Very alive!

Alex, Ilaria, Cynthia -- your thoughtful comments mean a lot to me -- thank you!

Enzie -- you're welcome (and thanks!) :santa:

Yep, another beauty.

The way you paint hands just blows me away. I cringe if I have to do one yet
you always seem to tackle them all with ease.

If I was your client, I'd be thrilled.

Congratulations!

Terri, you have done it again, another master-peace. I hope you have a good manager.

I'm curious. Do you establish your values with umbers then introduce color or do you go with color from the start? Thanks.

I know the clients will love it.

Terri--

Nice job--the clients will be thrilled I'm sure. As others have said, it feels very calm, peaceful, and alive.

--TE

Difficult not to repeat that, but that's exactly what I feel too. Serenity of happy days of childhood.
Congratulations, and take time to enjoy your own happy days, you deserve it!

Thanks Janel! (you flatter me though. . . :sunnysmil )

Mischa, thanks! I used to use an underpainting technique. . . but found for me that this wound up in a lot of rework/redrawing as I'd inevitably lose the likeness and have to 'recapture' it when laying in with color over the underpainting. So now will start directly with a very thin layer of color (a wash in this case but more usually color applied and scraped back with a palette knife) just to kill the white of the canvas, rough in position, and cut the 'drag' on the brush of getting the first layer of paint on. If you're interested there's a WIP of this here.

Tom and Marina-- thanks so much! :santa:

Lovely, soft and engaging...wonderful edges and delightful color harmony.

Brava!

Thanks Chris! :)

Terri -

Yet another beauty! As others have commented, wonderful soft feel.
You must have a quality to you that brings out the best in people as you photograph them. These kids could easily have been sulky, given another personality working with them.

I am awed how that bright lavendar-purple works so well as a background. Without that color, this beautiful portrait would have lost an extra-special quality. How did you think to use it? Do you have many differently colored backdrops that you take with you to the client's home? Or do you plan it ahead of the photo shoot, based on location and client's clothing choices?