Cynthia,
Thank you for noticing an improvement! Some people have no idea how hard we work to realize even a little progress. But it means even more coming from someone who works in the arts.
Michele,
This is what I was hoping for, and your time wasn't wasted.
The item on the left is part of a picture the clients own, which will be visible when looking at this painting where it will hang. I included it in the portrait to anchor the portrait to their home.
Here is a
detail of the faces with the reference. This image is too big for the forum, but it should open in another window.
Your observations are right on. It amazes me you can see that much detail in that anorexic photo.
It is clear you noticed a few of the irregularities of this woman's face. In the reference, her smile is asymmetrical; I have other reference in which it is nearly symmetrical, and that is what I used to paint the smile.
Her eyes are somewhat irregular, but you are right - there are still problems. I think I may have made the irises a bit big which seems to aggravate everything.
As I look at this, more and more problems arise. I'm almost ashamed, but the cat's out of the bag now.
I will spend more time on this to resolve the issues you pointed out. When I am done, I declare its perfection will be such that it will hang unmolested in their home for at least a week, at which time I will peel it out of the frame to tweak it some more.
The amount of time this takes is why we get the big bucks, right?
Thank you,