NU NU Dum Dum so cute

Fashionable, perhaps, but I'm not sure if this quite satisfies the theme's objective as it seems more like a print on fabric rather than actually bark (which you seem to admit in your description). The highlights seem extreme even if the tank top were shiny—which would not be very bark-like IMO but would be cool for all those shiny-tank-top occasions [disco revival!].

great idea!

love is what we need right now !

nice quotation author.

It`s an interesting shape- you could try making those roses step out of the brick, making the wall yellow (ctrl U) and bring more color in the entry. I would insist on enhancing the roses, since the source has nice colors.

ohh thats cool

beautiful work author

Ahhh so cute! I love the face expression! Best of luck!

I will have one for me here! lol

very happy chop

More contrast would be punchier. And shouldn't it be "TAN in a Bottle"? For me, the sand is an irritant, not an objective, when I go to the beach; the last thing I want to do is spray sand on myself. (Or is this somehow an exfoliant?)

Much easier to read, good improvement!

I like the change. It looks very classy.

Very realistic use of feather behind the baby and the lighting matches the overall image. Well done

realistic work author..

I like the "give yourself a beach tan" text, but the "sand in a bottle text" is kind of hard to read. What you might try is using the same technique you used for the "give yourself..." text on the "sand..." text, only make the text dark and the shadow light, know what I mean? Maybe you'll like that better.

The "Sand in a bottle" label is blurry and hard to read. I wouldn't use a drop shadow with text.

Didn't see first version, but this one looks good to me. GL author!

Interesting values depth.

That angel looks like it has liver disease, he's so jaundiced...Angel Yellows is more like it...
I'd adjust the colors so there is more consistency between him and his wings.

SBS?????????????????????????????

great colors author good luck

Very delicate effect, nice colors. A bit too fuzzy in the foreground, though. Perhaps duplicating the layer and overlaying it for more definition?

Nice effect, great colors!

I think you just posterized image to level 3. Because more that 3 colors are visible in the image. But this is looking very beautiful.

ah, thanks. I like this a lot

you are supposed to tell us how many colors you decreased this to.

Beautiful.

Very cute...nice job!! best of luck!!

You're welcome! So glad you liked my tip. I find that matching and/or creating shadows and light are probably the most common challenge when adding outside elements to scenes.

The easiest way to solve your shadow and light problem, author, is to flip the "marble" horizontally. I see you are trying to change the light and dark with other manipulations - that is much harder and usually doesn't work too well. If you still have your original image in separate layers (a good thing to do until contests are over, by the way), just flip the marble and you will see a huge difference, and the light and shadows will match. Good luck!

the light source is coming from the right upper side' you can see it on the wall of the house
the light source on the veg is from the other side and that`s wrong.

shadow on the 'vegetable'...(isn't it?) is wrong... g l

What a sweet sentiment. Cool looking tut.

just a suggestion author.. if you added a bit of bevel emboss to the frame (and a few white light streaks blurred to give lacquer light reflection as well) and a light BW gradient fill to the interior of the screen I'd think you get a more popping image..(you could even use a very soft BURN brush along the inner edge of the screen to give it a bit of a vignette too) IMHO.. I really do love the use of an old type writer .. I miss mine (lost it in Andrew).. good luck author

Smart entry, good idea. I might use a bit more fat font though, up to you. Good luck!

Ps just out of curiosity: if you made it in Illustrator, shouldnt the outlines be sharper?

Nice creative entry, good luck!

Very creative! Nice work.

This is really nice! Using the I Pod really reflects the times making this a true Pop Art work! Fun color use as well!

very cool idea and nice work...gl

I love this surreal entry, good luck!

The necklace is beautiful, but the picture could have been better to show off your piece.

This is nice, but why is the shadow blue? if I had a suggestion it would be to try to match that color... IMO...

congratulations...

Congrats!!

I can't agree.. There is life for sure before coffee....but is to blurry to recognise... I like your message

need reflections below!

Nice chop, but the base of the cups is far too narrow. They would be highly prone to falling over, and scalding coffee is no fun!

It would also be nice if you added some color to the coffee beans on the cups. B&W just looks somewhat blah...

You should have made a window out of the doors frame, so that they won't look out of scale and half burried.
Rule of composition: repeating an element lowers it's value (2 yellow houses).
But it's a try, keep improving.