You've been busy! All those people!! I'm going to agree and disagree with some of the above comments - take it for what it is worth. 1) water texture should be scaled down or be made less regular... especially if people are jumpin into the water. It would be slightly choppy if an evening wind came up as usual on many lakes, anyway. Oil would flatten the waves, but I don't recall burning oil in the story. The boat would leave a wake, as would any swimmers. 2) Lighting. On this monitor (PC with earthlink browser) the lighting looks right (moody) with the dial in mid-position. I have to turn it way up to see all the details. Before adjusting the overall image, you may wish to look at it on 2-3 different monitors. I can check it on the Mac with netscape if you wish. 3) The coloring is effective now. I like the purples and rusts: they add heat to the scene. 4) I don't like Smaug's waistcoat. I recognize it because I know what it is, but that is weak. Perhaps if it was less solid, and more sparkly? It doesn't have to be distinct, just "there". 5) The Mountain is going to give problems no matter whether you go lighter or darker or leave it as it is. Smaug pretty well burned it, and there might still be flaming trees when he left for Laketown? Perhaps a bit of streaming would delineate the shape, and you could use less fire? 6) The guards can still be upright... in contrast to the panicking townsfolk in the middle ground. At least a few more of them can be ducking and cringing. This will also make Bard's perseverance the more remarkable. 7) The thrush is better proportioned now. The image is very dramatic (I really like the composition), and you can leave it as it is. However, if you want to improve it a bit more, I'd break up the water as first priority and tweak the waistcoat as the second. Anything else is fiddly bits. Well done! Carolly