This is a cover image for my 6th short story “Dolls in a corrugated cardboard box” written in Japanese, available in ten days at Amazon Kindle Store.
This is my first attempt of re-topology in making human ( actually a doll ) head.
Modeled, textured, rendered and composited in Blender. Using Cycles.
Like the general idea but with small changes you can make it much, much better I think. Dolls are the focal point but they are hidden behind the right pillar - I would remove it and place warm yellow lamp above the dolls so that viewer’s eyes focus on them and the box. For the rest I would use some sort of ambient light which gives just enough light to see countours of other elements in the scene. That + normal/specular maps. That’s my concept at least and I do not intend to interfere with yours :D. One is certain - it looks like you have the ability to push it a lil bit more! 
I agree with gaiuscassius: the pillar seems to serve no purpose in the scene except to hide the box. It is right next to a stair, and is where one would normally expect to find a handrail, like on the other stair. If you are convinced you need to half hide the box of dolls, then shove the box under that other staircase, where it will be partially hidden by scene elements that have an independent reason for being in the scene.
And definitely play with the lighting to mute the rest of the scene and highlight the dolls.
Agree with what has been previously said, although you could play on the fact that the dolls are not imediatly visible, the image lacks a focus point and, especially, is very very flat… it’s all kindof medium gray, it would really be improved by the addition of strong shadows, glare, highlights…
but nice work anyway!
Hi, guys. Thanks for your comments. I understand what you say and appreciated so much.
Now I should say something. First of all, I intend not to get too much attention to pictures because this is a cover for a book. Title of the book is the most important element of this cover. So I made this picture rather flat than dramatic one.
Reality is not a thing I cared. I was afraid if the pillar was not there, a box seems too important in the scene. I hid dolls purposefully.
But I think I should care lighting some more. I am not sure I am going to render or composite again…
I played around a bit to change an atmosphere.
This is a final image!
your last attachment isn’t working for some reason, but I like the one I can see. good luck with your book.
Thanks a lot !
I changed a file to a smaller sized one.
Good change, bumping up the box and dolls to more vivid colors rather than recomposing the scene. I liked the pillar being in front of the dolls. It creates more tension by blocking our view of the dolls. But bumping them up as you did brings them to the focal point of the image.
it makes a lot more sense as a book cover and with the title etc. Great!
Thank you for coming back to see this revised edition!
