I find oils to be MUCH easier to work with than acrylics and I was first taught to paint in acrylic. I don't think oils would necessarily be quicker though.

I wanted to comment on your marketing idea of creating a postcard of this image. I don't think it would be tacky at all and in fact I'd highly recommend it. Check out Modern Postcard (at http://www.modernpostcard.com ) They're fast, cheap and do good quality work.

As for what to put on the postcard, I'd make the finished image almost fill one side of the card, with a small area that has your name and something about the fact that these are paintings. People assume that you're a portrait photographer unless they look at your postcards closely.

On the back put your contact info and a space for mailing info (Modern Postcard has sample layouts) and a bit of info about prices. Something like "Prices start at $....." Then clients can contact you for more information.

Use these postcards as your business card, give them to everyone you know and you're on your way!

Then try not to think of it as a face right now. It's the same process -- is it the right shape, the right color (hue), and the right value? -- that you've used in fashioning the fabrics. When all those questions are answered "yes", you've got the face.

I kind of keyed on this because I usually find myself wanting to get the face moved slightly ahead of everything else. If I don't get that right, then for me everything else is moot.

We all have to pick and choose from the smorgasbord of techniques, talents, and neuroses.

Michele - Thanks for the tip about modernpostcard.com - I'll look into that!

Steven - Live and learn! I'll never make the mistake of leaving the face til last again. I'm heavily into it right now, and let's just say it's at an 'ugly' phase. Will post an update when it is no longer so ugly!

She has a Face again!
 

... but I think the likeness is off. Going to take a break from it for a few hours, maybe when I come back it'll hit me what's off.

Still to do:
- neck/necklace
- tweaking hands/arms
- tweaking face
- cleaning up background

Any thoughts appreciated (especially if you spot what's off on her face!

Thanks!

and the closeup.

What jumps out at me is the blotchiness in her neck but especially on her hands and arms. All those purple cools that are unevenly blended look very harsh and unnatural to me.

Terri,

Take a look at Hannah's nose, I think her left nostril is a bit too low. You may also want to soften the edge and contrast around her ear.

Michele - Thanks! I've learned that I can only paint flesh tones in daylight - or else I get some very weird colors! Will adjust color and blending in her arms in the morning.

Mike - Thanks will check the nostril again, see if I can push that up a bit. I've been debating about her ear, I think it's actually ~1/8 inch too far right (it doesn't line up with her jaw line to me), so I've been considering whether I need to move the whole thing over? In any case, will make sure that whatever ear she winds up with is less edgy!

Terri,

I think the value needs to be darkened around her eyes. To me at a quick glance they do not look like the sockets go in enough. And her eyebrow on our left seems to look like it needs to extend down more towards her nose, maybe.

Looking great so far.

Another nitpick, is the contour of her lashline on her left eye correct? It seems subtly different.

Bigger, are you in the process of matching the arms to the face in color and brush style, or will they remain different?

Some things about this are wonderful. The texture on the chair, the composition. The modeling of the shirt is really realistic, and I like the colors, which seem to soften the t-shirt notion to me (I'm an anti-tshirt person too). Also the likeness and skintones really are great - we nitpick around here to be helpful, not to be overly critical.

Not to push this point too far, but one thing that jumps out at me is that the girl doesn't seem to really be attached to the other things in the picture. Because the edges are so defined in acrylics, she doesn't seem to be integrated with her setting. The blending you're getting in the face is really good, but when it's coming up on previously painted areas the distinctions seem very harsh. Do you continue to soften those as you work along?

I really don't want to harp on this. I saw your other paintings and you're obviously a fine painter who's mastered a tricky medium. I'm really enjoying watching Hannah come along.