Author, Great JOB but you need to place the pictures you used UN CUT in your SBS.. (you may have to show some of your work as well)

A high res could be useful so peeps can see the work better and give you a higher score for skill.. good luck and good work!

Adding a light yellow and medium yellow filters would help blending more the ears to the bird, good luck.

The edge of the ear on the right hand side needs to be slightly trimmed and adjusted at the head, it looks like part of the elephant head is showing.

Good bird photo, but try to color match the ears for a better result. GL author.

Wonderful effect, really nice entry. Good work and good luck! (Excellent depth of field)

Almost flawless! Aside from the head, the use of the grass brush is very nice. Very convincing result. I just have a suggestion to slightly blur the edge beyond the ear, it's too sharp (especially when you create a shallow DOF like that). High score for sure

Really wonderful and so nice ...GL for you author

love it

Great job!

Thanks for the comments Fixed the sharp edges.

Great idea and execution. I especially like the cracks. Good luck!

awesome!!!

great entry... youre a real whiz at toning

All that work on the tree and you covered it back up!

Amazing job you did here!

Very nice creation........G/L Author.

Great great job Author...

brilliant work ....... all the best to u ..........

Great job author,really really good.Few minor observations,lighter part of the head needs a bit more shading,now when u watch high resolution looks a bit flat.And i don't understand step 10 in your SBS,how did u make grass,used some image,brushes?!?...Any how this is fabulous work and i wish u best of luck.

Thanks erathion. I fixed the SBS(used the grass brush) and I slightly added some shade to the image to give it some depth.

nice work!

Absolutely incredible!! I don't know what else to say =) Best of Luck

very talented

Top 3 for sure, well done

Wonderfully creative entry, I love it. GL to you!!

Thanks everybody

http://visualfeed.kybalion.es/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/paperworks__vegetarius__hpim1053_465.jpg...
source of inspiration?....

Nice clean image! Good luck!

No, not my source of inspiration, but it is an Interesting find genuine2009.

Thanks everybody

congr!!!!

A top 3 for sure

Thank you

congrats!!!!

Congrats, beautiful work

Grats Artist!

Congratulations for 1st

Congrats ! Very well deserved win !

Fantastic entry!!, congrats.

Congrats!

congrats ..............

Congrats!!

Congratulations!!

Congrats! Amazing work

congrats , very nice work

Congrats!

Well deserved 1st place!

Congratulations!

Congrats for 1st!

well done... congrats...

oh, well, that's predictable and I was right when I decided to give up joining this contest. I had the same idea as you but I didn't start when you submitted your work. Congratulations, you deserve that!

Thanks langstrum

Good colouring and interesting image. Good luck!

Totally off idea, from where did you get that?! :P Really nice! The fish is done

very beautiful image.. used to make my own lures as well.. you might want to clean up some of the water on face of the fish that seem out of place (don't really notice until High Res).. still high marks of an inventive use of source.. it becomes the focal point because of the title.. good LUCK

HEY..you threw the old fish back.. LOL.. nice finish, good luck

...and for mellow.. I'm pretty sure the title is the gold coil thread they wrap around the fly and hook to attach the Cotton batting they add to the lure.. (ear is reference to the shape)but I could be wrong, I always made spinners and they are a zillion times easier then fly making

Well done. Nice work.

very nice, good luck and welcome back =)

Interesting pic tho I confess I don't understand the title at all (but I'm no fisherman!)!!

This is soooo cool! My dad tied flies, and started teaching me when I was little I always thought they were like art!

fly tying and fly fishing is an art, yes.
My father inlaw taught me.
Thank you all for your comments

Sorry to burst your bubble.. Unless you have some special permissions, the trout is a 'no derivate works' source.. Rework your image with an allowable source.. GL.

thanks for the heads up animax, I will get another trout. Totally missed that in the cc
OK changed trout source.
thanks again

WOW ! really beautiful image...

welcome back! very cool idea and well done good luck!

Much better..

nice image (the source??)

good work! nicely done!

Nice job

Nice entry!

cute

Nice work, weally well done

Nice image! A bit pixelated in HiRes, but I like the composition and colors. Mmm...maaaybe you can try to make the background a bit darker so that the hook is more visible (more contrast), but that's up to you. Good luck!

nice work

Really Nice., Creative IDEA...

good work

very nice

very nice.. GL

good job and good luck

nice idea author. goodluck.

Creative indeed high marks from me!

congrats

Congratulations, celebrations, well done Keep up the good work

you did very well

congrats Suave!!!!!!!