Here's a new vow I'm taking... I will never let myself go so long (8 months this time) without painting a portrait.  Holy cow.  Really not smart.  I lose a lot of the progress I had made and then getting started again feels somewhat traumatizing.  *g*  But I have started.  Woo hoo!

Got just an initial layer of paint on; however, there are several more, I'm sure, to be applied.  As you can see, that lovely sap green underpainting is still very much showing through.  Won't be the case when it's done.

I have to work out where the shadows are and get them applied now.  Those dark tones can be a little scary to apply, but they are what really makes the painting.  The base layer of the hair is on, but it will contain more colors, highlights, lowlights, etc.  A lot more definition.  My initial try at a background tonight was a total fail.  I ended up wiping it off.  I need to take a day or two and really think about what to do with it.  Which will be easy because I need to give the current layer of paint a day to dry a bit.  I actually do think I have an idea for the background, but I'm going to ponder it a bit longer.

And yes, I'll post a picture.  I have to give the following caveat: this is only the first layer and, thank God, by the time I finish, this will look a thousand times better.  *g*  At least I'm being positive!  :)