Explosion

[wiseman]

Any advice on how to make a better explosion out of this?  I realize that it's not exactly a realistically shaped explosion, but ... any advice anyways?  lol

[Blick]

I'd say the use of a reference would be in order:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OMB-rnHo5eI&NR=1

I'm not really sure where to start on saying what you should do, so I'll point you towards some similar threads:

Frankiesmileshow's Nuclear blast
Jad's laser explosion

Pay attention to the movement of the smoke, how it rolls especially. It doesn't just expand and fade.

[Sherman Gill]

When drawing things like fire or explosions, it's very important that you do NOT copy and paste frames. A single element of the explosion stays in one place and it loses it's sense of motion. Also, it's not a good idea to use outlines on the flash.

[Opacus]

Try this tutorial:
http://zack-sr.deviantart.com/art/Explosion-basics-tutorial-65735280
It's something I've always found usefull.
It doesn't just explain how to draw em, but also how they work.