Looking good here. I agree with tuttle - a more dramatic sky would be more...dramatic (think Austin Powers here :). I would also consider some secondary lighting to bring out the shadows a bit - a burning fire out of frame to the bottom left casting a warm orange glow against the bottom of the mech, or a rocket ripping out of the shoulder pack illuminating the side of the cabin, or a bluish laser beam, or whatever. The POV is a dramatic one, and the viewer's attention is called away from the mech by the direction it is pointing and the jets - put something back in the bottom left to balance that and provide a secondary center of interest? But the bottom line for realism (again, what tuttle said) is TEXTURES - the gnarlier the better. Rust, dents, rivets, battle damage, grit, sand, etc. Take some digital photos of the side of an 18-wheeler that has been weatherbeaten and rusted, or visit a local junkyard for some great metal textures, then Photoshop them and make them tile (there are great tutorials around Renderosity about this). This will get you away from the "Bryce" look that I think is what you are wanting to escape. Nice work in progress! May the Force be with you. luke27