San

I want to begin by saying that I am very partial to this subject matter. I am a fan of the movie "Princess Mononoke", so I feel obligated to admit my biases.

That being said...

So much good is happening in this painting!! I love your foreground elements, the lighting, the different textures--I think it is superb! There is a wonderful balance between hard highlights and soft core shadows in this piece. From an aesthetic standpoint, I feel that your careful control of light is what makes this image so compelling. There is a natural flow to this image as well, my eye keeps following the same path through the painting, and the longer I look the more small details catch my attention.

My favorite thing about this whole painting is that San doesn't look like she is wearing make up. She had unkempt eyebrows, a dirty face, and wild hair. Conceptually this is the greatest strength of this piece. The viewer doesn't have to be familiar with the film to realize they are looking at a semi-feral young woman. This painting of San makes me believe I really am looking at a girl who was raised by a wolf god.

I keep trying to think of things that you could do to bring this piece to an even higher level, and I am struggling to come up with anything! This image just really appeals to me. Excellent work, and thank you for sharing!