Crackling Grackle

[Judy Howle]

I posted a previous version of this image a good while back but this is completely reworked for print I sold although I cropped it a bit from the standard 8 x 10 crop. I used Fractalius and used a layer mask to bring back a little detail in the bird's body where it was almost solid black.

[Dennis Bishop]

I like the grackle and your composition. However, the white contrasts so strongly with the dark colors of the rest of the image that it distracts my attention from the grackle. I made a linear gradient from the dark brown and from the green near the end of the tail and applied it in a new layer with the beginning of the gradient just to the left of the leftmost branch. The layer opacity is about 50%, the blend mode is Pin Light, and the effect is masked off the dark parts of the bird and its eye. I used the same mask on a Curves adjustment layer to lighten the grackle a bit.

[Nancy Bell]

That's a great posture & staring look on the grackle with that intense yellow eye. I'm not sure about the bright spot on the grackle. I feel like I'm looking inside at the skeleton or heart. I can see there is some feather detail on the grackle that maybe another round of fractalius just on the bird could bring out. I am fine with the whites on the branches near the front of the grackle against the lovely dark mottled bkgd. Maybe you could experiment with removing some of the back solid white branches.

[Anita Bower]

I first thought the grackle was too dark, but, the more I looked at the image, the more I liked it. The dark bird fits in with the dramatic lines and colors of the rest of the image. I like the OP.

[Judy Howle]

Thanks for the comments and suggestions. Dennis I used another approach since I had the layered file by adjusting both layers for brightness and lowering opacity on the fract layer and painting over the fracts on the trees. I also did other paint work, cloned over the fract on the body mentioned by Nancy that I didn't really like either, and added a vignette

[Anita Bower]

Judy--I like your repost!

[Dennis Bishop]

Thumbs up on the re-post.

[Judy Howle]

Anita and Dennis, glad you like it!

[Nancy Bell]

Great re-post!

[Paul Lagasi]

A Crackle Grackle...lolol....sound like a great breakfast cereal. Love the effect and birds pose....personally I'd remove the one bright line of twigs below the birds head but thats just my taste. Nice work

[Kerry Perkins]

Judy, I'm going to differ with the others and say that I like the image as presented. The bright highlights and "Ironman" energy source inside the grackle make the image come alive for me. My bet is that you were thinking the same thing when you made the image. Dennis' repost brings out some nice detail but I like the electric white highlights on the branches! Turning them yellow and green doesn't do it for me. Your repost is nice but to my eye lacks much of the dynamic energy of the original.

[Judy Howle]

Thanks Kerry! Yes I liked the contrast and white "electricity" of the first image best too but thought I'd try their suggestions.

[Cheryl Slechta]

Judy, I'm late to the show and I like the original post except for the bright patch on the wing (it reminds me of my blue crowned conure who picks his feathers right in that spot). Just a slight fill in there would be fine. Also the most distracting issue for me is the branch on the RHS - I keep wanting to connect it the the branch right above it.

[Bob Miller]

HI Judy....I vote for your repost!

[Judy Howle]

Thanks Cheryl and Bob. I see what you mean about the branch Cheryl but it doesn't really bother me.