Pondering the Universe under the Milky Way

[Jackie Schuknecht]

Another shot from the 'Glades. Just straightened a bit, with textures added for the bg. I used Frac Sketch 02 to give the branches more definition and character. Masked the bird back in for sharpness.

[Randall Farhy]

Love the concept! The silhouette is sharp and dark which works well against the starry backdrop. The colors work well and aren't overstated. Composition is strong. My only critique would be the repeat rectangular edges (doorways?) in the background. They create rigid barriers which limit the mind's ability to ponder the vastness of the galaxy-err frame. That said, I really like this one.

[Dennis Bishop]

Really well done, Jackie. I like the composition, the silhouetted foreground, and the background. I hadn't noticed the rectangles in the background, and they don't bother me. In fact, I happened to be between two mirrored walls a few days ago and commented about the infinite rectangular reflections receding into infinity. Admittedly, that was not a common experience, but it fits with my concept of the universe.

[Kerry Perkins]

Very nice Jackie, this would make a great cover illustration for a book! Love the mood and the silhouette of the bird. Good one!

[Michael Gerald-Yamasaki]

Jackie,

Greetings. Interesting composition. For some reason the slight square edges seem to work (though, "you are now entering the Twilight Zone" kinda popped into my strange mind ;-). If it were mine I would take a small chunk of the black off the bottom. Thanks for posting.

Cheers,

-Michael-

[Gerald Kelberg]

I can't imagine a Heron pondering anything more profound than filling its crop, but that's just me!

It's a wild concept well executed - I like the supper sharp silhouette.

[Diane Miller]

I really like this, and what Frac did to the stuff at the base -- gives it a sort of Spanish moss look.

[Cheryl Slechta]

Hi, Jackie, really nice effect. I agree with Michel that a sliver off of the bottom would be nice.

[Anita Bower]

Dramatic image. Perfect title. Gorgeous sky. Great silhouette. You may not be able to do it, but I wonder what it would look like with some cropped off the bottom, and more sky added top and left--to give the universe the feeling of being larger than the bird.

[Paul Lagasi]

Very nice composition, starry sky is very nice, a small crop is in order....well done and congrats on reaching moderator status

[Jackie Schuknecht]

Thanks for the suggestions, I will try a rework using them. Anita this was not cropped so I am not sure how much I could add top and left. Maybe content aware. Paul thanks.