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Believe me Joyce, I will do my best to help Ilaria because it might get me out of having to buy two boxes of expensive chocolates, but never mind.
The form of the portrait comes from the under painting. It is advisable to leave the catch lights and other minor touches until last. Why? When you put in the catch lights too soon you fail to see clearly the structure of the eye, the roundness of it. I often work on a portrait placed upside down to see the form alone, not what my eye recognizes to be an eye. But putting in catch lights and little highlights before the general structure of the head is finished is tempting and I do it to.
I'm a little worried about her under painting because the shadows on the face are warm when they should be cool, so another approach may be required instead of simply glazing the under painting. I'm also wondering where the light source is coming from. But I must say I was very impressed when I first saw it; it's not easy to do.
Varnish should not be used in glazing. I use retouch varnish when the painting is finished and dry to the touch. A year later I apply a final varnish.
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