My first complete digital painting isn't complete yet - any advice?

[Bonzulac]

I've begun work on a fantasy/sci-fi illustration portfolio, and this is the first piece I've come close to finishing so far. It's my first fully-developed digital painting, and I'm learning a lot doing it.

I'd love any comment you may have - be cruel if you like! - but please keep in mind that nothing is finished - none of the figures, not the background or foreground. I figure I'll move the girl on the right up and to the left a bit, add some more color to the background, and of course put all the finishing touches on the figures. But I've been looking at it so long I don't know what to think anymore.

Thanks for your attention!

[Iridyse]

I like the treatment of the background. That dark edge behind the gorilla is a bit distracting and divides the canvas in half, I would find a way to trail it towards the right. The girl looks copy pasted into the scene, she does not look like a part of the environment at all. Maybe some more yellow/green on her would help. There are a bunch of scale and anatomy issues on the guy ( especially the hands and how much the deltoid juts out). The figures look rather elongated, I'm not sure if that was a stylistic choice or not. The gorilla's arm with the cigarette is positioned awkwardly too, maybe resting it on the ground would work better.

[Venger]

Try giving them the same light source, they appear very separate and flat.
They're occupying only a small portion of the frame, personally I'd move them closer together and go larger.
Be careful on your background, your vertical line is splitting the canvas - as your figures are quite light I'd go with a darker background, that should make them pop.
Oh and don't fade off to black - with the light you already have painted that's not going to happen.
Quick PO, hope it helps

[BAN_KAI]

its kinda weird that they all look in different dirrection, cant see eyes in the mask ,, and it seems that they dont blend, its like having totally 3 characters put together with no connection , try somehow making the guy look at the monkey or the opposite. But you got some really nice painting skills, the guy looks almost real

[Bonzulac]

Iridyse, Venger, and Ban_Kai, thanks for taking the time to evaluate and respond! I was aware particularly of the girl's popping out from the picture, and I'd experimented with a few different ways I thought she could be integrated. Below find one of the solutions - darker, moved over a bit, and I accentuated some shadow areas. I miss the stripes, but considering the limited palate and weird lighting I've given myself, they may just have to go. (Or be really dark and desaturated).

I was thinking the light hitting them could be warm and coming from a setting sun, shining over something casting a shadow on their lower halves - Venger, hou don't think this is viable? I thought it would work nicely with a darker gradient on the top....

Oh well. I should probably just stop working on it for a while and work on my other portfolio - painted caricatures. (Would it be appropriate to post that kind of thing for evaluation on this site?)