@Okami Amaterasu
Thank you very much! 
I though I already had some contrast but seeing the picture you made I see how to make it better. Also the way you defined the face with this help line is very helpful, as I can see how this will make things easier! With you image I also realised how I can improve my color choices by making the pallete before drawing something lol
what makes you think he made the palette beforehand? Making your palette beforehand also does not mean it is better. in fact i think it would almost always be better to tweak it as you go along because it is hard to tell how well the colors can go for your intended look without first using them. even painters are constantly tweaking their palette as they go along by continuing to mix colors to their pre-existing ones
what software do you use? knowing your software can help you tweak your palette in a jiffy.
Here's a valuable tip i learned from PPD a while ago. To test your palette, turn yo' image to greyscale- once it's in greyscale, you can see the values clearly. The common goal is to make sure they greyscale version has a wide range of values to ensure your image pops with enough contrast!
Note that there are problem areas in your version Okami fixed. for instance, his eye saw that the bright ears got lost in the bright background, so he not only darkened them but also made them even easier for the eye to see by adding a dark outline. this is good, because you want it to be easy for the eye to see every detail. it also looks better. note improvements to contrast throughout the whole image. for instance, shading in the skirt needed to be more easy to see.
once you train your eye to better see the range of values in your colors, you dont even need they greyscale tip, though it can still come in handy at times
