Colors and Composition

[NeverfilledVoid]

Hello people! It has been a long time since I was here on CA, and I am ready to become more active here!
I am currently working on making a portfolio for a game art-school that I want to apply to, and what they are mostly interested in seeing is my progress with my works. Yesterday I started out with these thumbnails, and right now I can't decide for which!



I wanted from the start portray the characters as a strong duo, watching each other's backs. But I can't help to like the sentimentality of the last one, even though it wasn't was I originally what I had in mind.
What do you guys think, which would be most interesting to show for a school?
Also, I am kind of struggling with picking colors, anyone have a good tip on how to make a nice color scheme?
Any opinions are welcome!

[ZombieMariachis]

The top one is the most interesting to my eyes. Not a fan of the sentimental one. Jame's Gurney has a great guide on choosing a color palate. Let me locate that specific entry in his blog and I'll get back to you.

[Kiera]

These look all ok to me, no giant mistakes or problems leaping at me from those thumbnails - on the other hand, those are really simple and save compositions.
(simpleness can be efficient though: http://www.nausicaa.net/miyazaki/mh/mononoke_poster.jpg)
As it is right now, the third one is the most interesting for me, because at least we see some bodylanguage from the human (even when it's a common pose/comp with horse photography).

How much time do you have and how much energy do you want to invest and what's your skill level?
The thumbnails are fine as they are right now, but they don't show that you have elaborated skills in perspective or in anatomy:
There's no foreshortening on the characters, no action, no movement or anything fancy with the perspective.
When you want to go deeper in the thumbnail phase and polish up that comp, do a research phase before that:
Look for pictures/photographs that could give you more ideas in what direction you can push this.
Especially look for interesting shadows - because all of these compositions are flat, most drama will come out of the colors and dramatic light.

A quick fix for a color scheme? Find a photo with interesting light, repaint it and learn, then use the colors and the light effects on this picture.

[NeverfilledVoid]

Thank you both for your input, much appreciated!

@Kiera;
I have until sometime in May to send my application, so I am starting out early so I can spend as much time as possible on my presented work. And as for my skill... I really don't know how to pin-point my artistic level.
This is how my usual style looks like; http://th06.deviantart.net/fs70/PRE/...96-d5ay8ww.jpg
I have just made a collaboration with a friend of mine, in which I have learnt many new things; http://fc08.deviantart.net/fs70/f/20...87-d5i7bju.jpg
I really like the result of the latter very much and I would really like to achieve that kind of quality on my own.

I believe that the first thumb have a great potential with motions, as I want there to be a wind coming from the behind, making the scarf, hair and clothes sweep. As for the foreshortening, you are absolutely right, it really is lacking it. Whichever I pick, I will definitely reconsidering the pose to make it more dynamic.
And that tip with copying a photo seems like a sound idea. (: Thanks!

[NeverfilledVoid]

Okay, so I made three new thumbs, and tried to be more dynamic with movement and perspective.

Better or worse? Should I make more of these or spend time on making these thumbs even better?

[Kiera]

Nice! Those two finished pictures are well done, I don't think that you will have a problem tackling a more complex picture .
The first thumbs already work well, the new thumbs also work:
The first one gives me a kind of cozy, protected feeling and makes the creature look mighty.
The second one has a feeling of traveling - the focus will be all on the human, the creature looks more like a random mount.
The third is an all action shot, the environment and the dynamic is nice, but it looks like they are just randomly running for the sake of it.. are they attacking someone, fleeing or are they playing tag?
You could thumbnail just a tiny bit more, why not pick one of the existing thumbs and see if you can come up with alternative shots (f.e. the one with the sleeping dragon: slightly smaller creature, different environment like rocks or woods..)