Beautiful! Love the vally and the setting. :D

Just wanted to stop by after being a fan for many years. This is by far my favorite piece of work. Any chance of a multiple screen image of the picklejar image with the figure resting against the tree? Again very nice work!!!

So Amazing and deep, you can really stare into this one and enjoy it like a sunset! So beautiful... one of my favorites in awhile..

I definitely prefer with the figure on. The feeling is completely different. Without the figure, the image looks empty to me, as if something is missing.

Ever thought of a "clarified" high contrast version of this image. Do mistake, I love it like this.. perhaps as an alternate of the same.

This trurly Awesome dude again like all the other works of art you've done, this is hands down the BEST landscape Pictures here great work keep it up it's well worth the member fee again just fucking awesome man!!!!!

Beautifully done Ryan!!

Serene and tranquil, I prefer it without the figure.

Keep up the GREAT work!!

Thank you



Melissa

That is the question I always get asked whenever anyone looks at my desktop, and I have gotten many of those questions since this image was posted. You truely do fantastic work, please keep the images coming.

Love Lone Tree... it truly moves me. I'm sure Buddha is very near that tree. Keep up the outstanding work.

Dear Ryan – I have been a member off and on for quite some time. THESE are the ones that I just love to see!!! I think it’s the clouds that make these landscapes so great. For example my all time favorites are the blue “artica” one you did a while back or “cloudcanyon”, the clouds look real! Like a photo. Here it’s pretty amazing as well. Nice work! keep em coming! Just so you know, I am a brain researcher so I LOVE your “neuronnet” and also “neuron”. I would love to see an updated version of these works perhaps incorporating the many complex processes coming out of the cell (that I like to think of as a type of glial cell called an astrocyte) in “neuron” but connecting to more cells like in “neuronnet”. Take Care. - Jay -

Very similar to http://interfacelift.com/wallpaper/details.php?id=975



Sorry to link another site, I'm a lifetime subscriber. I'm not going anywhere! :)

I think a "Home link" taking you back to the home page would be agood idea to add to the submitted comments pages.... (didn't see one here...)

To be honest, I prefer the version with the figure in it. One thing I always liked about your artwork, is little details like that which you add in. I think it gives the scene a more positive effect than if the figure weren't there. The same with others such as "Reverie".

Its good to see you on form with this fine desktop. It has a great 3-dimensional quality and the lighting is perfect as a desktop as its not too bright on the eyes. Great work.



(better without the figure)

Being as desperate for spring as I am, I would love to see a green version.

I'm newly added as a lifetime member, having previously taken full advantage of the free gallery. (Time, therefore to give something back, and the lifetime fee doesn't really seem to be enough for what you do Ryan). These landscapes are all breathtakingly beautiful; some serene, some not. The creativity and imagination seem limitless. I have to say that I tend to prefer images without figures/people, (with the exception of one which showed a group of rides on a knoll in silhouette - can't remember the title). It makes it easier to place yourself in the scene, alone with your thoughts, somehow. I only hope once I get my own stuff out there that I can attain a similar level of skill.... Keep it up - these are mindblowing! Regards - Pendragon

I only have a single monitor, but I was wondering if it would be a good idea to also release single-sized versions of the extra stuff you add on to the sides? It's often very nice! Or is it a better idea for me to just crop them out of the triple screen versions?



BTW I have to say again how great this work is!

This has instantly become my favorite. I love it! Thanks!

.. how realistic the sky seems to be. There's no difference with a photographic image anymore.



This kind of pictures are, together with planetscapes, absolutely my favorite. Many thanx Ryan for this fantastic Lone Tree!



9*

I like the figure leaning against the tree. I think it makes the picture less stark with out distracting from the beauty.

i agree with another user comment that the top of the tree could be cropped a little better, otherwise great pic! maybe as a picklejar some blue's?

It looks great. As far as the figure, I think it either needs to be made more prominent (not so much that it dominates the picture, though) or left out. I really didn't notice that it was there until I read your post about it.

I agree with your wife, this one looks better without the figure. It's fine as it is.

This image is strikingly beautiful. It's a lot more complex than it looks at first glance. I've put it in both my desktop rotation and on my iPhone as the background.

I like the reclining figure. It reminds me of Reverie. Sometimes when there is no figure in a picture it is hard to imagine oneself there if there are any spacial ambiguities. But in both of these (and others with figures), for me it is easier to imagine myself in the scene. Awsome!

Yet another great image. Wish I was there.

Once again a beautiful job on this piece, i agree with your wife the version without the figure seems more overall balanced and deems to let me eye wander around it noticing the softness of it, the overall tranquility. And absorb it all in, i run this on my 1080p 42 inch sony bravia and i constantly get asked about it and other of your backgrounds whenever people visit.



Thank you for another absolutely beautiful piece of artwork for my desktop, days like this make me so happy i became a lifetime member :)

The color, composition, and details in "Lone Tree" are all wonderful, thanks so much Ryan. I like it a lot better without the figure. The figure draws a lot of attention to itself and becomes the center of the composition, whereas without the figure I end up looking in a more balanced way at the mountains, the sky, the sun, and the tree.

I adore all of your work...

But this one, it just struck a chord in me...



It's my favorite...



Thanks for sharing. :)

This is a wonderfully serene picture. I've noticed that your clouds are more randomly cloud-like than before as well.



Great Job Ryan. I constantly get comments about my/your wallpapers and I always send new people to your website (and I have to correct them to let them to understand that this is art, not a photo or traditional painting).

I like the version with the figure because the tree just looks like a natural reclining chair. :) With the figure, it is easier to imagine that I am there too. Without, it seems like a place I might like to go to watch the sunset, but I am not there yet.

If i had one small adjustment, i would crop the image so that the very top of the tree wasnt cut out... ?? just my opinion.. but this one is on my desktop, love it!



thanks

Quite the opposite from distracting from the picture, it's barely noticeable to me. Perhaps I don't have a monitor/LCD with a good enough contrast. Still, I tend to prefer images without people in them anyway (aside from the temple ones which create the huge sense of scale). Great job, once again.

I guess I like the Without a Figure best, because it's not exactly a Lone Tree if it has a visitor :-). It looks "lonelier" without a figure in it. Both are quite lovely and evocative, though.

As always, the artwork is stunning. I would like to see the foreground with a bit more light. I understand this is a shading effect, but it seems a little TOO dark.



The person under the tree looks just fine in my opinion.

Don't think there is a lot in it difference wise, their both good. I think I'd more go for the one with the person in it as it gives the scene a "lived in feel". Could you do a night version too, i'd imagine it'd end up looking a lot like "Reverie" but thats no bad thing.

This is beautiful. I prefer the version without the figure - I think it has more of a sense of stillness. It would be nice also to see a version where the ambient light wasn't quite so red, perhaps with a hint of blue sky?

for this beauty, I like these wallpapers very much, getting dizzy of wallpapers like "Axiomatic". Keep up this great art work.

Looked at both versions. Love both!

I can't decide whitch version I prefer.

So, I put both on two of my virtual desktops.

Amazing! truly great artwork! I cant wait to see if you do a night version of this, i think it would look great with the dark starry night and the moon coming up with a blue tint!



once again, great work! this is one of my favorites!

I like the pickle jar version with the man. I think it makes the picture feel so real just like the 2006 night scene "Reverie".



Also, the 4:3 sizes don't do this image justice. I currently have it as the wallpaper on my 24" (1920x1200) and it is truly amazing. I was looking for a new wallpaper, and this is it!

This is the second time that I've gotten a subscription to your website. I love your art work...each picture beautiful. Have you considered doing digital graphics like this for gaming companies? It would have been interesting to see your version of the artwork on Halo...

I really like this image overall, though I wonder if you have ever been to Scotland? Trees there, on the moors and bogs, often have this exact shape, except with a more coniferous sort of leaf. I can't really describe it; try to drag up a picture off Google. But to me the wide, flat leaves detract from the sky. The lump at the bottom also seems a bit unnecessary, but overall the mood and relaxed feeling of the image make up for any of it's flaws.

You are getting better and better at rendering realistic looking clouds-- the clouds right next to the sun look stunning. Amazing picture, thanks!

I can imagine it's me sitting there looking at that awesome view.



About the view.... it is beautiful. But the sky is a bit red, a bit Martian. Whilst that has a certain beauty in itself, I would like to see some blue in the sky, perhaps to cheer it up a bit and give it more colour range.

IMHO, I think the sun is bit too centered and bright, distracting from the center figure (the tree). I would shift it to the right about 5 degrees, so it's centered between the two peaks. Moreover, perhaps turn down the luminousity about 15%?



The hazy mist over the background mountains is well done, and if anything could stand to be even more so. Again, bring out the tree.



The rounded rocks in the foreground contrast nicely with background peaks, as well complimenting the tree itself. Nevertheless, the water strikes me as stale. Perhaps a fallen leaf on the water just to the right of the tree's bank, creating some ripples. I think this would add a pleasant element of motion to the whole scene.



Finally, the overall color is just a tad harsh. Perhaps a bit more subtle orange?



Just my two cents....

I like the version w/o the figure. For me, scale is not important in this image. The image works whether the tree is 50 feet tall or 5 feet tall.

Difficult. There's not much between them, though my girlfriend prefers the one with the figure for the same reasons you mentioned.



Generally I find the sense of scale through the use of figures very effective in your other work. However I have a slight preference for the one without the figure because it leaves the meaning open to interpretation. I find the one with the figure looks like it's relaxing which enforces a certain perspective on the viewer.



I also have to agree with the other comment about the lump at the bottom of the tree. I almost thought there was something else there I was missing.

Don't get me wrong this is absolutely awesome. The sun in the clouds in the distance is stunning and the whole light setting is perfect. The one thing that is sticking to my conscience is the little stub at the base of the tree. It's all a sillouette so it kind of appears to be something in front or behind the tree; otherwise it looks like an awkward lump. Perhaps I'm just seeing it wrong and a different angle would show me the error in my ways :P

After examining both versions, I think the one without the figure increases the solitude or loneliness of the tree - like a lone survivor, so a symbol of resilience, a symbol of hope. The reclining figure takes that away for me, it changes the mood of the image. With the reclining figure - a figure so relaxed, at ease - the image becomes one of zen solitude over loneliness, it becomes an image of escape from a busy world to a spot of solitude, a zen moment for the reclining figure.



BTW, the setting (or rising?) sun is magnificently done. Reminds me a bit of the Kanji for "East" in Japanese (OK, Chinese as well): it is a pictograph, basically, of a sun rising behind a tree (as you probably know, the compound word for Tokyo is "Eastern Capital" and begins with the Kanji for east). Hmm, might be nice to see a version of this with the sun behind the tree trunk!

I'll have to go with your wife on that one - in fact, in most of your images the figure isn't needed and often detracts from the scenes themselves. In most you get the sense of scale without a figure, so I don't think they're needed that often. (IMHO)



Great image too, very relaxing, other worldly and surreal!



- Gabe

I have to say that I looked at the original and pj one several times and the figure in the PJ one is so small it just blends in. I think I prefer the figureless one since it is the one I made my background.

I like the one with the person in the background better. It adds a sense of proportion that you don't really get without it.

comparing the last several years of wallpapers to some of Ryan's start-up years wallpaper, these recent wallpapers don't give anything new or refreshing. it's always the same setting/style with new colors/shapes.

I love both version. I can't wait to see the multiple screen adaptation! I also think a evening version of this one is in order - blue tones, moon & stars...

I think I like the version of lone tree w/o the figure more than the one with the figure. Both are great, though.

I love this but also prefer the one without the person.



When I see your landscapes I like to imagine that I'm alone looking out on the scene. Seeing someone else in the picture takes away the intimacy of it for me.

They're both good pictures. I think I agree with Jessie, however; the reclining figure breaks up the flow of the tree. Without the reclining figure, it's a much simpler picture, which really emphasizes the stark beauty of the pic.

I like the version with the person under the tree. It gives the picture more depth and meaning and allows the viewer to have an actual connection with the art.



I agree with an earlier comment about a winter scene with cold undertones.



Excellent work!

The pickle jar version with the guy in it reminds me a lot of Reverie from '06.



Love both versions! Either way I'm happy!



Keep up the great work, Ryan.

The figure makes me think how amazing the scene would be... sitting there, experiencing it for myself!

I prefer the one with the person.

I think both versions of "Lone Tree" are good, but different. I prefer the version with the person in it because it adds depth to the artwork. With the person there, I see more of a story happening. Maybe this person grew up there and has been sitting under this tree for years. Maybe they are on vacation and enjoying some much needed rest. Maybe they found this spot to be alone to say farewell to a lost loved one. You just never know, but I think adding the person gives the artwork a really good depth.



Having said that though, I can understand where sometimes you may not want that extra story. Maybe you want to look at this and think about being in that peaceful place yourself, and not have to think about the person in the picture. In that kind of mood, the version without the person is the way to go.



So to me, the pickle jar is the perfect solution. Those who want the alternate version can get it.



I love your artwork and always look forward to your new pieces. Thanks!

Love this one! Looking forward to the dual screen version!

I like both versions of this scene a whole lot--either is calm and peaceful. For right now, I prefer the person, not just for scale but for the human element--I can identify the person leaning against the tree, project into him. I often find your monumental buildings with very small figures to be overwhelming. In this case, in provides the right sense of scale and perspective. (For me, at least.)



I second the suggestion of a night scene as well.



Wow!

Both are excellent.



I like the one with the person better for a more technical reason. When you take the person away they space he occupied looks unnatural and not like the rest of the tree. The tree and rock nearby are more rounded whilst the space he occupied has the straight edges. Looks exactly like you just cut him out of the picture rather than him not being there. If that space would be made to look more like the rest of the tree I would prefer it to the one with the person, but for some reason that incongruity just jumps out at me.



The scenery behind the tree is breathtaking and gives it all the scale it needs.



10/10

I really like this picture. It is very calming, and although the figure adds to the calm I prefer not to have people on my wallpaper.



I can also see how you could come up with some nice variations on this theme. Maybe a night scene with a full moon and some firefly's?



In any case, this is my new wallpaper. Great job!

I think I prefer the one without the figure.



Looking at the pickle jar version, the figure appeared kind of strange on there. Had I not known from reading your news post that it was supposed to be a person, my first reaction would have been that it was just another lump of rock, or a lump in the tree. It isn't distinct enough to appear as a separate object.

Having anything else in your lonly tree would distract from its simplistic beauty. To me it epitimized the one man standing alone and persevering, saying, "Come what may and I will still be here". The ONLY possibility that I could see that would make this better is to turn it into a winter scene with lots of whites and blues with cold undertones.



Great Job and keep up the good work.

Love it. Best you've done for ages.



Can't make up my mind about the figure.

Very nice!! Some more details would be nice however.

I have to say that although the figure in the picklejar version does kinda bring your focus onto the tree, I prefer it more because its just not a tree anymore, its a grand tree. It gives it a more mystical feeling.

OK, here's my two cents. In the larger version, I don't think the figure is noticeable. Looking at the widescreen versions, I really don't notice the figure (it's not intrusive nor absent).



In the smaller resolutions, though, the figure is noticeable. The scene seems emptier without the figure, but that's my bias. Either way, though, I think with or without the figure the image is very relaxing.

Hi Ryan!

Just experimenting? Eh eh, as usual, the best things come out when you are not searching for them :)

This is one of my favourite wallpaper EVER!

I must admit I was slightly underwhelmed with the previous two, but this one is right up there with the best :) 10/10!!

Yay! finally an earthy scene again!



Beautiful in its simplicity. One of my favourite to date! I like the one with the figure reclining, because I like the idea of a person enjoying that view. Then again, the one without the figure gives a feeling of solitude and peace which is very comforting.



I guess its up to your personal taste. Both are 10 out of 10s.

I prefer the image with the person. It's kind of hard to say why, but I think it adds some scale and makes it seem a bit more real. It feels relaxing to see someone looking at the sunset. But they're both good anyways.

I don't think the figure really adds anything to the image. It looks kinda like a strange lump growing on the tree. I don't think it's needed for a sense of scale either. The figure-less version is awsome.

I like them both quite a lot, but cannot decide.



I have found though, that picture without the person is slightly blurred around the leaves. They just aren't crisp as they are when the person is there.



Maybe that is a sign to say, keep the person in view, it makes the tree look healthier.

This is wonderful, and incredibly relaxing. I like it more without the person but they are both fantastic. THANKS!!!!

OMG - gorgeous!



I can't decide between the two versions though. I like them both!

This is absolutely beautiful. Personally, I think this is one of your best works thus far.

I like the version with the onlooker. It gives the image a sense that if you aren't there at least someone is getting to enjoy it beauty. I have always like the addition of a person in the image. Its generic nature almost makes me think that it's me there.

Ryan,



You've outdone yourself on the reality-simulation front mate. This is stunning!



10/10

It's hard to even describe how great this piece is.



I am fairly indifferent about the person relaxing by the tree. I've been switching between them for a while and can't pick a favorite.



In any case, this is incredible.



10/10

I prefer it without the person, as the absence gives the picture a broader view, if in the mind's eye. But it really is a pretty pic, thanks

Both images, with and without the figure, are gorgeous. Personally I prefer the one without the figure but mostly because they strike me as having very different feels.



With the figure it feels as if I'm secretly observing someone else's private moment. Intruding...perhaps; definitely not known.



Without the figure it feels more like a place where I could go to find some of the serenity that is present in both images.

Ryan,

I have been to Corsica, and this image captures the idea of red granite areas. The Mediterranean Sea touches the rock there. Very gorgeous! I put it on BOTH of my monitors, though I will wait for the dual monitor versions.

Thank you for your wonderful image creations!

Hey Ryan, I love this image, and I think that I prefer the one with the person in it, purely as I like to imagine me in that spot...

Ryan,

I like the version with the person in it better. I find it adds a new emotional element to the picture that you don't get with just the tree.

But I chose the one with the figure. I can pretend it is me and drift off into that entirely magical land you have built us. Again.





Kudos to once more refreshing my desktop!

Love this one... don't know if I can wait for a dual screen image of this one... I will have to make this my primary screen image, but don't know what I can find to put on the secondary screen.

I like it - very calming. I also prefer it without the person. I don't think it adds much and there's plenty of other things in the image that give the scale.

I really like this one a LOT. I love both the background - the mix of sun, clouds and mountains - and the foreground, with the tree and water. I think you composed this one really well. The tree is clearly the focus of this rendering and it creates such a serene and peaceful aura. Like some other people wrote, it makes me want to go there myself!



For me, the person isn't large enough to add or detract from the rendering.



Great job, as usual!

Like everyone else, I normally prefer ones without people in it, but for once, unlike everyone else, I really like the version with the person.

I prefer the image without the person; CG images with people almost always look somehow wrong to my eye.



I like this image, but it doesn't really speak to me as some of your other work does. I think it may be in the color: it's a bit on the "peachy" side, where a stronger red/purple cast would be more to my taste.



Nevertheless, I like this image. It is certainly going on my desktop!

I do think this is by far one of your best pieces. I think the differences in highs and lows are just awesome and the use of the water as a reflection really shows talent. Probably your most vivid piece from what I've seen.

I like the version without the person under the tree the best. I'd love to see this one with a blue or blue/green/purple background.

Ryan, great atmospherics, and very surreal. I like it alot -- don't change a thing!

That is seriously sweet :)

Almost invariably I prefer your images without accompanying individuals. That remains true here, but I don't feel all that strongly about it. The individual is not that noticeable and doesn't particularly detract.

I don't think the person sitting there is too much of a distraction. I think it's barely noticable actually, but I still love the image.

The quality of the reflectivity of the water is very impressive and photorealistic, and the overall composition is quite fine.



Thanks for this one!

This is a very soothing piece. I actually do prefer it without the figure; there's something nice about having it be a pure nature scene, and not having a human intrude upon the delicate feel of the area.



Good one, Ryan! :)

Great picture! I have to agree with Ryan, the figure does add perspective to the picture. It does so in a subtle way that one may not pick up on the first time they see the picture. Either way it would be nice to be there to experience the view first-hand!

Great work on that tree man. I think it looks better without the person; good decision ^_^

Sunset imo, really enjoying this one. Thanks for rocking out some great wallpapers so quick. Keep it up!

I like it better with the person. Great job on this one.

Beautiful scene. The sun is very well captured setting over the distant mountains... It is very... well, undisturbed, which is a great theme to go with.



I prefer the image without the person, as this image seems to affiliate itself entirely with the magnificence of nature and humans don't quite seem to fit in with it...

Wow, I really enjoy this image. I prefer the image without the person under the tree, but in terms of acquiring a sense of scale from the person, I think you're right -- it really does allow you to feel the magnificence of what's around them.



I'm glad you posted both images -- I don't know which one I like more, but I have to say, I love being given the chance to use them both.



Amazing background. I love it!

I think I like the one with the person sitting under the tree better, but they are both beautiful.

I really like this image. I'm sure you'll catch some static about it being similar to some others in the past (Spring Promise, Of All Places, River Valley), but you know what, those were all gorgeous images as well. So if you receive that kind of criticism, just brush it off. Their locales and "feelings" are all unique. This one for me resembles just kicking back - even without the figure (which I have to agree with the Mrs. is the better image). I would love to leave the office and just go relax and watch the sunset.



Or is it sunrise? Heh... to each their own.

Great job Ryan, you've brought together three things that I always love to see in your backgrounds: sunsets, solitary trees, and still water. The clouds look great too. . . I'm just surprised the voters' average rating isn't higher. What do you have to do to please these people?

I really like this one. Looking forward to the multi-monitor version!

I think this is a really nice wallpaper, but I would have to agree that the person does take away from the background. When I scan my eyes over it they always catch the man sitting there and it takes my attention off of the very nice backdrop. I would say to stick with the one without the man sitting there.

...right.

Great job!