Initial Thoughts
Lily's jacket is Turquoise blue/green and provides no contrast with a Blue Cerulean sky. However, green grass or trees would be a busy and hard to pull off background.
Perhaps a white cloudy sky with a little blue along the lines of the break in the trees on the top left of this reference photo. I finally went with a grey sky with some breaks of blue sky.
I used Masking Fluid to mask the pearl necklace and earrings.
Complexion
Grey Pale pink red
Shadows watered down grey with a touch of red. The Blue of Payne's Grey and a red should make a good shadow color. Although very pink it's a good base to lighten and darken features.
Once I got the hue I wanted I transferred the paint to a plate and watered it down.
Careful the red in this leaves it very hard to lift out.
I might in future try mixing on the page to blend both the Cadmium Red and the Payne's Grey.
Turquoise
Sap Green with a contamination of Cerulean Blue is close to what I'm looking for.
Hair Color
Dull Grey Blond
Yellow Ocher seemed the only choice but it didn't create the dusty blond I was after.
Finally I resorted to introducing Payne's Grey when dry as hair strokes and this deadened the Yellow Ocher.
Eyes and Facial Features
The best results are got with Payne's Grey rather than Burnt Umber which I have used before with poor results.
The Completed Portrait
Critique
Positive
The flesh color worked out well.
Dusty blond hair color acceptable.
Turquoise jacket could be worst.
Negative
Grey color on right side of neck (unable to lift out)
Flowers were yellow which would have lifted the composition but, I failed to plan enough ahead and had to go with red on top of the Turquoise.
Right eye appears larger than left.
Could have made a better stab at the facial features.
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