[C+C] Need help with game's promo picture

[aamatniekss]

Hey people!

Im starting my work on a new piece for game's promo picture. It will be used on Steam store page at 2x view probably, so thumbnail visibility is not so important. I just need it to look pretty.
So this is what I got sketched out basically. I still need to refine and refine and refine. Nothing is final here basically, so Im looking for any help I can get.



Finished -

[eishiya]

The pigs don't immediately read as pigs, and they're a bit hard to see. If you make the rimlight on them greyer, it'll look like red/pink compared to the green of the scene, which should make them look more like pigs.

The scene also doesn't feel very dramatic because there are so few pigs. Put pigs behind the characters, or show what it is they're defending (also in low detail, since the focus is on the three humans). I think you should also move the current pigs up, so that they're overlapping the green grass more, which will help them stand out a little more, as well as add drama to the scene since it'll make them closer to the humans.

I'd also change the characters' drop shadows to be shaped like their shadows rather than blobs. As I recall, that game has shadows shaped like the sprites, so taking a step "back" towards the most primitive type of shadow looks odd. Since the lighting here is from above, all you'd need to do is break up the shapes a little, it's not hard to make them look like cast shadows.

[aamatniekss]

Thanks for the feedback eishiya. I tried applying some stuff.
I've still to change the poses of the characters a bit, and tweak colours, to make it more interesting. but right now im curious about the 'sky', I mean it does give a nice sense of depth, but not sure if I should leave it. And I dont really want to make it more detailed too, so as to not take away from the title.
Anyways,this is where im at atm. And if I decide to leave the sky I'll probably have to add some blue'ish sky reflections to the characters, but im not sure about it.

[dpixel]

Maybe have a few of the pigs holding torches since now it looks like a night scene. 

[aamatniekss]

That's a cool idea.

This is where Im at now. I think the main idea I wanted to convey is in. Got any tips what else I could improve? I tried giving one of the guys in the middle a torch and create a scene as if it's lit by that torch, but couldnt really pull it off, so that's out of the question. Also removed the 'stars' from the sky, to make it not look like night so much, that way the lighting makes more sense, imo.
I think something's wrong with the middle guys legs, but It's hard to put my finger on it atm.

[MysteryMeat]

It might help to line some pigs along the back too, make them feel more "penned in" and also allow for some more clear piggy faces.

[dpixel]

It still looks like a night scene, even without the stars.  I guess which makes one wonder where the light is coming from.  Maybe if one of the farmers was holding a lantern up high the lighting you have would work. 
Edit:

[heyguy]

Cool project. I like all the progress thus far. The leg seems fine to me. Is it me though or do the pig heads in front of the farmers looks a little small? I like the idea of the lantern and being penned in a little more. I think this should have a more interesting or complete background. Maybe a forest,some trees, more pigs, a barn or farm they're defending, a castle, a cemetery, whatever. I think you need a more defined background. Anyway, those are my thoughts. Keep up the good work!

[MysteryMeat]

When I meant around the back I was more poking towards something like in pic related (closest thing I could think of to what I was picturing)

[aamatniekss]

Thanks a lot for the suggestions guys! I really loved that lantern idea. While I think the grass would still be a different colour if it was lantern light, I think it works quite nicely even with the green grass(which I want to keep).
I also dont want to put any enemies behind the players, but I made some more stuff in the background. But want to keep it very simple too, as to not take away too much from what's happening in the front. dont want to add much more detail too.
I wonder if the barn in the background should be even more towards the background colour
In any case, I am actually pretty happy how it is now. Unless there's something major I should fix or do