Step-by-step oil painting

Now that the exhibition is over, I thought I'd show you how I made my Christmas card step-by-step.

I started to make a sketch of the face and then to color it. I've used white, yellow, red, brown and blue (no black). As you can see, the contrast between dark and light was much greater in the beginning but as the painting proceeded I smoothened it out to get a more realistic result. 

A close-up of the eye-lid:

Here I've started with the background. I decided for a green forest, it's a sunny but frosty day and the branches are covered with snow. 

I also added this little bird. When the bullfinches arrive, the winter is definitely here.  He's sitting on a branch, singing along with the girl. That is why I've named the painting Christmas carols. 

I also gave the girl some hair. I like the fact the the hair is moving in one direction and the branches are coming from another. You also have this corner-to-corner line between the girl's eye and the beak and the body of the bird. This little trick brings harmony to the picture. Composition can make or break a painting.

The size is A3 and it is painted on oil paper. I'll see if I can go and pick it up today.