Comment from enjoyitall
what a great painting initial impact 5
the presentation is creative 5
color is soft and harmony 5
technique is very good 5
story ability is good also,great painting thanks for sharing.

 Comment Written 04-May-2009

---

reply by the author on 04-May-2009

Thank you so much for your generous review.

Comment from Highfive
Hummingbirds are a viewer's delight. There quiet present in our lives, as they go about their daily routine, create beauty everywhere. I have not had the pleasure of seeing a hummingbird in person, but I've seen them in pictures. I feel your hummingbird is well painted in washes, and is a good likeness of the species. Very nice color, and proportion to scale.

 Comment Written 04-May-2009

---

reply by the author on 04-May-2009

Thank you so much for your throuought review. The Hummingbird is indeed very close to apperance in nature. I painted the bird after the after the Ruby Throated Hummingbird who is native to our area.

Comment from lorac1
This is a creative and beautiful digital painting. The colors are striking and harmonious. The details in the bird and the flower are wonderful. The picture holds one's attention and is very pleasant to view;.

 Comment Written 04-May-2009

---

reply by the author on 04-May-2009

Thank you so much for your beautiful uplifting review.

Comment from miamia
oh, my, this is lovely! You have a wonderfully artistic eye. I like how smooth this is. Lovely colors. That blue flower is key, and, of course, the hummingbird is whimsical. Very well done. Thanks for sharing. -mia

This rating does not count towards story rating or author rank.
The highest and the lowest rating are not included in calculations.

 Comment Written 04-May-2009

---

reply by the author on 04-May-2009

Thank you so much mia, for your beautiful uplifting review and the fantastic rating.

Comment from MoonWillow
This is beautiful, Cleo. It's soooo delicate looking. You did a super job with the background, composition is excellent, and the bird and flower are exquisite. It has a real dreamy, calming effect. Very, very nicely done. I love it, and super luck in the contest. :)

 Comment Written 04-May-2009

---

reply by the author on 04-May-2009

Thank you so much for your uplifting and wonderful review and the wishes. Of curse thank you for the fantastic rating. I worked on the background several day's until I was satisfied. Actually I put several backgrounds in the [digitally] trash can and started over.

reply by MoonWillow on 04-May-2009

LOL. You sound as bad as me, Cleo. Only I rarely trash anything, because what doesn't turn out usually makes a very nice background for something else. Just mix it all up into soup and paint something cool on top of it...lol. Beautiful job on your painting, Cleo. It came out super :)

reply by the author on 04-May-2009

Thanks again.
I often save stuff for later but got really frustrated with this one at one time.

Comment from ixtamar
As usual your control and understanding of the digital canvas medium shines through - The piece is exquisite in its composition and rendering - Great work - thank you - Howard

 Comment Written 04-May-2009

---

reply by the author on 04-May-2009

Thank you so much Howard, I appreciate your kind and generous review. You are spoiling me with these compliments.

Comment from afelts
This is very beautiful - great colors - a lot of movement - great interest and appeal - really like your background - good luck in the contest!

Annamarie

 Comment Written 04-May-2009

---

reply by the author on 04-May-2009

Thank you so much Annamarie, for your encouraging review and your wishes.
Cleo :-)

Comment from GaliaG
I love this painting, it shows so much silence and clam

# Initial impact 5
# Creativity of presentation 5
# Color Harmony 5
# Center of Interest 5
# Technical Excellence 5
# Technique 5
# Story Telling Ability 5
# Lighting 5

 Comment Written 04-May-2009

---

reply by the author on 04-May-2009

Thank you Galia, I appreciate your encouraging review very much.

Comment from Ganev Smallwood
This is beautiful cleo85. There is something very delicate about this. i love the colours of the bird and especially love what you have done in the background, something i try to achieve with paint at times. Very lovely composition. good luck in the contest.

 Comment Written 04-May-2009

---

reply by the author on 04-May-2009

Thank you so much for your very uplifting review.
It took me a wile to paint it. The background allone took several days. I admit that I put many in the [digital] trash can. I finally used brushes from two different programs [Paint Shop and Digital Imagine Suite]

reply by Ganev Smallwood on 04-May-2009

You are welcome, it is very lovely, although I don't really understand how you do it!

reply by the author on 04-May-2009

I have two programs with different art brushes. I work pretty much like traditional painting. I start pout with a blank [digital] canvas. I had a sketch made up for this on paper what I put beside the computer and several of my photos for the colors as well.
Than I start with the background. I have to chose between different colors and paintbrushes [Oil, Watercolor etc] I can change the size and form of the brushes much as in traditional painting. But her comes some of the new stuff from digital. I can work in layers what allows me to mix styles if I chose [oil brush and pencil for example].
When I'm satisfied with the background, I scratch the picture with a [digital] pencil tool on a [digital] canvas, save it as RAW and transfer it to the background. The nice thing is I'm able to delete and put this layer in at any time in the process of work. The rest is [digitally] mixing up the color, chose the [digital] brushes and paint mostly as with real paint on real canvas. The difference is that I work with my fingers on a mouse pad moving the [digital] brushes. Oh, I forget I can ad texture to the canvas at any time but I haven't done so with this painting.
I hope I didn't bore you to much, you did ask. Sorry if I was fanning out to much with the answer.

reply by Ganev Smallwood on 04-May-2009

It sounds really fascinating and you don't get your hands and clothes dirty! Or wear your brushes out. Also, once you have bought the software packages, it doesn't cost any more money, with real paintings you have to constantly spend money on new paints, brushes, canvases and so on. then there is the issue of where to keep them all, if they don't sell.

One day i will try this, and you never know, i might even prefer it. at the moment, I can't justify the expense, just for a trial however. so on i will go in the old fashioned way!

Thank you for explaining some of your processes. It is never boring and always interesting to know how others create their work.

reply by the author on 04-May-2009

Mmmm. Believe it our not digital brushes [means programs] wear out too. Sometimes you have to replace them. But it is very convenient living in southern Mexico were Art tools, canvas, paper etc. are hard to get. Actually I had planed to post a older watercolor this time but when we got back from Texas I found all my paper and canvas, some of my tools and some of my artwork left home with somebody else. So I had to go digital again.
And something else is very convenient. If you have to travel your art tools have only the size of a CD-suitcase [Gee how you call these things in English]
Yes, try it out. It is good if not necessary to have some knowing of how traditional artwork is done and still it needs some time to learn it. The program can't make a painter. Again, just as in traditional artwork.
Thank you for your lovely replay.
Cleo

reply by Ganev Smallwood on 04-May-2009

I like the sound of travelling with art tools, the size of a CD case. What a luxury that would be!

reply by the author on 04-May-2009

It's not a CD case more a case with 5 CDs with the programs not counted the CDs for Mixed Media, a laptop and an extra hard drive for the pictures but still more convenient than Canvas and paint especially by plane.

Comment from Gira
The white in the background in this traditional art,brings pure feelings and freshness of beautiful early morning .
This has a beautiful atmospheric feeling.
It also shows WONDER OF NATURE ,how the LIFE is depended on other Life.
The painting has got the real BEAUTY with cool colour combination.
I loved the softness in the flower,the leaf and also in the feathers of the lovely bird.
His eye sprkles,and wings express his joy.
Thanks for sharing this beautiful art work.
Its a pleasure to review.
Wish you all the best for the contest!
Gira

 Comment Written 04-May-2009

---

reply by the author on 04-May-2009

Thank you so much Gira, I highly appreciate your trouought and thoughtful review and your wishes very much.