Well done. My favorite part is the look on the face of the girl on the left. She looking at the other girl as if to say, "Don't move. There's a huge bee on your shoulder" while girl 1 is blissfully unaware of the impending stingage. Great job. I'm looking forward to the SBS cause the edges are fantastic. The left eye of the girl with glasses looks like it's half closed. Not sure but it's the one point I see that looks a little unnatural.

Very nice work! In my opinion however, the skin and especially the grass looks very unnatural, i'm really no good at this type of thing so i wouldn;t know what to suggest, perhaps some different shades of green around the grass.

Thanks for the comments guys! Glad you like it =) The SBS will come during the day, I planned to finish it about now, but something came up, I really really have to go now.... Doesn't matter anyway if I lose a bit of reputation, just hope they don't expell it. =)

Oh, and about the grass and the skin.... Yeah, the skin really looks kinda... 'painted' in some parts, probably due to sharpening filters... I'll make sure I fix it.... =) However, I do like that the grass is blurred, kinda looks out of focus, and I really like the effect =) About the eye, hmmmm, it kinda does look half-closed.... Tho I didn't mess with her eyes, couldn't match any I found only with my mum's (the one without glasses)

the grass is surreal, its cool

Thanks all, I added the SBS. =)

An update.... I fixed the skin, and I did some touch-ups to the hair. =) Hope everyhting is OK now =)

You missed a lot of scratches that could have easily been fixed.

Wuuuuuuuuuut?! Where?! O.O I can't see what you mean.... I just can't see what you're aiming at? Have you looked at the SBS?

imo, there are still a number of areas that could be a lot better. the heads and hair on both ladies could be much better, in hi res you can see this...your mother, the one with glasses, her face needs some more work, her nose is not finished well........her arms also look like prosthetics, especially the left one, they lack definition.....imo

Hmmm, some parts could be better, but only if I used external sources for those parts, since they are to blurry. You must understand that the photo is not bigger than an average business card. I tried to do my best here, edges are much sharper, you must admit, but some things just can't be sharper. Besides, TBH, I think this is maybe the only entry which has cleaner outcome than the original. Most of others are just colouring and scratch-removing and simple usage of filters.... Some are even blurrier than the original.Considering the original, the outcome is great IMHO.

Ummmm....nice work on your entry, but your last comment wasnt true .....Other entries did come out cleaner and sharper.... besides that, you shouldnt be putting down other entries to try and make yours look better.

TBH, I see only 3-4 entries in this contests which are cleaner sharper than the original. Others are just colouring and scratch-removing. I'm sorry for maybe putting down the other entries, I was just pissed off by the fact that I spent hours manually making the edges sharp and clean and even using outside sources to bring up the detail on faces etc and then somebody says that it's scratchy and blurry etc. I mean, maybe it is, but compared to the starting photo it's much better. peace

great

Well i thought this should of made top 4 at least.....i have to say that the results are very dissapointing and just dont seem right.

MY EYE! Nice peice.

colorful

Nice idea, and nice masking! I would try and adjust the light on the thistlem itself by burning the right side or applying a white to black gradient set to multiply and then playing with the opacity. Good job other wise.