand centering the ring on the mouth to show a roar, or on the eyes for an aura of fear, but the nose feels like an odd place. Next, I like all the dark stars giving some extra flair to this piece, but I notice many are all black while some have a greenish outline. I think the green outlined stars connected to the green ring look great, as if they are taking their color from the ring. But the green outlined stars beyond the ring look odd to me; it feels like the rest should be all black from reflecting the dragon. Finally, the dragon’s arms are clear and excellent, but I prefer the lower set where they are attached under the body. The upper set feels kind of slapped on like stickers, though I think fading out where the lines go across the body would fix that.

This critique was brought to you by The Robin Renegades for Critmas 2022 !