bug

nikon d 800e iso 400
sigma 180 mm oil paint

Very nice Stu! I would love to see a larger version. Super base image and an excellent treatment with oil paint. Did you use a texture layer as well?

Great image off that straight-on look with those huge eyes. Dragonflies make great subjects for OOTB with those eyes and colors. I like the addition of the yellow blobs to the simple perch and dragonfly, creating an interesting composition. The textural effect is well done.

I like those eyes--they seem to be looking me right in the eye! Beautiful colors and background. I wish the wings were more in focus. What f stop did you use? It is always a challenge, isn't it, to balance getting detail in the subject along with a smooth background? I cropped the image and used a quick application of High Pass filter on the Dragonfly. I'm thinking maybe I should have left a bit more room on the right. Anyway, just an idea.

I think the color Anita brought out has helped to offset the soft focus. Adding the texture didn't help conceal it much, for me, but rather just emphasized it.