I have been entering contests on this site for almost a year now, and I pretty much keep my opinions to myself. I do agree with Eve that a lot of the newbies seem to just cut and paste an image together and forget about the details.

The details I used to get ripped on when I first started (shadows, clean clippings, perspective, using 3rd party filters, etc.).

I have learned more about Photoshop in this past year by constructive cristism than anything else, and hopefully it is starting to pay off.

I am not really sure about the friend voting. I consider everybody on this site friends, and there have been plenty of entries of mine that Marco, Sean, Stephen, or Eve would not vote for because of something that needed fixing.

Honestly, like I have said before, the anonymous contests are the best. Here your work is honestly judged on the quality of the chop. Heck, I have received many votes through anonymous contests.

My advice to all your newbies is to study tutorials, like the ones on Splodges site http://www.hallcross.co.uk/flash/SCROLL.htm
You can gain a lot of skill from these.

Listen to the old timers, remember they were newbies once. Also browse through their portfolios and see what a good chop is all about.

Don't just cut and paste and leave it obvious, keep it clean and pay attention to detail.

I am in no way a professional, but these are the tips that I have learned from my firends on this site. And I am still learning.

I hope I haven't said too much, but the most important thing to remember when doing a chop is to HAVE FUN!


Jim

Not necessary... I am sure he will arrive when it's needed

Eve, I love you!

don't kiss her, Anfa... she just hugged me and i feel already sick *nasty flu...*

Why just cut and paste why not try to use all source and PS skills only...

using PS skills sure is a good thing...

yes, you are complaining... I took it easy so far... but now ya asked for it...

Rey posted an ALL SOURCE GATOR... got 19 votes... Claf did quite a great job in the hit bird... 19 votes... you did a frigging cube, using just a small portion of the tire texture... 48 votes? wanna talk about fairness?

I can only be ashamed when I read your comments. And I must say that I did not take a good enough look at Clafs and ReyReys post. Actually I dont know what to say... you are right. Although the cube really took me pretty much time, it is by far not as good as theirs. Sorry...
I see now that my cube is far overrated. I take my complaining back.

My apologies to Rey and Claf. Sorry I did not look good enough. I should have voted for them. But now its too late.. I would turn it back if I could. Sorry.

Actually, I thought Rey's all source croc would be the winner

I was surprised that my Bocce Ball entry received so many votes also.

I'll never figure this voting thing out

And it was an anomynous contest. I should not have get those votes. And I promise I dont have asked anybody to vote for me. You may ask everyone here on psc!

(and in another contest someone asked me which was mine. I did not reply on that pm)

if someone got an pm from me for the cube or any other contest in the past, post it here!

Actually it is very easily explainable.
Shape transformations were very popular a couple years ago and very heavily voted for.
They then pretty much dissappeared from the scene.
NOW, at least half the voting public has been here less than a couple years and they get to have a little fun re-experiencing the whole shape change gig.
Those shape changes were new pretty much to these guys,
they were well done, and very clean.
Reyrey's chop, was chopped very well, irt was chopped very well, and chopped very well.Ok...I am missing something, what else about was worth voting for? Oh yeah..it was chopped very well. He got the votes he deserved for once.I hope it continues.
Quality should not result in the need for no substance.
and vice versa.

Yea I vote for my friends, the ones that are true artist's, I even vote for your 2 minute chops shady, so what! as a matter of fact, I can piss my votes away anyway I damn well please, nanny nanny poo poo!

I got your 2 minute chop right here
[/quote]

Scion? Was it the comment about the magic wand selection tool? You can still use it if you like.

Rey Rey, you bust me up