Oooh, creepy. I love the spiderwebs in the eyes. Ha.

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*splash*

Lovely use of texture in this! The spiderwebs are an excellent touch too

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<sub>Rin.

Need #help?

I support ART. Not popularity.</sub>

The spiderwebs were Dwaggie's inspiration...She totally rocks Miss ya bunches lady.

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The only way creativity is wasted is if it is not used. There are no rights or wrongs. There are no imperfections, no limits, no rules. One must simply use the talents one has to the utmost to be a success.

Thank you! Your texture pack was amazing!

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The only way creativity is wasted is if it is not used. There are no rights or wrongs. There are no imperfections, no limits, no rules. One must simply use the talents one has to the utmost to be a success.

beware of the dark side luke...

wonderful work, such beauty, only to be found hollow.

It is fun to play on the dark side.. they have cookies... oh wait that is the saying on my t shirt
Thanks for the compliment and I am glad you like it.

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The only way creativity is wasted is if it is not used. There are no rights or wrongs. There are no imperfections, no limits, no rules. One must simply use the talents one has to the utmost to be a success.

Wow! Awesome! Love all the little parts, especially the spider and the web! Looks great

Hello Annette!
I received your note, so I arrived. Thank you so much!

Please, let me leave only the one comment. As long as you are a beginner, I don't want to make any detailed remarks under each picture. I saw all of your works and I think you need just a general knowledge about good manips now.

First of all... I really like your ideas. You are a new, but you are not following so much the current fashion in manips on dA. That's pretty good and you should continue your own ideas, your imagination. It's the most important thing. Even the big crap of art in technical way is good if he has a pretty and unique idea. Remeber about it.

Generally you don't have a big problem with composition, perspective and proportion. All you need now is a better blending and managing each of stock photos. I cannot teach you blending this way. It depends from your knowledge about program you're using. I never have before a Paint Shop Pro, so I really don't know how much different options it has. However you said that it will be also good if I tell you something about PS. Also I'm using Corel PhotoPaint by the way. So if whenever you will be using this program, you know where you can find me.

But let's back to the point... Before you connect all pictures, edit each of them separately! It's very, very important. Almost all stock photos have bad quality, bad light and many other bad things. (So that's why they are in stock categories) When you're editing each pic separately you always have a bigger control over the whole work. If something breaks down, it will be only the one part of work, not all work.
And my few tips with working with pics separately:
- Always make your photo brighter. Use the menu in PS: Image/Adjustmens/Shadow&Highlight Then you'll see all mistakes and needful things.
- If you are not using textures, use the "Smudge Tool" option in toolbar to make skin and other details very soft. For the skin (it depends from quality of a stock) the best strenght will be about 30%.
- To fix a burnings from light, use the paintbrushes to paint over the burned places or use the menu: Image/Adjustmens/Selective Color, choose the "white color" sections and place the right worth on strips.
- Always manage with colors to make photo better for your imagination and for better quality. If picture is too much red, go to the selective colors options and reduce the worth of this colour.

In PS we have two important options in toolbar like "burn tool" (for the shadow) and dodge tool (for the light). Use both of them to make a right light when you'll connect all photos in one work.
Before your bledning will be not so good, don't use textures. It is a very easy way to hide all mistakes, but it won't teach you a good technique of blending. For the first time, try the simply things like one background and only one model. Put the model on background, try to make it very natural. Edit your background and model separately too much long until there will be any differences between those two parts.
The simply manip is a good manip when it looks like a natural photo. Never smudge or blur the edges of any part of manip, like model or other things.
If you're using brushes, try to make them as the ordinary objects like rectangle etc. Then you will find more option for the layer and make them more realistic as the same.
Think naturally! If the person is standing against suns, her back will be black of course.. etc.

Well that's all for now. I wish you many patiences and fun with manipulation.

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^{No need to argue}

Thank you so much for taking the time to stop by and look at my pieces. I know exactly what you mean about the blending in my pieces. That is something I am working on constantly. I really appreciate the tips you have given me here. I do have a hard time getting that hard line around the model to disappear. I know it takes practice so I keep working on it. I have a couple of pieces where I got it perfect and then a few where I had to just leave it at well enough for now. I think with each one I get a little better.
I have worked hard on my layers. When I first started i had no idea what layers were and I tried to do everything as on piece. Then someone gave me a tip to try them and you should have seen my face. It was pretty funny. Since then I have been working hard to get all the pieces to work well together. I am having a hard time with lighting.. like making sure all my shadows go the right way and keeping my light source the same. I have been told that an art class would help me out with that most likely so when I can I am hoping I can go to the local community college and take a few classes. I just have to have the time and the money.
Thanks for the compliment on my style being my own. I do love many of the pieces on DA, but I do have my own vision of what I want. Since art is about what is in your heart and soul I believe in remaining true to that vision and NOT doing what everyone else is, even if that is the "popular" thing. I hope that someday what makes me different will make my pieces something that others will want to look at.
I like your tips on several things here so I will keep a few notes and try them out on my next piece. I appreciate your help and your time in coming here. I love your work. You are right, the best manips are the ones that look like a photograph. I hope that with more pratice mine will start to be smoother and smoother. Thanks so much! Come back anytime to leave me hints or whatever... constructive criticism is always welcome.


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The only way creativity is wasted is if it is not used. There are no rights or wrongs. There are no imperfections, no limits, no rules. One must simply use the talents one has to the utmost to be a success.