A painting: from beginning to end

I've been working on refining my painting skills and had someone ask me for a step-by-step.Here is apiece I did for an art auction and I had my iPhone handy and was able to take photos during the process. Granted, I'm still a newbie, so don't judge!
First, I like to paint my canvas from the back. I gessoed it and then sketched my design.

A better way to do this is to sketch on paper first and then go big, but oh well. I just went for it.
 Part of the learning process, right?

After I inked the outline, I added the skin color. however, I mixed this shade a bit on the Snooki side, so I redid her complexion.

Now she is starting to come alive!

First layer of color!

Highlighted and embellished. I like that by using the inside of the canvas, I can then decorate the "frame"! I hope someone bids on my painting. The live auction is next week.

A few years back at this very event, THIS happened to me:

I made a super cool mixed media altered crown to a live auction - the auctioneer put the crown on like a baseball hat - in front of a room of 2,000 people in black tie and glittery gowns and he said, "Starting bid $250!"

I hollered, "You are wearing it wrong!"

He took it off and put it on like a backwards baseball cap. I sunk in my chair. No one bid. To make matters worse, he goes "Do I have $100?" *Pause* "How about $75?" *Pause* "$50?"

I wanted to crawl under the skirted table and go into the fetal position. Instead I sipped on my water. The people at my table (my newspaper co-workers) pretended to read the fine print on their event programs.

He finally goes "$25! - OK, we have a bid for $25!"

"Whew!" I thought.

I watched the auction assistant carry the crown down the center aisle in search of the mystery bidder.

There wasn't one. The auctioneer just made it up to get the thing off the stage.

Can you say crunch?

Felicidades,