[WIP] Big cave

[Orientino]

Hi guys,

this is my first post and my first attempt to draw a relatively large image in pixel art.
I struggled, spended a lot of hours, but it still looks weird to me and I don't know how to make it better.

It would be very cool if you guys can give me some suggestion!

[Silenia]

A good start.

*The grass and road/path/sand lack details, especially compared to the cave, and the colour--especially that of the path--is a bit oversaturated. The path narrows a bit too much towards the cave compared to how wide it starts, at least for the rather short distance suggested by other factors. The path also ends "higher" than the grass, while of course grass is taller than a sand path (and is likely to, at least near the edges, partially grow/hang over the path.

This near to a cave/mountain formation, paths are quite probably dirt paths, pebbles/gravel/rocks or simply downtrodden trails in the grass, not fine sand.

*The deepest part of the cave is too light, especially because the lack of detailing you give it suggests 'so deep into the cave little to no light reaches it'. The transition between 'enough light to perceive significant details' and 'nothing but darkness' is a bit sudden for such a large cave mouth, too.

*Rocks usually aren't perfectly grey, but tend to have at least some hints of colour in (parts of) them.

*The contrast between the sky and the third-lightest grey (the one used on the lightest parts of the 'main' rock formation) is somewhat lacking.

[wzl]

Just as a heads up how much colors can help the piece.

Rocks are grey, yes, but not just grey. every material is lit by the according environment they're in. a blue sky tends to give everything a blue tint. Obviously this is exaggerated, but it might help you get some ideas.
play around with it. dont pick the obvious colors.

have fun

[Orientino]

Thank you Silenia and wzl!

The grass/road part was not done yet, but following your advice I changed the elements, adjusted the shape and improved it.
I also changed the colors adding more contrast and a little of blue value, it looks better and a lot more realistic now!

But I think it still need some work, what can I still improve?

   

[BatElite]

I think you're separating the cave into "layers" too much. My edit is just a quick attempt to mitigate some of that.

I think you should also try to give an idea as to what the brown bits are. They could be dirt or withering grass for all I know.

[Sersch]

as a viewer i'm uncertain if the top white parts are supposed to be (snowy?) parts of the mountain or clouds.

[Tycho Magnetic Anomaly]

Hi, looking good so far, but you know the lighting there seems a bit off. I am not sure if that is a path/trail leading in to the cave flanked by the cave opening shadows, or that center lighter area is meant to be light itself?.
If its the later.. then I don't think you would see the light right up to the entrance of the cave. From your image it looks like there is significant rocks overhanging the entrance, sort of like a short tunnel?.
Anyway aside from that I thought in general the lighting could be more defined, in particular on that tunnel sort of entrance.  To define the whole area better simply shade one of the inner walls darker then the other side, and then shade your ground according.
Something like this perhaps, in the 2nd image I introduced one more color just to give that cave hole stronger definition since its the feature/focus of this piece I assume.




EDIT: i wanted to but didn't do anything with the topside rocks.. but i think they do look a bit snowy alright, tone down a few of your lighter shades perhaps.

EDIT: Oh ok, i just saw the original posters post and see that is in fact a path/trail leading into the cave.. my bad heh

[MysteryMeat]

The sky color felt a bit too close to the snowcap, so I tweaked that a bit to create more of a cloudcover look