Some Photoshop Practicing & A New Pic Series

Since I got my computer running again, I've been trying to get back into Photoshopping.  I've done several practice pics so far, and I'm looking forward to (hopefully) starting a new short series of pictures (my ultimate goal is to create several different series).

After working on some regular in-game shots, I decided to try something more 'abstract', so I went with every simmer's favorite little green icon.  What I really want to work on is a small series of themed plumbob pictures, all with the little guy (or gal) as the central focus.  I have a bunch of ideas for themes to try, but actually creating them is another story...this picture was a couple of days in the making and I'm still nitpicking a ton.  I used a normal green plumbob icon and added several layers of brushes, coloring, grain, fog, filters, etc.  This is the first image of the series, but it's all still a lot of practice, tutorials, hair-pulling, teeth-mashing, etc.....

Thanks for looking! Hope to be able to work on more of these soon (when I finally figure out what the hell I'm doing FOR REAL).

Dusting off the cobwebs a bit....

We've been working on getting the PC running all evening, and it looks like things are good to go so far!  I'm going to spend much of tomorrow reinstalling all of our programs and games and such, and hopefully I'll have a halfway decent post to make soon.

I know this place has been an absolute ghost town lately -- thank you guys SO much for putting up with listening to all my boring-ass computer talk and lack of updates.  I'll find some way to make it up to everyone as soon as I can. *blushes*