Joie de vivre 2

This is where I left off yesterday and where the painting is today. I'm finding it difficult to build the color over the black but it does add pop to the highlights. 

 

Yesterday

Today

I added more highlights in this one and put in some flowers in the background and one in his hand. I'm thinking I will make the weeds in the background into a radial composition bringing the eye into the boy.

Still adding brightness to the highlights and adding more color to everything. I'm trying to resist going into detail and keep my brush strokes loose.

I'm adding more dimension to the hair and trying to get the face into the correct perspective. With the bright light on his head and pants I decided to punch up the highlights and shadow on the ground. It is still pretty rough but I'm happy with the direction it heading. I think this one will take a few days before I'm happy enough to give up on it.