nice work, love the background- after I saw the step by step it made me wish you hadn't stretched the bird quite so much

Not bad, but flip the flag part...

Thanks for the comments. I did try to flip the flag, but it just looked off somehow. I tried a few different "stretches" of the bird. The less elongated ones didn't really give a Phoenix feel...just a big bird on a building. I'll keep at it though.

This is a wicked cool but you warped the original source I can barely tell how you used it. But this is still wicked cool nonetheless

Thanks jawshoewhah. Actually, the source image is the only part I didn't warp. I even masked out the bird face in the final step so that you could see the source. It's been changed into a "firey brightness" (hopefully), but in the Hi-Res you should be able to clearly see the source image. But I agree. It's wicked cool. Didn't think I was going to be able to get it to turn out the way I envisioned, but it did.

creative use of source. fantastic outcome

Thanks you scratzilla1 for the wonderful comment.

very artistic creation. My fav part of this work would have to be the use of the eye. It has provided an interesting focus point. GL

Cute!

Haha, great use of source

Really bad masking on the head but not a bad idea...

this is a strange yet cute animal. good use of source and great artistic thoughts.

- nice idea- animal looks a liitle flat

Oh, but you are...and you're pretty distorted, too...

I kind of thought the distortion gave this image character. Good luck author.

sad, interesting , creative... thought provoking. Lacks a few skills to create an awsome image , however nice image over all.

Good blend!

Interesting, but you lost a lot of detail in the eyes...

Nice job, but if you used adjustment layers, work on their masks to show the eyes underneath.

thnx for the advice