TUGS - Round 1 - Intermediate WIP Thread

[Frario]

Like the others said, the pyramid is using a rather strange kind of dithering. Try to get rid of that, and observe how you can build a pyramid out of blocks. Don't hesitate to use references! They are key for these kind of challenges! It'll help you out a lot!
The clouds are sometimes a bit squarey and angular in some of the darker shades. Have you tried using some anti aliasing? it might help to smooth out those rougher bits in the sky. What's that yellow-brown spot on the left side of the fame? It's kind of random, but if you could tell me what it is, maybe we could help you with some tips to make it recognisable!
For the dunes, you should get rid of the small little dots. Just try to make it simple. Start simple and make progress form there. Have you tried to shade it like green hills, but just sandy brown?
Lastly, you used quite good anti aliasing on the black characters, why not do the same to blurr out the horizon? that could give you some need impression of super far distance :] ! do the same for the diamond too!

No need to freak out, I'm having my problems, too.

The sandy dunes on the left are really well done.However, you could let the dune flow itto the flat area by mixing the shading. try to give the flatter parts some more relief too! Might not work, but it's worth a shot! :]

Since your pyramid and your oasis are pretty much from a top view, the horizon line doesn't fit with it. You don't actually see the horizon if you see the pyramid from that angle? Maybe enlarge the canvas to something DS-styled? That's something you can do if you wanna keep that beautiful starry sky!
What's that obkect in the top right corner of the pyramid btw? i can't tell what it is.

posting here so I don't forget about it

Mh, you're using the dithering like borders. Sky views are very flat and long in width, because they look flat if you see mist from very far away! try to blend them into eachother and try to do it first WITHOUT dithering. Start from simple, then go for the hard part!
You have the aurora challange right? I see you're going for the uni-coloured green one, and not the purple green mix. Aurora's are often like a wavy stroke of paper! maybe that's gonna make it more recognizable. Where the wavy aurora is close to the camera, make it very saturated, and the opposite for when it's far away!