Stylized Lion - Modeling WIP - Critique Wanted

[system]

Hello!
My name is Caroline Raquel, I’m 20 years old and from Brazil. This is my first time posting on this forum.
Recently I’ve started to learn Zbrush and I’m liking it quite a lot! My main focus is actually conceptual art and traditional animation, however, as I’m currently studying 3D in this school in Brazil (Melies), I’ve decided to work on a modeling reel based on a few concepts of mine.
I came here today to ask for possibly a few tips and useful critique on this lion model i’ve been working on for some weeks.
It started just as a 3D sketch from a doodle I’ve drawn and then I decided it was going to be in my reel.
I’m still a noob in 3D modeling and I would really appreciate some constructive criticism, without people making me cry lol - kidding. In truth, I’m a very open person and will listen to everyone’s suggestions carefully.
For me it’s still quite hard to reproduce my drawings in digital 3 dimensional art. Traditional sculpting, somehow, seems easier to me compared to this!
So here you go, some of the concepts and the model:

Attachments

[lavman]

Hi Caroline, Welcome to the group. Its always difficult to critique a stylized piece of work because, obviously, its up to you which elements you want to exagerate etc. Having said this, there are a couple of things that stand out for me - firstly I find that the positioning of the eyes in your sculpt profile pic seems off balance, they may need to come further back in to the head and also maybe try to chisel more shape in to the brow and top of the head. I’d also give way more volume to the paws, lions have massive paws and if i was doing a stylised lion i think this is something i would choose to accentuate. Maybe chisel some more weight and definition in the lower mouth around the outer edge of the lips - for me this is another key feature in a lion’s face - the way the outer lips are really heavy and hang down when the mouth is open slightly. You may however be trying to convey elements of character that are at odds with this so don’t think i’m suggesting these are absolute rights or wrongs. hope this helps and i’ll look forward to seeing this concept develop

[Pedro_Toledo]

That’s pretty neat