[ttarget]

I have hit a wall with this one...It's come out differently from what I initially had in mind, but I'm ok with the changes. Now I'd just like to make it seem more realistic. Any help?

PS- I've included what it looks like now and an earlier version so it's easier to see what was drawn.

[kraemology]

couple of things that might help....

The fire looks too transparent at it's core; it looks more like a bright mist.

You blacks are really dark (like 2% brightness). With that intense of a light source, I'd brighten them up a bit.

The horns on the wings should show some color and brightness from the fire.

The inside of the mouth would also be much brighter in all but the deep crevices. Same with the scales on the nose and the portion of the neck immediately below the flame

Hopefully that helps.

Also, I really like the way you've rendered the fleshy part at the corner of the mouth. It looks like a natural fleshy skin. I'd take that approach with the rest of the mouth and the membrane of the wings. Ciao

[ttarget]

Thanks for the pointers! I'll post an updated image when I'm a bit happier with it.

[Alex_A]

It looks like the silhouette of the next is getting lost in the shadow of the right wing. Maybe some bounce light on the ding or next to separate the two shapes.

Hope that makes sense.