"Fully Fledged"

    This project represents the most effort I've ever put into a digital graphic.  In fact, since I was never really an art major, it's the most effort I've put into any project.  Unfortunately, it's also the biggest disappointment.  Nothing like hopelessly jaded critics and teachers to bring one's already minute ego down to an appropriate size.  My thanks to you all for making me feel like a tiny, tiny man.
    Enough already.  The media (originally):  Photoshop 5.0, Macintosh scanner, Power Mac computers, printed out on two uncoated 11 X 17" sheets (1" margin all around) plus two 8.5 X 11" transparent sheets.  What can be seen above is the two 10 X 16" graphics side-by-side, with a representation of the transparencies as semi-opaque.  Imagine the sheets on the left sides of the two posters.  The birds and fetus on the eggs, child drawing, and fossil outline were printed exclusively on the transparencies.  It's easier to look at than explain.  An HP DeskJet handled all the dirty work, except for the fossil, which was printed with an Apple LaserWriter.
    The grass, bricks, 5 year old girl, background eyeball, and older girl were from photos taken by me, except the eye, which was taken by her mom.  The kiddie drawing was courtesy of the same girl, scanned directly.  The hawk eyeball, infant letter-winged kite, letter-winged kite wings (on older girl), hatchlings, and chest feathers all came from a book on hawks from the library.  The fossil was from a black and white book on hawks.  The human fetus, and diagram of the human fetus' head came from a book about (drum roll please...) fetuses.
    What I learned from all this (would have if I'd taken a single art class in high school): Regardless of my own gripes about the image, I hope you, the webgoer, enjoyed it before I said anything.  Special thanks go to my cousin Tori and my friend Jennifer, who helped me an awful lot with the project by being part of it.  For a glimpse at the original (porny) version of page 2, here it is: