Embers In The Night

My version of a Phoenix. Nothing special, just something I started a long time ago and finally decided to finish today. Ironically, throughout this whole project, I was constantly referring to her as "Ember" rather than - the phoenix.
I don't know why, but I loved the idea of her burning like a piece of coal. She's cool and dark on the outside, but toward the center a glowing inferno.

Now, originally, the idea for this came when I was feeling a little nostalgic and decided to watch Disney's The Rescuers: Down Under. Ever since I was little, I've loved that movie - particularly Marahute (The Golden Eagle). Now that I'm older and can properly appreciate all the time and effort that does into making a animated film, I decided to pay a little homage to that much beloved film by creating an image that was inspired by a favorite character.

And being as I wanted the style to remain roughly similar to Marahute, I found myself referencing an image of the character often. I even wanted the pose to be the same that way it's easy for lovely folks such as yourselves to make the connection.
vignette3.wikia.nocookie.net/p…
Notice they are in fact NOT the same...just similar. Which is exactly what I wanted. However, my version does in fact have more detail.

Still, I'd love to know what everyone's thoughts are. How do you think this image could be improved? Helpful criticism is always appreciated. =]
Thanks everyone!




_{“Embers In The Night” Artwork © MessyArtwok
Original Characters © MessyArtwok
Image Created Using Adobe Photoshop CC 2017 & Adobe Illustrator CC 2017
All Rights Reserved.
Please Do Not Use Without Permission. Thank you.}