[~bubble]

Well right now the entries a w.i.p but I hope to finish it soon using some of the helpful tips I have already gotten
Finally finished! I see these colors every day when the sun rises and sets, so I decided to use them with an intricate design to *hopefully* have it turn out ok.

[SmaugTheGolden]

WOW!

[Equid Phantasm]

This is a new reply since all my Friday data was lost. I had everyone critiqued but lost the last 7 to the data loss.

Anyhow, wow, it's much better than your first entry. I am reminded of the glass and tile technique called mosaics when I look at this one. Very pretty. Love the colors. I usually am not fond of rainbow colors in the whole body but the way you have the white with it makes it near perfect and without the green of the rainbow it really balances out. I just really like the overall feel of this one.

Here's your tips.

1. I can't find anything repairable to critique on the wolf, I really like it. If anything at all, it's a wee bit too complex which made it hard for you to duplicate the head to the body markings. For next time, make it a nice regular pattern on the head of the wolf body, that way it can be duplicated to the head shot itself more easily.

2. The little cactus is floating. It needs something at the base such as sand or pebbles/rocks to anchor it. This is very easily accomplished with another layer right below the cactus layer.

I'm off to judge a little before the 2:30AM update nick's doing tonight.

Equid

[WitchSoul0123]

Cool!

[~bubble]

fixed the floating cactus. I see what you meant there. Thanks for all the wonderful tips!

[Equid Phantasm]

Great, fantastic. Looks great.

Now, since you are one of the winners and tips are free for winners, here's some other tips. Remember, I am not criticizing your artwork, I always find ways to make things look better, the trick is to know when to stop, lol. That's my real problem, I don't know when to stop. Hence my 30 hour artworks. LOL Heck sometimes I even go back and correct something from really old artworks just because I can. Not possible with real paintings though.

On your brown ground layer, take the burn tool at about a size 6, and at about a 45 degree angle (Doesn't have to be exact as long as all shadows point that same angle), burn away from the paws toward you going to the right, as if the shadow is coming toward you, and from the edge of the cactus and rock toward you. You will see a shadow appear. If it comes in too dark for you, reduce the color in the burn tool. On the rock and cactus, just slightly burn in a few places to give a little depth. You can find good examples in my gallery.

This is my style of doing shading on some things, but you can also create a shadow layer and just create a slight shadow where you want depth. Burn is quicker than a shadow layer when doing back grounds.. My shadows, when I do use layers, I use a multiply layer with a grey of whatever color there is (Say I used red, I would go to grey mid way between black and white on the red scale.), place the color down at 100% and then reduce opacity to whatever looks good. You can always burn a shadow layer in a few places to give even more shadow such as under legs and/or places where no light shows. (Note, some colors and black cannot be burned and some colors cannot be dodged either.)

On your pyramid shapes... I didn't know if they were pyramids or mountains. On both, take the dodge tool on 4 at the very top and lighten just the left edge and tip very slightly as if sun is coming from behind it. Since there is no detail on them, they remind me of pyramids at sunset so no detail would show, but I'm thinking some darkness at the lower edge would give them a little depth but it's just a thought. For the darkness I think I might have locked alpha and used an over spray approach to it with a slightly darker brown.) I do have a pyramid in one of my artworks within the last 3 or 4 months. I think I did them in March or April. Part of .juliet's contest.

Remember control and z... you can use that up to a total of 30 times if you don't like what you see and want to go back to what you had.

Again, I really liked this artwork, I do stained glass windows and mosaics both, so it turned out beautifully I think and the composition itself which with the diagonal lines in the pyramids drawing you to the wolf turned out very nice.

Thank you for entering.

Equid.

P.s. Still waiting for April Showers to pick her pets. I've sent a few reminders. If not picked within a week I will let 1st place pick t heirs and so on.

[~bubble]

You can tell there are three mountains/pyramids now! and the cactus looks more 3D. These are things I would have never noticed before, but are probably now going to be in my mind as I draw. I made you able to edit it so you can look at the background fully, since some of it is covered by the wolf, but anyways thanks a bunch Equid!

[Equid Phantasm]

It's just fabulous to see the tips I've given put to good use. It looks much better and has much more depth to it. I love teaching people to see everything, not just see basics. You used the tips very well.

Did you want to continue with tips on this artwork, or did you want to just accept tips whenever in the next few months? That is, after all, part of the prize. I can also do red lines for people and help with accessories and such.

I'm pm ing but you can go get your prizes now.

Thanks again for entering.

Equid

[~bubble]

If you have any other tips for this piece, it would be fantastic, but if I can just get tips on what to do better with the designs and backgrounds I create over the next couple months, that would be just as fantastic. I'll choose my prizes as soon as possible.