Perfect...its a great concept! Looks like an advertisement.

I like this. I think I'd bump the contrast a little....I don't know...but I really do like it!

Nice idea and effect...however, I do think the overall image is too dark. Her legs melt into the shadows. Adding a little light to the foreground would benefit the final result.

Nice dark mood! Your shadows are a bit strong, IMO. I like the overall mood good luck!

Nicely done! I love the distortion of the model, and the color tones. Your use of textures and light gives the final piece gives a great feel.

Nice blend! Quite funny, it is.

The model seems to be in an entirely different light than the background. Like, she's in daylight and the surroundings are night. Consider doing a color match so that she fits the scene better.

Otherwise, nice job.

One fish, red fish, and blue fish! Lol....because this one ate two fish.
Fierce! And the feathers as seaweed is pretty awesome.

Tree could use better extraction and blending...castle should have guassion blurring to give depth, lighting needs work.

Overall, decent image, just needs a little work. Good luck.

You spend just enough time to come up with a rough sketch, but lack finishing it. This could turn out interesting, but right now, there are too many rough parts for me to judge it well. Take your time, work out the details, and finish it...you will be much more happy with the results.

Cute cute cute! Well done, really showing your skill! Good luck, author!

This is funny. Perched on a rooftop, this guy could be some new vigilante protecting his city.
Good luck!

True, good job with the background rebuilding. But, a hint for your big bird...when transforming, hold down shift so it transforms proportionately. He looks a little squashed.

Good luck!

The color change on the birds is well done...funny thing, the sky made me think early morning before sunrise, maybe even winter.
There is some areas on the left birds head and feathers that could have been better extracted, but thats nitpicking. Good luck!

I agree with all the above...also, what material are the rings made from? The sparkle brushes indicate metal, but they have a wood like construction. The edges of the birds could have been softer, making them blend better and look natural in the setting.

Just a few minor things that might help. good luck

This is great! Excellent portrayal, and such an intense selection of stock! Your lighting, shadows, and blending is superb.
I love this!

I have to agree with mossy...although an interesting final result, its a bit too cbr for my tastes.

I like the idea, and agree with lolu about the guassion blur. It would add depth to the landscape. Maybe even make 3 part background, making the furthest tree most blurry, middle trees less blurry, and the middle ground even less blurry...the very foreground wouldn't be blurred at all. Also, there should be some shadows where the trees are to keep up with the light/shadows in the foreground.

But, that's all pretty minor stuff and your piece still has a great feel to it, and an original concept. Nice job!

Nice dark image! I like the overall effect, but feel her skin glows a bit much. Still, its a great image and nice use of textures!

The woman could use some blending, as the edges are way too harsh, as are the shadows for the lighting of the beach source.

Also, I am not one to censor art, but the site doesn't allow for nipples to show, so you might do something about that.

I really love this shot!

I love the colors in this. Well done!

Your work is so amazing. You look absolutely breathtaking in this shot. I agree with everyone else about the combination of colors and textures! Your skin is like porcelain. I can't compliment you enough on such a splendid portrait!

awesome. first off the pose, the contrast, the entire feel. very nicely done.

Seamless blending. Great piece

Color palette is awesome! I really like this!

i love this one. but i do have to agree about the eyewear. a little to bling-ish for the theme of your shot.

Makes me think of wallace and grommet for some reason. Great imagination, and well executed!

i saw this in the side bar, and.... i just KNEW. nice shot.

your masking could use some work...i suggest using a smaller brush on your masking layer and cleaning up around the piece of ground that the man is holding above his head. right now its blurry and doesn't look right.

also, you could do some cleaning up between the head and the arm.

*giggle* i need to know her hair dresser.
its a good transformation.
good luck!

your work is amazing. well done.

this is great. well done on the transformation...very clean chop. and realistic!

WHOA! i stepped away for a while, and i come back to see this?? author, you surprise me. always have.
good job with your blending! and best of luck!

nicely done!! i really like your flame effects!

this is great! fantastic use of source, amazing expressions. its really humorous too!

cute cute cute.... and the most original use of source yet. i like the texture! and i love the expressions.

another tip on cutting around hair..instead of using an eraser with a sharp edge, use a layer mask OR...feather your selection before you cut it..and be sure to erase out any of the remaining color between the strands of hair.

*giggle* this is pretty cute. and an original use of source. well done!

this is great! the eyes are a good touch. and i like the color tones and the softness you've given the original source.

well done, and best of luck!

i'm not big on CBR work, so its hard for me to be constructive about something like this. However,i will recognize the work put into it. I do think you could have added in more of the source image to make it more recognizable to the viewer as being a part of this contest.

this is original and a good take on the contest. not to mention, a good use of the stock. well done!

i agree with both mossy and cmyk. also, it seems that joe's head melts into the welder. there should be some shadowing or something.

selections around the hair could use some blending work. try using a layer mask when you extract things.
also, the background could use some realism. instead of a dark sky with a noise filter, perhaps use an actual picture of a night sky.
also, the mask looks flat compared to the face, like a cut out placed over a picture. using some blending techniques and perhaps something other than straight black would help.
We are all here to learn... i wish you luck!!!

I give you the credit for starting the idea here...you did an awesome job, andd I'm so happy to see this one place. Look how it spurrred the bravery and creativity from so many others!

Congratulations!

Congratulations! A well deserved win!

Good that you added an sbs, or I wouldn't see how you used the source. Your use of source is quite minimal.
On the horns...they look very 2 dimensional, and not actually attached to her head. Perhaps work on blending them in better. They also are not evenly spaced or balanced on her head either. Look at pictures of horned animals to get a grasp on what I mean, but pay close attention how those horns grow from the skull of the animal, not just sit atop the skin. Your horns need to be better seated in the skull.

I hope that's not to crtitical, I just think it would help.

I love the tones you used...the blending is well done, and the mood is just right.
I LOVE that you used a vintage model. She's perfet!

What a lovely portrait!
The color and balance is wonderful. Your skin looks like porcelain. Did you use photoshop or lightroom for post processing? I'm always curious to learn how people get the skin to look so smooth without using a selective blur tool. I've never been lucky with using smart blur, and sometimes clarity makes the entire image too soft. You managed to avoid that, and your eyelashes are still focused.

i add my thoughts and prayers to the list already sent your way. words are never easy to come by when you are experiencing a loss like this. *hugs*