This is Ruth, my new portrait

Well, I'm now working on a new portrait in oils and see how it turns out. The main thing at the moment is to get a good likeness of the sitter and at the end of the day, that she will be happy with the result. It is early days and a lot of work has to be done. Everything needs to be re-worked in thin layers, especially the eyes so that they glimmer and that is yet to happen with patience and perseverance. I really never like to show the early stages of a painting but someone told me it would be nice to see it. It is like showing the skeleton and bit by bit having the finished product; with a portrait you have to be precise, not like a landscape painting where you can add maybe a house or twist the perspective in order for the picture to look more interesting. Still... with a portrait you don't have to put warts and all. I usually find the most attractive side of the sitter to have a pleasant result. I don't know if you recall the recent portrait of the Duchess of  Cambridge where the poor artist was criticized for making her look too old. With a portrait you have to be careful with the shadows and not to over emphasize the features or you could end up making a very young person look much older than they really are. I'm trying to balance all these considerations and arrive to a happy outcome.