Not sure if if it's my viewing environment or what but the lower right corner is a little dark to see any detail at all. Yeah, I see the animal, and yes, it looks equine, but there's no way I'm seeing a horn in that.



Still, I like these kinds of images: looking out, looking in, secret places. Good job over all.

I have spent a good portion of my life in forests, and I'm pretty sure I've been in this one. Don't remember a unicorn being there though. ;) Seriously though, this piece is simply astonishing. The trees and the beams of light are breathtaking. I like the litte bit of noise in the lightbeams, because this makes them more realistic (yes, forests are a bit dusty).



I also didn't realize the the "horse" in the photo was a unicorn right away, but I was delighted when I spotted the horn. While some may complain that it's hard to see, methinks that m'lord unicorn prefers it that way.



Well done, Ryan!

Didn't see it until Ryan mentioned it in his BLOG. That makes me like the image even more. There's not enough subtlety these days. Always gotta be over the top...

I thought it was a stag. I guess I didn't look close enough!



:-)

A horse would have been a nice touch but that's a unicorn: the lord of the forest.



Great work as always!

Adding the horse is just a perfect touch

I absolutely love this picture. I think it would be even more brilliant if it had a little more contrast, but there's just no denying it's already stunning.



As a writer, I look to your art as a wondrous inspiration - every time I look at one of your images, I'm absolutely as taken away as I hope my readers (however nonexistent) to be. The fantastic yet distinctly palpable and real qualities of your art never ceases to reawaken my vision - thank you so much. Without you my writing would simply not be the same.

once again you created an amazing picture into which i can just escape my world and go into the little fantasy place you created. Keep up the good work on your doorways to paradise, I look foward the the next one.

Would it be possible, Ryan, to post an alternate version of this piece without the unicorn in it? Just curious...

You have a widescreen (16:10) resolution; use one of the widescreen images. For the best results, you'd probably want to get the 2560x1600 and rescale it.



Alternatively, you can take the 1600x1200 and display the center portion without scaling, but in this case that messes the framing up badly (IMHO).

I see no animal nor unicorn. :-(( Not until I save the image then lighten it up 50-60%. Even 100% does not show an unicorn, just an animal drinking some water. FYI, my monitor is set at maximum brightness.

This is one that I would really love if it were to come in the size of my screen *1440 x 900 - it's a weird size, I know). It distorts oddly on my computer though, but I do love it!

I really do like how the unicorn is subtle and doesn't stand out until you look at it more closely. I first thought, "oh ho hum a boring nature scene" and then I examined it more I saw the horn and smiled, delighted at the surprise! Keep up the great work Ryan.

not horse. I meant unicorn. I just noticed the horn

I love the new art you've made. The only thing that bothers me is the odd overdone arch in the horses back. Also I’ve never heard of horses in a huge forest before. haha I LOVE THE SUN RAYS! You did an amazing job with that. Keep up the good work!



One other tiny tiny thing I noticed is that the very center tree looks like it sort of ends to a somewhat of a point right below the top of the picture. But these are little things that most people don’t even notice.

I have made this suggestion before, but I thought I'd try again. I really like fall/autumn and I'd love a new picture for my desktop. What I want seems very difficult to get across, but here goes...I would love a picture full of various glass leaves (large enough to be detailed), all in fall colors, thrown on a light table. I want the light to pass up through all the jeweled glass and just shimmer. If done right, it would be gorgeous. Sound possible? In my mind it would be spectacular! (You got something like it very right with your Easter eggs)



I'd like this forest scene, also done in fall and winter. I think I'm getting autumn sick and I want it here, now.

Agreed with Sophie, I personally favor the more down to earth perspective of beauty. The planet we live on has so much latent beauty, and you always seem to capture it perfectly. This piece in particular contains nearly everything I love about forests and nature, and even my favorite sun setting to boot! Really, this is a splendid piece; it without question my new desktop wallpaper.



One thing I love in particular about this is the contrast in the split between the illumination of the top-right side of the picture and the shade on the bottom-left. That duality is something I observe quite often in real life nature scenes; the dependency of shine and shade has always intrigued me.



Anyway great job on this one Ryan! Your passion for your work really shows in your product, and that very passion is what would truly make this world a better place.

I must say, while I understand it's based off "Forest Queen" from 10 years ago, I'm thrilled to see a work that so closely resembles, but improves upon one of my all-time favorites, Idyll. I must confess that at first glance, I was somewhat disappointed, because I love Idyll so much. But after examining it a little more, I've grown very excited about Lord of the Forest. I love the colors of this piece, and as others have said, the foliage is phenomenal. This piece alone might be worth my year's subscription.

Just as I clicked on the tumbnail, a thought crossed my mind; it really should be a Unicorn in that glade and on closer inspection it seems you've had the same thought too.



Wonderful as ever.



Any chance we can have him in his 'natural' silver white ?



Best Wishes.

For all the work you do! I know sometimes we're a bit overanxious for your next project...but its all the wonderful work that you do that keeps us on edge. :)



This reminds me of some of the seasonal work that you did a few years back. It'd be great if you could bring that back! You could do a "Lord of the Forest" for each month. :)



Again, thanks for all the work!

Jason

I know a lot of your members like your planetary designs, but for me I love when you create pieces like this. It shows the beauty of the planet on which we live for people like myself who don't get the opportunity to do so. Another wonderful piece.



I agree with another member. A winter verison of this will definitely rock!! : )

10 on 10 for this one. Easily your best for me :) Keep up the good work Ryan..

I like everything about this image , Id like it even more if it were a little less Grainy. A winter version of this would rock !

The updated 1998 image is titled "The Forest Queen", which shows a unicorn on it's back legs, with it's front legs in the air.



I like this image, but for some reason the hazy rays appear grainy in the 1280x1024 image. My rating does reflect that.

"Leonardo, we really loved the Mona Lisa, but we used PhotoShop to straighten out her smile. Now she's perfect..."

I adjusted the brightness and contrast on my computer and this picture, and all of Ryan's Night Scenery is much easier to see clearly.



Tyhis let's me fully appreciate a lot more of your darker images.

... this is why i joined digital blasphemy. Outstanding! I love the constrasts and the light... just magic. Astonishing detailed vegetation.



Thanx!!



9*

MAN!! You've outdone yourself. This image so perfectly allows one to embibe the paeceful scene as you've obviously intended. (You may laugh but, the lighting and the steed by the brook is such a reminder of my old Army Infantry days... I always loved the first light in the jungle.)

Very well done. Makes me feel like I'm in the quite woods at sunrise. I like the calm creek and the doe drinking. You're really good at doing the sun shining through the trees.

Reckon this would make a good winter scene for Christmas, as someone said if you were to put a reindeer in there. Really like this Ryan and its seems a return to form for me as I prefer nature works.



T.

Great work on the update i remember using the old version on my fathers computer for him as he is an avid wildlife enthusiast



If this version featured a nice 10 point buck (deer) instead of the horse/unicorn I would of probably ordered it from zazzle in the future as a Christmas present for my father.



Seems like a deer would be more fitting than the current animal.



just my 2 cents.

Thank you for getting back to some "scenic" pictures as they are my favorites! Since these are evergreens probably could only due one more season and that would be winter with some snow.



I gave it a ten for the beauty and sheer detail. However, you think you could put a version in the pickle jar without the unicorn. You have so many "photo realistic" works that I think this could be another one if you remove the one fantasy item in it. If you have some spare time just drop one altered one in the pickle jar.



As always "I am humbled by the beauty others create and awestruck by the beauty God creates".

I really thought this was an update to Idyll (very close arrangement - you have to admit). Then I remembered you said it was an update of a 1998 image. Idyll was from 2004.



Looking at your original and then Lord of the Forest, it's amazing to see how far graphics programs have come, as well as your own talent at creating these images.



One can only imagine the capabilities in another ten years.

The mist and rays of light worked really well this time around, and the grain isn't too bad, either. I work with Vue 6 Infinite occasionally and only managed to render without the grain by accident - which is pretty frustrating. I read the comment from the eon/Vue support guy (typos included). I'd recommend calling or writing them again. Maybe you'll have better luck.



Hopefully I won't get flamed too badly when I say this, but I really like the deer, better. Something about it's stance or orientation relative the viewer made the outline of the animal in the original a little more dramatic. The unicorn, here, seems a little underwhelming. Just an opinion from a casual glance.



I still like this, though.

This image made me feel good - as though I was glimpsing something magical in an already serene, restful setting.



I imagine I am pausing at this creek from a hike through the forest. I stop to enjoy the sunlight through the trees, the cool water, and the clean air when this creature arrives. How incredible! How rewarding!



This little daydream made my day. Thank you Ryan!

Fantabulous! Marvelous! Beautiful! I really, really really hope you do more like this!



Excellent piece of work! :)



- Gabriel

I was in such a hurry to post my previous comment, that I didn't take a look and notice it's a unicorn not a deer. Even cooler. I'd vote an 11 just for that, if it were available. ^_^

OMG, Ryan, this is beautiful!!! This is a perfect 10; I saw no graphical glitches,the lighting is fantastic, the ferns, mosses, and other foliage are gorgeous, and the silhouettes of the trees and the deer balance out the scene and aren't overdone. This is probably your best nature piece I've ever seen.



Seriously, the instant I saw this in full resolution, the number 10 popped into my head, and that's what I voted. This is GREAT, Ryan, thank you for posting this!! :-D

I adore the lighting in this image. Some people seem to think it could do with more light, but I think the contrast between light and dark perfectly captures the dim coolness of a forest dawn (or dusk).



You're a genius with lighting, mist and clouds, Ryan - I'm a fan of the vast majority of your images, but it's gems like this that make doubly sure I'll never go anywhere else for my wallpapers!

spring/summer/autumn/winter-wood? These are some of my favorites and thanks for doing an updated one!

Ryan, you excel when doing scenery, which is my favourite genre of yours.



Unicorny? Maybe, but it's a magic forest so it's fits.

I forgot to say: Thanks for adding the Christmas postage to your gallery :)

I left my comment before reading the others, as usual. The wallpaper scene is dark on my computer and the animal was very much in shadow. I thought it was a female deer until I studied the image very closely.

Beautiful! Is it an update to Idyll?

one of my favorites ever!

Very nicely done. A good start to the Autumn season.

I also missed that it was a unicorn until reading some of the newer comments. hmm i guess the title makes more sense now. but i'm not totally sure if i like this 'new' development or not

in any case still one of my fav's

It's a beautiful picture but it is too dark. Could you lighten the area around the unicorn?

It's a tad bit grainy, however over all a beautiful forest picture. I think the tree bark is all I'd change. However the lush vegetation is gorgeous. I got lost in it for a while thinking of mountain get a ways.

Hi Ryan,

that's my favourite picture amongst your works.

A really wonderful job!

I love this one Ryan. Nature scenes are a favorite.

HD looks great on my desktop.

Thanks!

These nature scenes with wildlife (or unicorns) are unbelievably popular here in the Midwestern states. Our schools and the students love them. Doing more of these will make millions of people happy. Great Job.

You mention in your description that this one is a loose update of an image from 1998. I'm sure you get this request a lot, but I'd love to see more of your early images updated for wide-screen formats.



In the meantime, thanks again for all the great work.

Excellent! Really like this one. However, I didn't realize this was a Unicorn until I read some of the comments and even then I had to look really closely on my laptop screen. Maybe if you could lighten the area around the Unicorn it would be better.

Otherwise, great work!

thinking about the unicorn, I'd also love to see a scene with a classic western dragon in it... but in a peaceful setting like this. I know it's random, but I love dragons, and I'd love to see it in a scene like this.

I love nature scenes, and this is no exception! Very well done - I love the detail on the trees and plants.



However, I do have to agree with a few other commenters that the unicorn needs more detail. You can barely tell it's a unicorn unless you look closely, and I'd rather be able to see the horn a bit more

The composition of this image reminds me very much of a scene from "Princess Mononoke", but I like it very much, none the less.



As always, great work!

Yes, as 'Phillip D' points out, the sun rays are "noisy", but I find that in the heart of the summer, the sun light and air often has such a "noisy" look due to the dust, pollen, midges, gnats and other bugs and detrius that is constantly flying and falling in the deep woods.



I love this image!

pat----

we have been spoilt yet again :)

Everything looks so real and spot on, if it weren't because I know this is a 3d wallpaper I would say makes a good photo... or an excellent unicorn hoax lol.

Wow.... this is beautiful. I love it.

This has definitely become one of my favourites.

I must admit that I have not been a big fan of the last 4 or 5 that you put out before this one, but I really like this one. Keep up the good work.



9/10

Yet another wallpaper which I want to send to friends as a poster. Nothing to add or subtract, it's perfect. Great job once again, Ryan.



One glitch: on the WIP page, the tooltip says "Starbirth 2008".

The way you put this together really moves me. I love the light coming through the trees, and the mist/fog off the water. I feel like i could have seen this on one of my backpacking wanderings. I also love how the Horse/Unicorn looks so much like the real thing. Really good job with the realism on this, i love it!!

When you said it was a loose update, I immediately thought of Idyll also, but then I thought, wait, Idyll is not that old. I would have never thought it was an update of "Queen of the Forest" if someone else hadn't mentioned it. The wallpaper is excellent, though. I like it far better than Idyll. The foliage is amazing.

very similar to idyll, the one you made in Worldbuider. except vegetation is different here but similar landscape layout...I would say this image is astonishing, the sunrays still has a little noise to it, but I know it is nearly impossible to get rid of it completely in Vue...one of the good things about Worldbuidler program (where you made idyll in) is nice smooth rays in which it still beats Vue in that area....it is too bad that the WB program will eventually no longer exist in which it may already have...I hardly ever used it anymore either...only time I use it now is updating images and bigger pixel sizes. I like to see Idyll in dark blue atmosphere instead of orange but I dont know if you still have that program or AWB file for it...



You also have the Christmas one with santa and reindeer hovering over the moon,"the ride" i think it was called... that is my favorite christmas one, I was wondering if you can remake that one in Vue by Christmas time? Regardless if you do or not, your art is ASTONISHING!

Love it. Just very peaceful.



Thanks Ryan

I am really glad to see a nature scene again. I generally really love them. Such as it is with this piece. I think it's a very beautiful work of art.

Personally I'm wondering how you can come up with something so detailed. It really seems like a snapshot out of a really great forest. This background makes me want to go camping.

Great Work!

This is a very peaceful setting despite the grand sized trees.

my only beef with this pic is the lighting, which should be of a whiter colour, bringing out the green in the bushes behind the animal.

Ryan I especially like this one. The tones are wonderful, and in general I prefer your darker works. Thank you!

At first I thought it was a remake of Idyll, one of my faves, but that was from 2004. Then I thought, maybe Glenwood, another one of my faves, but that's from 2000. You're right though, it's definitely Forest Queen from 1998. Needless to say, I like this one way better lol.



To be truthful though, i think the Unicorn needs way more detail. In silhouette, I didn't even realize it was a Unicorn until i looked at the 1998 version. Still nice, but the central figure needs something to differentiate it from a regular deer. Either way, it can't displace Idyll as one of the all time greats =)



Great work either way though. Keep it up buddy.

This is a great wallpaper wasn't expecting a wallpaper so soon but thought I would log on anyway... and Im glad I did :)



This is a fantastic piece!!

I really like it :)

But now that it has been mentioned, it is very similar to Idyll...

Yeah, this wallpaper has really awesome foliage- there's nothing I can see that looks digital or out of place. This one is really cool.

This is awesome, you can really excape into it its great

I really like this, so full of atmosphere. You know something though - it didn't really need the horse, probably slightly better without it. Perhaps you could render that?

It looks to me like a remake (different lighting and different horned hoofed animal) of "Idyll" from 2004. Excellent picture, by the way.

Reminds me more of Idyll, from 2004... Idyll has always been one of my favorites, this one is pretty high up there as well.

This is a great piece of art. Wonderfully done forest.

The image it's based off of is "Queen of the Forest", with the unicorn, from '98. I think.



Anyway, I love this image, and gave it a ten, but it would get an eleven if I could see the deer-thingy a little more clearly. It's kind of murky on my monitor at the moment.

I love this.



It's tranquil and peaceful. Inspiringly beautiful.

is that a unicorn's horn i spy?



great work, as always ryan.

Very nice! The only image I see done back in 98 that is similar, is Inlet.

I think this is the only wallpaper with PERFECT foliage! Best wallpaper ever! Real and fantastic at the same time. This was definitely worth waiting for.