It’s a tiny painting, only 12″ wide and 24″ tall, and it’s a nice reminder of our last visit. This would not be possible without my favorite detail brushes. In this case, oh no. I can’t read the brush name. It’s brutal service for a brush in this studio and they need replaced with reinforcements.

AIT products 3/0 round

Loew Cornell 10/0 7050 script (main detail brush for oils)

While I order replacements, I found an Isabey 2/0 round at the local brick and mortar store that looks even better.

This painting needs precision. Portraits cut you no slack. Over working kills them. The slightest error destroys them. And this girls face is only about an inch and a half of the real estate on the canvas but she’s such a cute girl that there’s no leeway. I’m still not done, but at least it isn’t so bad that I can’t sleep like the first sessions. One never wants to die before reaching the point where it’s close to right. Not that I’m dying, but my last born is sure that at my age I could drop any minute.

These are phone pics. Nothing with the big camera until the finish. Progress photos.

An advantage of the gallery wrap is that the picture looks fine from all sides without a frame. Nothing wrong with a frame though, sometimes it’s a boon.

a miniature little head magnified. I love how with the small brush I can add the flyaway hairs that the sun illuminates and I can get eyes right. The eyes are all that remains to finish, That and some shading.