Self portrait with a little twist...

[golympio]

I don't know if this belongs to this section of the critique forum or the portrait section, but this is about a new post-processing technique that I'm trying, so I posted it here.
So I wanted to try something different for a self portrait. I took a picture that I shot a few months ago to process it.

I was taken with two Vivitar 285HV flashes: one to blow out the white wall behind, and one in an umbrella up camera right.

Do you think the processing is "too much", or that I could have gone more overboard with modifying the face features and the colors?

The picture was not so sharp to begin with, so this is just about the processing.

Camera: Canon EOS 400D
Lens: 50mm f/1.8 @ f/11
Shot in JPEG normal, not fine (yes I know....)
Processed in Photoshop with liquify then several Topaz Adjust filters and high pass.

[windrider86]

Please come back and post the medium size image in place of the one you have now. 800 on the long side is permitted for posting. thanks

[Japaslavian]

It looks like you made a common mistake that all of us have done one time or another.
There is a big white brush stroke above the head. I'm guessing it was meant to be on a mask, but you accidentally did it on the layer. Because it was a soft brush, it starts on encroach on the hair as well.
The effect is interesting. Maybe not in a photographic sense, but for something that could be used as a design for something. I've actually seen RedBull advertisements with something similar to this.
Very interesting to say the least.

[Murtasma]

I think it looks really cool I think you did a nice job with the eyes did you make the head bigger or body smaller? Maybe it's the big eyes but I like the bobble head feel to the image. I would correct the white above the head like Japaslavian mentioned; other then that I don't think I would change anything else. I'm curious what this would look like in black and white.

[golympio]

Thank you all for the useful comments. I corrected the top of the head as you advised, that's something that slipped me at the time of editing.
As I learn every day, now I don't use a brush and mask anymore, I just select the parts that I need and paste on a new layer, it's much cleaner.
@ Murtasma: I increased the size of the head, down to the collar, about 35%. I tried a B&W version, it does add a kind of mood to it, here's a little version and you can have the big one by clicking it:



And I did an other one today, with 4 month's more worth of hair, here; Just having fun!
Your comments helped me a great deal to make the second one better, thanks again.