The Protector

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Hi there
First, let me bow in awe to your skills and capabilities.
Your use of colours and techniques in this picture are close to perfect. Using almost only brown in various shades, you worked out all the details and nuances impressively visible. The thing I like most is the owl, especially her feathers. The nuanced shading and the colours make it look almost real.
But the absolute highlight of the bird are her eyes. They are really perfect.

If I have to point something out that could need some work, then it would be her face/head. The face seems a bit flat. This is because the eyes are on a straight line instead of a slightly "curved" one due to the roundness of the skull. Also, the left side of the head, where the headband goes over her hairs, there is too much hair volume in this - it looks like either her head is bulged out on that side or her hair has really a lot of volume.

I would also really like to see this picture with a more detailed background - or with one that provides more contrast to the scenery. The way it is now, the viewer risks to oversee some details like the feather on the rear side of her head.
Compared to the feathers and the hair/skin, her jacket looks a bit unfinished, but then again, I did not notice before looking rather long at the picture. The attention is immediately drawn to the owl and the woman's face.

The fact that you used a reference made me give you only 4 stars in originality, but this is just to give the original artist some credit for having the idea. Overall, it's a great piece of art. Congratulation on that.
To improve it's realism would not to it any good, in my opinion. It is obvious that you put your own style into it which makes it really special and outstanding.