great job!

Balto, is soo cute! xD You, done a great job! XD

Nattikat: Thanks, and thats no problem ^^. I usually do add shading and highlights to pictures and renders, but in the movie there isn't any unless its used to emphasise a lantern in the night or something, so I didn't add it here.

Understandable. XD Though like I said, after resizing them down, you resize them back up. Same size, slightly different resolution. -nodnod- It also helps if you work with pixels, like I did while my tablet was half-broken. Like this one, for example (do pardon that it's not Balto-related): http://oi45.tinypic.com/6qjnnd.jpg

I used pixels for the outlines, and though it's obvious by the shakiness of some parts (again, tablet was partially broken), it doesn't quite look like it.

I rarely render, though. Did when I was younger, but not so much now. Like, super-incredibly-hardly-ever render now. And when I do, I don't post it--the only place that even this one has been online is via my forum signature, on top of it being the effects that make it all graphic-like. But I know how to do it. -shrug-

...Oh dear, I seem to have wandered off-topic. D:

Anyways, yes, it probably wouldn't work well with a smaller starter image. Little TOO much change there. XD

Natt - I use small images so if I resized it'd be nothingness xD

Certainly looks better with the snow added on, but the characters still seem slightly out-of-place.

Here. I messed with it a bit to try and show you what I mean (hope you don't mind...if you do, I can delete the link): http://oi49.tinypic.com/a2bzow.jpg

What I did: First off, added shadows beneath the paws. The interactive shading between a character and the background helps to set the character in the environment. Second, added a layer of noise. Third, I used a technique that Kelsey didn't mention, but that I personally like to use: resize the entire image smaller, then resize it back up. This makes the lines softer and helps it blend into the lower-quality background.

(I also messed slightly with the color balance, but that's optional. I just like playing with it. XD)

Again, hope that helps! And also again, if you don't like me using your render as an example, I can delete the link. ^^

I love his design! I agree with kelsey also, bring on the snow!!!

Nattikat and Kelsey: Shows how oblivious I am, I didn't even notce! Yeah, I'll add some snow to it and lower the quality, because it was hard to find a background screenshot that was in the right postition with Akino's legs. Thanks guys ^^

Not bad, Aiyana, not bad at all!

As a suggestion, though, like Kelsey said, you way want to either add some snow to the foreground or choose a different background. Because the snow is falling behind the characters and not in front of them, it looks more like a copy-pasted image (well...technically it was, XD) than characters in an environment. The characters also appear more "high-def" than the background. Since it's rather difficult to up the quality of the screenshot, I'd lower the quality of the characters--perhaps put a little more noise on them. That way, the characters and screenshot will blend better and look more legitimate.

Hope that helps for future reference!

It's a very nice piece of work, Aiyana. And a nice and different take on Balto's father (of which there are a few).