oh thanks, didn't know that :)

Nothing wrong with being new, but don't use it as an excuse either. Just take what you learn and apply it. The WIP forums (here and at pixelation) are available to you if you want focused critique, and you can also find tutorials in the resources/support forum.

 Once again, still a bit new :) But thanks for the advice.

 Looks more like a candelabra than an animal to me. Agree about the contrast and the blinding background.

 Thanks, I'm still a bit new to this sort of thing :)

Not bad, though I think that the contrast should be toned up a bit, and the saturation toned down a bit :)