This I'd like to see!

Thanks Brenda. Too funny! I wasn't really discouraged, I think I know what I'm in for with this whole portraiture thing. You know the real irony of what you said: not only can you not draw attention to the fact that you repaint the ear 6 times, you must make it look like once was effortless and that the nostrils were a cinch. Thanks for the encouragement anyway, and good luck on your endeavor.

Janet

Well, here she is again. Let me know how I did. I really REALLY knocked myself out on those two or three square centimetres!

Thanks, Janet

Better, however there are still a few more things:

The lower edge of the eye on our left needs to come down more. The "line between the lips" needs to come down more also on the far left side. That line also needs to be softened as it moves out beyond the lips at the left end. Also watch the tip of the nose. There needs to be a slightly darker shape on the tip of it, to make that cute turned up nose that she has. And be sure you don't lose the nice dimple to the right of the mouth. It's almost gone.

I've been known to paint features five times over to get them right!

Michele, I feel guilty for getting all this great advice for free. Do you take Canuck Bucks? Seriously, it's odd how as soon as you point something out, it's like oh yeah, how come I didn't see that? I was going to suggest that you consider teaching, but I was going through a thread this morning that indicated you do teach. Anyway, thanks for the coaching that you have provided. Here are my (our) results.

Hi Janet,

I've been nit-picking and I'm posting what I see.
For me, it is so hard to see these tiny things in my own work the first or second time through. It always helps to have more sets of eyes!

I guess I would use the reference of the pupil to pupil line, as it looks like you've got it pretty much right on.
In your painting it seems the right upper eye lid looks a bit thick. And the line of the lower lid on that eye is a bit different than the photo. The nose may not be slanted enough. The break in the line of the lips is more exaggerated. Her left eye is a bit rounder than the photo.

Ok, I'll put my microscope away now. :D

Brenda,

I'm sure that you are a very busy lady and the time you have taken to nitpick is greatly appreciated. Don't put that microscope anywhere that you can't retrieve it easily. Maybe you could let me know how to take these pics off the posting and onto my hard drive so that I can really see what you have done. It's a little small for my failing eyes.

Thanks much, Janet

Janet,
If you have a PC, just right click on the image and "save picture as" and then name it and save it to your desktop. These are small images, so they may get pixelly if you blow them up. Hopefully you have Photoshop or Photoshop elements.
I don't know much about Macs.

-Brenda

Hi Brenda,

Sorry, Mac all the way. I'll try poking around with it and see what I can do.

Janet