10 Focus on brushwork

I finally reworked the head, gradually teasing the drawing with paint. This was a delicate process because I wanted to keep the brushwork fresh and lively, while also improving the forms.

You will notice that the paint quality moves from very thin translucent darks, to thick, fat highlights. This is a classic oil painting technique. Notice too that the thick brushstrokes behind the head suggest fur, rather than describing it in detail.