Ooh, I like this one! There's a nice "natural" feel to this picture that I can't quite explain. For example, the hair... it doesn't look realistic, but it's still nicely done and looks very natural. I can imagine it being animated, flowing in the evening breeze.

The space between her eyes seem a bit too wide, but I'd buy it if you said it was a stylistic choice (after all, this isn't supposed to be photorealistic, right? ).

I really like this too. The colors and the details are great and the style of the gal's face has a really sculptural, art deco/1930s modernist feel.

Nice colours and lighting. +7

)Little bit weird lady's head, but fantastic clothes! Great work...

very cool perspective - and very nice colors

I like tha way you did the clothes, and the atmosphere
great work !

very detailed work.
nice

Hi Krista,

Extremely nice work you've done here! Textures, colors, values and composition are all great!! The only thing that bothers me somewhat is her face. I can't seem to put my finger on why though.

Fantastic job! ~ Joe Ayotte

Gah. SOMEONE must teach me to draw people! er...well, faces anyway. That continues to thwart me, but I'll keep plugging away at it. Eventually I'll get it right.

Constructive crits in that regard are welcome though!

I guess you read the Loomis book 'drawing heads and hands' if not it can help you with drawing faces

The placement of the eyes is not correct, the one left of the pic is a little to far from the nose and the other not on the same line as the left eye ^_^

I love the colours and pictures as whole even though I normally don't like more romantic pictures so much

I really enjoy this piece. The composition is wonderful, the colors are great and the textures are fabulous. Everything seems to work so well together.

Great job!

Love the colors and lights

It's not overly obvious that you didn't have reference to work from, in fact, taking that into consideration, you've done an incredible job either way.

Most might consider that if one uses reference that ever pore, wrinkle and hair should be rendered. Not so. I've used reference on even the most stylized or even caricatured illos with no attempt to make it look exaclty like the reference... it lends credibility to the work.

And while others seem to think you need some head drawing lessons, I personaly love the stylized features of the woman. Great compromise between realism and stylization.

Great, strong features, color usage and artisitc style!

Very Good work. +8

Very beautiful.
I really enjoy how you handle colors and as DigitalDust pointed out, I think her features is more a matter of style (...she remind me a bit of Botticelli's female models)

I've been doing some anime stuff lately for work...I think it might be rubbing off on my style here. It's still too soon after completing the piece for me to see all that's wrong with it. I'll try flipping it around in Photoshop later...see what jumps out at me though.

Ikaa: Yeah...I saw that (the Botticelli style) once I'd finished it. Not sure where THAT came from...but heck, it's cool!

I agree with Ikaa - I don't see a reason why every face has to be 100% like real life and I very much like her face - it makes the whole painting even more special in my eyes.

Hey Krista! I'm another one who doesn't mind stylization--realism is overrated...

Nice pic here--a step ahead if you ask me. Your showing a softer, more sophisticated palette. And your wonderful sense of composition is still evident. The close crop gives a feeling of immediacy. I like this one a lot!

Lovely work Krista! Her dress is my favourite--the silky-soft texture is amazing. The wee horsie looks good too--I wish I could draw animals I agree her eyes are too wide though. I like her nose, makes her look strong-willed, but its angle and cast shadow are a bit off.

Nice work overall, I like your stuff

Thanks to those who like it as-is! Though...I don't think I can take too much credit, as it wasn't entirely intentional that it's that stylized. I'm one who likes to get the rules down before I break them. Still, I appreciate the support, to be sure!

PeachySticks - ahhhhhhhh....very good. I see, I see! Thanks muchly! (Kill you. Pah! It's not my nature to kill for an honest --helpful--crit! )

Good potential here. A bit "shy" in the colors; of course this is meant to be muted, but you still haven't exercised the potential in full. At the very least it can use deeper., more varied shadows, and the textures, while already present somewhat, could be made more distinct.

The chief gripe is with the flat background. It sits there doing nothing; even a simple - but hand-painted! - texture would work tons better than a synthetic-looking gradient transition into a neutralized tone.

Lovely as always Krista! Great work!

Wonderful. I love the details. Distortion of anatomy in the face is really well done. I love it.

She definitely has that Elayne feel about her. Great work! Especially for having used no refs. I love the outfit the most.

Everything is simply beautiful, love the dress, it's collar and embroidery and the face of the woman just gives the little special touch to the image. Full mark from me! Keep it up.

I like color and girl face expression...

So beautiful!! i like her face very much And the horse looks great

The colors are really elegant! Love the horse!