MJ & Grace - Steps 7 & 8

The faces, hair and dresses receive a little more attention at this stage - and the grasses in the background make their appearance.  'General to the specific' as the mantra goes. 

After more refinements to the dresses, consisting of additional middle-tones, the lighter colored grass in the foreground is painted in; which effectively annihilates the short-legged-specter look.   Highlights in the background grasses introduce an interesting light/dark pattern into the painting and allow the viewer's eyes to comfortably enter the background rather than bump abruptly at the termination of the lighter valued subjects.  (My taboret nervously makes a very slight cameo in the lower right corner of this photo).

Next up - The Finishing Stages. . .