female Blue Bird, using Andrew's instructions

[Cheryl Flory]

Here is my attempt at getting some fract lines, as I understood Andrew's instructions.
Thanks, Andrew!

now where do I go from here?

I especially like how it seems to have given her eyelashes. :S3:

C&C most appreciated!
Thank you!

[Andrew McLachlan]

Hi Cheryl, I really like this. Love the effect on the pine needles and the bird. The only thing I might try is to touch-up the tip of the beak so there is more of a tip on it, but this is quite lovely!:S3:

[Steve Adkins]

Love the frac effect applied, Cheryl. The comp, bg and soft colors are beautiful. :S3: It's hard to put this in words but, a little thing like the perch reflection/highlight is so appealing amongst the stronger features of the image.

[denise ippolito]

Cheryl, Excellent use of the filter. I love the pose and the perch. Andrew makes a good suggestion. I might lighten the URC just a hair if it were mine. Lovely BG as well. Nice job!:S3:

[Cheryl Flory]

thank you for your comments.

thank you for explaining how you got this fract setting Andrew; I saved it as a preset. Then to increase a few of the lines, especially around the eyes and beak, I reapplied the save fract setting on those areas only.

I thought the beak tip would look better darker too, but in reality the tip is white. So I left it.
But then again, when in OOTB why worry about reality???? :bg3:

so, keep it as it truly is?
or, let it go darker when applying the fract filter?????

[Richard Lovison]

Cheryl,

I like the subtle use of Fractalius in this image. The pose and softness of colors are beautiful. I agree with Denise about URC. Nicely done.

Richard

[Andrew McLachlan]

Cheryl, YAW - glad I was able to help :S3:

[Gus Hallgren]

Absolutely beautiful, it has a subtleness that I adore. I have never seen that effect in Fractilous and would like to further my experience along those lines. Is Andrew's tutorial here?

You must have had a very nice capture as a base.

Thanks for sharing your elegant presentation.

I'm very impressed :c3:

Gus

[Cheryl Flory]

Thank you, Gus. You are very kind. I like the effect, too. In fact, I'm trying it on everything now. :bg3:

Andrew was kind enough to explain his method here:
http://www.birdphotographers.net/forums/showthread.php/82134-Ring-billed-Fract

[Kerry Perkins]

Really pretty Cheryl, love the softness, colors, and nice contrast of the pine needles. Do we have another fract addict now? :c3: As for the beak, I would say just paint a nice black line around the tip and keep the original color. That way you have it both ways. :w3

[Cheryl Flory]

Kerry, how do you just paint aq nice3 black line around the tip?
(
After looking at more of my images of the male, I think the beak tip is not white as I said, but that the white is a bit of suet stuck to her beak. oops lol )

[Cheryl Slechta]

Cheryl, I love this! And thanks for the link to Andrew's tutorial - I've missed several weeks lately. I like everything about it - it is beautifully done:S3:

[Christopher Miller]

I'm late to the party, Cheryl, but just wanted to say that I love this. The soft colors and treatment make it special. Well done! :S3:

[Cheryl Flory]

Thank you, Cheryl and Christopher.