Fresh Eyes Please Critique

[Charlene5]

This one was the most difficult I've ever done.  I didn't think it would be that bad but we often get surprises when the full sized image arrives :) 

My goal was to find a balance between making it a like-new restore and just cleaning up flood damage.  There is almost nothing in my version that is original except for her eyes, mouth, and part of her hair.  Everything else was fabricated or reupholstered.  There is still "old photo" damage and that was a deliberate decision.  I'm not happy with the background, and I can't seem to get the dodge and burn right.  Have a look and use your fresh eyes to root out the problems.  I can't see 'em anymore :)





Added about 2 hours later:  In the original her eyebrows had pretty much vanished in the damage.  I'm pretty sure she had eyebrows but I had no idea what they looked like so I "suggested" some in a vague sort of way.  Is that OK?  I didn't want to send her home without eyebrows :)  I've updated the photo with suggested changes and now I really am going to bed.

[rockthumper]

Very nice result - I like it.  :up:

Nitpicking...
Need more highlights in the hair on the left side. (or maybe just contrast?)
Emphasise hair shadow left of forehead.
Shadow in the corner of her eyes has disappeared, particularly on the left.
Teeth should be a little lighter.
Neck shadow looks darker in the original.
Maybe check the jawline again - it looks a little different to my eye.
I think the body, dress and background are just fine.

[Ausimax]

You have done a great job on this Charlene. :up2:

I don't agree with RT about highlights in the hair on left side (her right) the lightness there on the original is damage.

The fly-away piece of hair on her left side (our right) I think is damage I would connect the light hair there in a gentle curve, and eliminate anything outside her natural hairline at that point.


Max

[Ratz]

Lovely Charlene,I have to agree with RT about the jaw-line tho,just needs the tiniest bit of thinning on our left, other than that it looks great to me.
Congrats, Vicki :up:

[Tess (Tassie D)]

Great job. :up: Does her right eye need to be a bit bigger or is it the hair curling in to it on the original that makes it look different?

[Hannie]

What an amazing clean up Charlene, so well done :up2:
I have one little thing about her mouth, it seems to me it is a little fuller in the original I tried to show what I mean in the this picture. Also her front tooth seems like it is large like a permanent tooth.

Hannie

[Charlene5]

Thank you, all of you!  I reworked the little girl again incorporating your suggestions and I've decided that she's Officially Finished and going home.  I don't think I could do any better with her and it's all because of your generosity and suggestions.  Tassie the eyes drove me mad over the course of a couple of hours.  Her bottom eyelids also disappeared and her eyes have a definite slant to them.  I couldn't decide if the disparity in eye sizes was damage or angle or just the way she was.  In the end I left them alone and crossed my fingers.

I think the next picture I choose is gonna be a little easier than this one, but I learned a lot from the process and got over my fear of the paint brush.  The hair on the left side of her head is entirely painted where it was missing in the original.  I even got bold and left a couple of stray hairs that started as mistakes - they're a bit outside her hairline towards the bottom and I think that it adds to the reality.

Wave goodbye, she's going home :)

MJ

[rockthumper]

Very nice job painting the hair - can you do some on a baby's head for me? :)