The Bird and the Bard

This is absolutely stunning!

Every individual piece of the image is well rendered and detailed, but they all balance each other and work together seamlessly to make a perfect composition.

The colors and highlights of the wings help balance the lighter portions of the sky and the tree, as well as helping the transition into her costume. Also, the way they curve around the two characters definitely helps to draw the eye to their faces and adds to the feeling of warmth and intimacy. Great movement and flow throughout the entire composition.

The colors are amazing, as are the textures throughout the entire piece. The swirling, leafy design on her outfit is also well handled. So many times I've seen someone use a texture that looks pretty, but is obviously a texture added on a separate layer because it neither conforms to the movement of the item it's texturing nor has the proper balance of shadows and highlights. I find that very distracting, and it draws the eye for the wrong reasons. This piece certainly does not have that issue, at least not to my eyes.

The consistency of the details is also a nice touch. There are so many little things to notice without it seeming too busy or overdone. I love the little birds on the tree, and the fur and jewelry items and touches of lace are absolutely gorgeous! I won't go into how much I love the wings and the feather on his cap because I'm not sure how long it would take me to stop gushing over them! Also, the snow! There's just enough to give the impression that it's snowing without that part overshadowing the entire piece. Well done on creating a nice field of depth through the different sizes and how hard-edged or soft the individual flakes appear to be.

The hair and skin are also beautifully rendered, and the lighting throughout is just amazing! Their expressions are so realistic and truly give a sense of emotion and such a loving atmosphere.

Overall, this piece is just incredibly gorgeous and well done!