I agree, it would be better if there was one focal point to post and discuss the different aspects of abstract art than just mixing it up in the different gallerys.

I know I searched all over for a "abstract" gallery and forum when I joined. I noticed it listed as a genre in the "Artist Page" when you want to search for a particular style.

I'd welcome the addition!

RetroCity

I agree with Slynky, the eye needs to blend with the head better. Other than that, I see the figure in a basement type area (decaying wall structure...) with a hallway or the appearance of one coming from the right side of the image with the perspective receding towards the back (this will bring the focus to the character...). Offset this hallway so the character is not directly in the path of it. Place the character in front of the connecting wall that runs "east-to-west". You could even have the character appear as if it had traveled through the wall (giving it a mystical aspect...)

It's pretty cool now, with the right background and textures it'll be awesome.

my 2cents.

Palash's suggestion should work just fine for you.

Alpha channels are the route to take. I have NEVER had good luck with the "Magic Wand" tool. The only time I use it is if I know I'll be going over the edges later. I also have had the "joy" of showing someone a work I did only to find (to my horror!) that on their monitor a whole lot of "artifacts" pop up on the image!!! Like you it looked fine on my system.

Are you going to do all the post work in PS?

Good Luck in your image, love to see it when it's done.

Atomic... (can I call you that? or is it Mr Cow?) Thanks for the input, though it doesn't make the choice any easier! I'm going to see if my "time-in" (work experience) will be enough for the teaching position in which case I won't take the test. If not than I guess I need to decide if I REALLY want to teach in the evenings (which will seriously cut into my creative time...) because I don't really need the money but I enjoy helping others learn. Like Ansel Adams would say "Let's see what develops!"

Dreamer, have you ever "misplaced" your favorite pencil, you know the one that gives the right shade of gray, not too hard, not too soft. You JUST GOT TO HAVE IT or you can't start that drawing. Only you find it way-to-soon!!! And that cursed BLANK WHITE PAGE stares back at you, taunting in it's "purity"!! HA-HA!! There is no cure but to make your mark and go from there (thank God for "Ctrl-Z")

Good luck on the splash page

scott

Good evening LadyJaiven, the site that Dave has posted is a very good resource for Digital Illustrators.
I had to smile as I read you post because regardless of the medium we use to create, we are still faced with that BLANK WHITE PAGE, whether it is a pencil, paint brush, or mouse (not the furry type) in your hand! I use illustrator all the time to make vector art even though I know my way around PhotoShop more.

Not knowing what you are looking to create artwise, I would recommend (if you have access to one...) that you scan a rough idea of your graphic and place it on a layer in illustrator. Lock it (this will keep you from inadvertingly modifying it) and create another layer to build from. I almost always use the PEN TOOL and "point-and-click" on key points to build my shape, adding layers as needed. Like in PhotoShop, you can turn on-and-off the visability of the layers to see the underlaying template (rough scan). Take a look at some of the tutorials available at the site Dave mentioned and good luck!

Thanks for the input Alpha, I am thinking of helping at a local technical school but they require a degree to teach there and the certification would be a plus. I started working in the graphics field right out of high school and never bothered to go to school and get a degree, but I've been working with PhotoShop since version 2.5 (I still have it loaded on my MacSE "doorstop"). You're right in that a persons work SHOULD speak for itself, and in my current position it does. I figured the ACE would be a whole lot quicker (and cheaper even if I have to pay for it myself) than going to get a degree!