After rough sketching and thinking about it last night and the approach I wanted to take, I started in this morning.  This is almost all small brush work, which is unusual, but then it's very detailed and lots of face work, so big brushes are out for that. It occurs to me that people might wonder why exactly I post and snapshot the work as I go. Two reasons: 1) I do so at times when I need to step away and clear my head of its assumptions before I return to work. Taking a picture of it lets me see it in a fresh way and I often spot problems early on in this fashion, which leads to a better painting. 2) I think it breaks down the "mystery" of painting. Often, we only see the finished work of an artist, and seeing it in its early cumbersome stages makes it more a process and more human. For example, notice that the girl taking shape has her right arm both downward and out to the side. Why? Because I can't decide at the moment which is better for the composition. Hence, I'm taking a break. It's my opinion that anyone can paint. I would hope that, by seeing the step-by-step development, someone might be less intimidated by art and be more prone to try it themselves. It's one shape and one color at a time - that's all. ETC: A bit later, and time for another break.  | 
