This is my first use of the new critique system on DA, so hopefully this will go well. I hope it's helpful and maybe you can get something out of it.

To make this easier, I'll address each point I'd like to make with a number, so as to seperate things and keep the critique orderly and more easily readable. Each number will end with a score (between 1-10, 10 being highest) to give you a way to gauge what I've said.

At the end, there will be a final score and observation.

1.) Proportions/anatomy/etc.

Considering the anime style, the figure's proportions are not largely exaggerated, and I see this as a good point for this picture. The figure in this picture benefits from your ability to draw in the style, but more importantly, mind her anatomical structure to the degree that stylization did not hurt it. Aside from a few areas, most of her body is close enough to being right anatomically, that nitpicking it isn't necessary (ie- 'this limb is slightly longer than it should be', etc).

Considering the subjective and objective elements going into this, I give anatomy a 7/10. The figure is highly stylized, but doesn't suffer anatomically for it. Good job.

2.) Coloring

The soft shading and outlines help produce the comfortable quality that fits with the theme of the picture. I don't see any harsh or dark lines. All of the outlines have colors that compliment the others and this allows for everything to blend together and feel like part of the same picture. All the colors are well blended, and the textures they produce are soft, completely fitting of a beach scene, where soft, airy, light and comfortable sensations are what we'd expect to experience, and I do through the soft use of the color scheme.

The translucency of her shirt is well done also.

9/10.

3.) Perspective

This is the one area I actually have some trouble with. While the angling and tilt and other effects you've employed are not an issue for me the perspective is in one critical area: the palm trees. Because they appear small it means they should be farther away, but it creates an illusion where she looks to be standing next to them, making her seem large and them small.

In other words, the background isn't far enough away, nor are the trees, to make the sense of depth, distance, etc, completely believable. This causes problems with depth, scaling, and other principles. The mountains in the back for example are fine. They're far enough away that the distance to them is considerable. Naturally, she would appear larger than them. The way the clouds reach into the distance is also believable, but because the trees look as though they're in the foreground as opposed to the background where you probably intended them to seem, the scaling is out of order, or it makes her appear larger, or the trees smaller then they actually are. Objects that are highly detailed tend to be closer to the human eye than things that are farther away which are more obscured. The detail in the trees is nice, but it's a double-edged sword here, I think, because we're able to focus with clarity on them, but for that to be true, it means they're close, when really, they should be farther away. This creates an inconsistency for me enough to a point that mentioning it as part of the critique is worth it.

If the trees were smaller and farther back, or she was scaled down a little most of the problem might be corrected and the picture will have benefited from this correction. Your horizon line is there, to give us a focal point, but the limited view of the beach itself (the sandy area) doesn't go out far enough that it contributes to the problem with the trees.

Considering the good job you did with the background though, and how that seems fine, the trees do not destroy this picture. I just seem them as a minor annoyance. If there had been people in the background, it would have immediately either corrected the issue or made it worse, depending on how small you drew them. Without many other objects to judge depth by, it's hard to tell really.

3/10. If you were to do some re-sizing and correct what I feel are some perspective issues, this might be lifted to 6 or 7/10, which is about average.

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Overall, I give Petals on the Beach a 7/10. The perspective hurts the score, but only by 3 points. The rest is pretty solid and the picture is pleasant to look at and is enjoyable.

Goob job. Thanks for sharing this with us and opening it up for critique!

Very beautiful work. I love the way her hair is colored and the way her swimsuit shows through her shirt probably more than anything else. I think that can sometimes be a rather difficult effect to pull off. Her skirt blowing in the wind is also cute. The glass she's holding in her hand is nice. I love how you can tell the ice from the drink itself. The orange around the glass is very adorable! The beach does look a little flat, but its' still beautiful. I love the detail in the grass with the flowers and with the trees. The water looks very amazing. the only thing that kinda bothers me about this drawing would be her left leg looks like it curves like a parenthesis, kinda... I think it should be a little more straight down to her knee. Overall, very nice!