Close-up.

40 hrs.

Hand detail
 

... in progress.

I am loving this portrait. This proves that even when you are very skilled, and make no mistakes, good portraits still take a long time.

Like Leopoldo, I too am interested in what medium and brushes you are using.

Update at 52 hrs.
 

Hi, Linda. For the skin I am using only Langnickels 5590 (these are flats). For the garments I am using hog bristles (flats and filberts). My medium is a 50% mix of linseed oil and turpenoid. I am liking the Langnickels because they are gentler on existing layers. When I use stiffer brushes I keep losing things I like and find myself having to redo things again and again.

oops...Here is the update.

I am hoping to finish this piece before the end of the current decade. Tomorrow would be nice...I AM having a hard time resolving the hands.

Watch out for the very cool and very dark shadows on the inner surfaces of the index and pinkie fingers on the hand on our left. I don't know what's in the reference but that tone seems out of place there.

Still a gorgeous painting! I like the brush effects you're getting with those flats, too.

Nice job, Deladier! Only one note, and this is one of those mantras which should always be playing in your thoughts,

"If it happens on the left side, it happens on the right side."

On the face, the jaw on the right does not match the jaw on the left. I would say to take a second look at the (our) right side jaw. It seems to jut out more than it would appear from the shape on the left jaw. This has bothered me for a while, so I thought I would mention it. In using a photograph, you invariably get distention, and this mantra is a way of questioning the information the photograph is providing, and gives you a way to double check it.

Peggy

You are right, Peggy. Michele mentioned that problem also and I have targeted that as one of the areas I need to revisit.

I only haven't done it yet because I want to populate the whole canvas before making corrections. My plan is to approximate the left side to the right form, if I can. Thank you for the observation. It confirms mine.