And here is the final piece. I think I'm quite satisfied with how I'm making the character look brighter overall than what I normally do. However, it took me a bit longer than usual to finish as a result, since I had to adjust everything else accordingly.

Anyway, this pic is based off of a friend's submission titled "The Guardian" which can be found at: http://qiang-en.deviantart.com/art/The-Guardian-353826417

Character belongs to Qiang-En