take a look and pick apart

[Foilsim]

hey im wondering how i can make this better. please adress issues with the piece, its really just some practice but i need to improve. ill be taking a photoshop class soon, and that should help a bit. thanks guys :^^:
http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b71/Foilsim/daemon.jpg

[Rascar Capac]

Not to be harsh or anything...but
put off taking a photoshop class and take a drawing class instead- you need to nail down your drawing first before you start playing in with PS or any other program.

[Kanji2000]

Wanna improve??? Plan your piece first...This piece has no planning whatsoever...Don't be lazy...Do a thumbnail sketch, work out the way the figure is posed...Compose your picture...All the little things matter...Use reference whenever necessary...Hell, as of right now, I don't know what it is or what it's doing...

As for Photoshop, lay in solid color first...Don't put the texture in yet...A foundation of solids will help you plan the overall color theme without wasting too much time...After laying down a solid color foundation, that's when you add the texture...That way, you won't have a heap of white showing through...The white showing through makes any piece look like a kid's doodle or coloring book...Spend more time thinking the piece through...

Also, if you have to explain to the reader everything about this piece, then you have to do more planning in advance...A piece that requires too much explanation is an incomplete piece at best...