Excellent work and images, very well done, I understand where you are coming from , For me the demons so to speak, dont go away even 20 plus years later.. Be Well Be Safe

Well done excellent render, If you don't mind me saying God heals all wounds!! Turn to him you will see..10+

fantastic work!

Wonderful image. You have my deepest respect and heart felt thanks for what you have done for our country.

Thank you. I have several members of my family that had to 'give up their innocence' for a war. More people should thank all of you. (:

Great composition and deep thoughts. My mother always told me about the II WW here in Italy: the hangings, the searchs, the bombings, the battles, the hand-to-hand combats, the deads, the woundeds, the frostbites, the exploded, the rapes, the famine... those ghosts never left her.

You give me more credit than is deserved, Roy. I just looked and gave you a few thoughts. You made the picture. Looks better than the prelims you showed me.

Roy my friend you have here more than proven yourself not only as an artist but as a human being. That may seem trite to some who read my words but you and I have spoken of such things and so you will know my words to be sincere. For me, you could have stopped at the end of your own words, for me I was teary eyed by the time I had read that far. Ayn was a tough trooper for sure and her words are strong. Thank you for showing this side of yourself. Your image is unspeakable beautiful in its haunting horror. I have not seen that face, in this life, but I do know it.

The image rocks, though i prefere (well not always) my characters still fighting the hardest battles, are always the ones within no matter what the issue is, for if the enemy is inside you, you cant run away. One tip on the way ..when the demons come, dont try to drown them in beer that doesnt work.. trust me , i know. Fare well Greets Dj

very impressive scene with excellent pose and pov

I will not pretend that I understand what you have been going trough Roy.. I can't for my path in this life has never lead me to the dangerous grounds you have walked.. I can only give you my thoughts.. His expression does show the 'nothing left to give' emotion that goes beyond the 'why', 'beause' and 'reasons' all humans seek in life to guide their actions. I believe all humans are on this earth to walk a path that is ment to make them grow in the spirit. All things they encounter on that path are somehow connected to that growth. Many, many things we don't understand and rip our souls apart, and maybe it is ment this way. At the end you stand empty handed -so it seems- and the only thing you can do is let go.. 'Right' or 'wrong' loose their meaning and 'why' doesn't make sense at all. Looking back leaves only room for acceptance that things went like they did, you cannot change a single heartbeat there.. The fact your demons haunt you show to me your soul has been wounded. It also shows you are a human with light in his soul. Lift your head up dear Roy, and know there is a reason for eveything though it's beyond human comprehension.. I was thought a very humble lesson not so long ago by a fiftheen year young girl who was severely abused until the age of eight. She died a few weeks ago because of a bad heart that was caused by the abuse.. This Angel of Light forgave the person who did this to her.. She accepted her path she had to walk in this life and she let go.. The lesson she taught me was a very simple yet very strong one.. "Love God and love your neighbour.." These where her words.. If you didn't love you neighbour Roy, you would never have become a soldier in the first place. You placed yourself into the burning point of human emotions in the worsed of conditions one could think of with two simple words; 'protect and serve' because of that love.. Again: lift your head up and know there will be comfert for your wounded soul someday.. Forgive me when my words sound like nonsense.

I would like to thank all of you for the comments on this image. The feeling that I felt as I posted this render were full of doubt and unease, and I almost didn't post it. For those that have not been over here, Iraq is a name on the news that harbors images of distain and shame for some, but for others that have been here, Iraq is a part of us, no matter how hard we will try to seperate ourselves from it. I have seen things that made me proud, I was there for the first elections and I still remember the look of satifaction on the faces of the locals around me as they held their index fingers stained with purple ink from voting. I was at Abu Ghraib when the gates were clsed for the last time. I watched friends die in front of my eyes and heard the snap of rounds as they passed around me. I see all of this and more when I close my eyes at night. Roxy, Your words are hardly trite, you and I have spoken at length, and even though you have not seen that face as you put it, you do know it. It is readily apparent in your renders, do not sell yourself short. I am honored to call you a friend. Tyler, You helped me more than you know. You have the ability to make the difficult seem easy. You also underestimate your ability to teach a stuborn guy like me something everytime we talk. Your renders are pure art, you have the ability to create great renders that have depth and feeling without resorting to masive amouts of post work to cover up the flaws in your renders. Plus you have mastered the ability to render dark and erie renders that are out of this world. Charley, What can I say tomy dear friend Charley? Your words touched me the most. You have the innocence of a child in a grown ups body. Some would thing that is a bad thing, Don't change it Charley. It will be the people like ourself that will make this world a better place. Without you, we will continue to fight wars and desimate our civilization. I wish I could have your sight and see the world the way you do, full of hope, and dreams of the possible. That is one of the things that I have lost that I miss the most. You point out the light in my soul, I for one see my soul as a very dark and empty place to visit. You and Roxy both speak of walking the path on earth. Right now I wish I knew what I was supposed to do. Sorry folks, I guess I got a little to deep for a public posting so I will end here. Thanks for the look and comments to all that have and will leave here.

Very good POV and pose. Well done.

First the composition is outstanding,the feeling it brings over,man i am shivering chickenskin as we say. i am from luxembourg although i live since 12 years in spain,i never had to go to the army because we are volunteers(400 men for the whole country-guess we will never start a war-grin). i never went through this and i will not pretend to understand. but as i studied history a lot and also been in contact all my life with people much elder than me and to whom i've shown always respect,they told me a lot of stories,and my father in law was in the U-Boats and that was rough also. but i came pretty good along with the old guy and i know he had demons but a lot.one day he threw his medals on the table and said to me :rene for this crap we where fighting,we where following the wrong leaders...etc..you know. i greet you with all my heart my friend. ps i come here through brewgirlcas gallerie and i will peep a little more. saludos rene

An exceptionally powerful and compelling image, merely on its own, the words, however, make it even more so. It's true the first casuality of war is innocence, but so few ever take the time to fully realize just what that means and just how powerful the implications of the statement go. You've gone that extra mile and shown that...with respect, humility, nobility and honour. Good sir, I tip my sword to you as a fighter, my quill as a writter, and my brush as a fellow artist. This image is powerful beyond discription, and words, beyond a mere and seemingly simple bow of a solemn head, fall short of the power conveyed herein.

A very powerful image and commentary, so much so that I cannot find the words to properly praise your work.

I think this may very well be about sacrifice. I am thinking that this is what was left of a fallen buddy, and this soldier created a memorial, a marker. Yet, it may very well be what is left of an enemy soldier, and this soldier is in shock of realising truly what he's done. Shadowhawk2Zero, I have never fought, but I have a longline of family members that have. My father and sister, being two. I actually signed up back when I was just turning eighteen, but a month before basic the seizure I had disqualified me and I got a medical discharge. Had none since. I have talked to people who were over there, and other places. It is life changing for sure... I will say that this darkness and emptiness does not have to be. He (God) heals the broken in heart, and binds up thier wounds. But, you have to let Him. Not trying to preach at you, but I do know darkness and emptiness and I know who has filled it for me. Jesus Christ. He paid the greatest sacrifice on that cross, he was the ONLY one that could... Let me say that I in no way shape or form think about negativley about any US soldier who has put thier life on the line for my medically disqualified self.. and my wife and my children. It's sacrifice. Sacrifice. So, thank you and every person that every signed up to defend our country, our states, our counties, our cities... I never let the new slant my view of what the defenders of peace do. It's necessary for our world is fallen. It's honorable. Just my two and a quarter cents worth... Awesome composition, btw! Killing and murder are two different things. I think you know the difference.

Je ne comprends pas le commentaire ( problème de langue ) mais beaucoup d'émotion dans l'image

Seen this on HM loved it there too.