This is my (current) avater on gaiaonline.com - I'm amazed at how long this took, or rather, how long it didn't take. I only spent about 3 hours on it! That would be the difference between traditional and digital work!! ^_^ I did add a filter/effect in photoshop: "colored pencil" which gave it a much smoother feel. There are some things I'm really happy with - I like the skirt, and I think the gold/jewelry came out really really well. I didn't know how hard the hair was going to be, since I've never attempted that hair style. I also colored right over my sketch (usually I trace my sketch onto a clean piece of paper) so you can see some of my initial lines. I know the image isn't perfect, but instead of being discouraged (as I used to be by my art) I'm actually encouraged. I can't wait to try again!