Recently I've noticed a bit of stiffness in my work. I have a habit of continually drifting off course and then trying to wrestle everything into shape with a lot of rendering. For a very long time this has been an issue, but it's become more noticeable in the past year as I've become more interested in playing around with different types of lighting. It's also an issue that presents itself whenever I try to create an environment that isn't just a bunch of tree branches and grass. With the "pothead" sketch I posted a couple of days back, I felt like the background- even being as simple as it was- was something I got away with, rather than something I really understood as I worked on it.
Anyway, I think I'll be doing some more scene based studies for the time being. See if I can't sharpen up my environment skills a pinch.