Hi, Beth,
The door is not supposed to be opened. Does it look that way to you? I think I have been looking at it too much. I can't tell anymore!
I will have another look at the cast shadow.
The strokes on the fabric were kind of an experimental thing to me. Maybe I am not doing a very good job at 'scratching'. I wanted to leave some fresh, unblended strokes on the dress. I was not too worried about the fabric or pattern of the dress, except that I wanted it to show that the material is on the heavier side.
As for the edges, I put them in deliberately. Now, I know everyone says 'Watch out for the edges'. This is an area that I want to have a handle on. If you look at the face, I don't think my edges are that obvious, because I wanted it to look soft for the little girl. However, the dark lines that I put in were where I wanted to make emphasis on certain areas. For example, around and underneath her left wrist to show that her weight is on it, and on top of her shoulder near the back of her head, to emphasize the fact that she is leaning forward to pick up the cards.
I am still learning how to do these 'accents' effectively. I love most of Degas' works and I try to study and learn from his compositions. It is a 'long shot' for someone at my stage, but I just admire his work so much, and want to do some experimenting myself. I would appreciate some experts from this Forum helping me out in this particular area if I am doing this totally wrong.
Thanks, Beth, for your time looking at my files!
Mai