KATHY-Save the Strays1.jpg
It's a lovely subject, and you've told the story very well.
A couple of things bother me - mainly to do with the Subaru.
First is that intake to the right of the lady's face. I'm assuming it's a hole with depth? In that case, you need to smooth your drawing, because sketchy shading makes it look flat. The same applies to the car's grill. Neither need be dark, but their dark depths should be both solid and featureless. Otherwise, none are holes, just patches on the surface.
And the same applies to the car itself. I'm sure Subaru cars come in many colours, but none, as far as I know, feature the "hand drawn" look.
![Embarrassed :oops:](./images/smilies/icon_redface.gif)
It's metal, shiny, and smooth. You could try blending, but those pencil lines really have to go - especially down the darker side of the car.
I didn't have time to smooth it, so I just blurred the car's body to simulate smooth shading - including the grill. That shows how the smooth body, and softened grill, now contrast with the sharply-drawn, contrasty hat, which creates more division and recession. The hat springs forward of the car, although there's an unfortunate light patch on the car, running down the right-hand side of the hat, which looks false. I corrected that, and now the hat separates out better. You might also consider softening the Subaru badge, because it has a tendency to look like a bobble on the hat.
While you might think these things don't impact the drawing, I'd contend that they certainly do. They drag the whole piece down to a "drawing" and lose all sense of reality.
On the other hand, I was interested in that dark, top-right joint in the stonework. It's an excellent
stopper!
KATHY-Save the Strays2.jpg
Take it away and the whole feel of the piece changes. For the worse.
With it, the composition works wonderfully well. I love the shaping, texture and folds within the lady's jumper. And the side seam that says "jeans". They couldn't be anything but denim. Composition-wise, if you apply the rule of thirds, the lady's head sits perfectly on the top left-hand hotspot. And the dog's head is just beneath the right-hand hotspot, which possibly emphasises its plight.