I think what they were trying to say with the first one is that the flat, straight-lined style of the pipe didn't flow with the serene, smokey quality of the smoke. they're too different, it looks unnatural. maybe if you made the bowl more curved, and maybe have swirls through it? all psychedelic-like. and maybe just a little less solid-looking somehow? then it would have a bit more of a flow-y link to the smoke. but, I'm no artist.
the only thing with the second one is, like that dude said, the empty space. I don't like the shadow going alll the way across that shirt. if you made the shadow go along the bottom and then just had the knight at the other end, I think it might work better. it'd do a good job of showing just how tiny the knight is too, as opposed to him being way up there. artistically (at least in acting), height is a signifier of dominance, and that is what you're going for.
BUT, I'm no artist. these are all fairly tentative suggestions.
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