The above image with the varied hairstyles is really great --and as an added bonus --if you look at each 2 row at a time and do the cross eye effect–you can get some pretty cool 3D effects (the magic eye technique )
Cool trick Robo, I have now an headache
Pilou
This is an early stage test of the ‘Tiara’ for the Princess…
The opening will be modelled into a setting for a custom gemstone, so that part hasn’t been touched yet…
This is just the Adaptive skin, with a little membrane tweeking…There has been no modelling yet, and there will be ‘Passiflora’ blossoms incorporated into all the pieces…
Hi stone
Maybe you can try the Digits Zifworm for make the first structure 
Because this crazzy script transform your drawing with a normal brush in a complet structure of Zspheres ! Very tricky indeed :
Hope this help …or not :rolleyes:
Pilou
Thanks Frenchy, but I think I’m just one of those ‘hands-on’ guys, and I have so much fun playing with the ZSpheres that automating the process would deprive me of too much fun… 
Here’s a litlle update, just before I do the setting for the gem…
(BTW: This time I saved the material file, so if anyone wants it, shoot me an email, and I’ll send it… )
Hi Kokoro, good work. Glad you mentioned the point about smoothing too early. This was frustrating for me working in low-poly. I would get things shaped up really well, I would smooth too early, and the form would just melt away. You probably helped some others with this point. 50.
Another test for the Princess, this time a private experiment in skin painting, also based on a cropped section of the original sketch…This is actual size, and I worked on a JPG from the start, since this was more or less a little side-project. I’ve become hooked on potraiture again…
To Kokoro and Stonecutter:
Just thanks for this beutiful and usefull thread, is a great stimulus to see how you share your creativity in a plentyfull manner¡
Stonecutter this paint is just great¡
Andreseloy
hi 50´skid, i am glad my tips help, that is a pleasure to hear
and i did also some skintest, Michael told me how … so herre is mariella, painted from same render …
Awesome Kokoro¡¡ You reach an up state painting here¡¡Well done¡
Congratulations
Andreseloy
Very interesting thread and good pictures Thanks for the various tips Kokoro and SC, looking forward to seeing more.
How could you Improve the Princess??? but you did --I love the new Mariella and the Blue haired rendition by Stonecutter -these seemed to jump way higher in beauty and interest to me --just when I thought how can this project be any better !!
Hi Kokoro
It’s seems that the eyes have too much reflect (as a toy plastic material)
Sweet painting
Pilou
Well, the ‘Court Jeweller’ has finished his work, and my ‘Co-conspirator’ has the project in hand now, so this is a ‘Stonecutter’ play with the image…
Keep your eyes open for the emerging of the Princess in full colour…
Hope you enjoy this project so far, and the best is yet to come…
looks great!! I am loving this thread.
Hi Stone
Cool portrait and gems
Do you know
Elisabeth Vigier-Lebrun (heavy page
Have good surfing!
Pilou
Thanx Frenchy… 
I didn’t know about her, but once again, you have enlarged my bookmarks…
(And I have a DSL internet connection so size isn’t a problem… )
Wait until you see the finished piece in colour.
StoneCutter, beautiful sepia photo of your princess
Great painting Stonecutter¡¡¡
Is a very complex artistic handout that you drive with a very elegant style¡¡¡
Congratulations
Andreseloy
… so may i present to you … princess fiona
and since we both are proud of the resulting image, i put together some of the important steps so you can get an idea of process and you can see it turned out much more a collaboration than we both thought it will be first …
the first is the render with princess fully bejewelled, as you know i modeled head and hair and made first attempt in lightning, Michael then designed and modeled jewellery, improved lightning, rendered, and then had done first glazings to soften skin of princess … so this is what you see on first panel … i got from Michael this image in big psd format and continued from there … these are panels 2 to 6, and you see i could now easily apply the techniques for hair, skin etc i exercised before (remember mariella ? ) with Michaels help … so this painting was big fun to me … i then sent Michael the image you see on panel 6 and he did last final glazings … and voila, princess fiona arrived
finally let me thank you all for your interest and encouragement during this wip, it was a fun project and i did learn a lot in painting …
my special thanks go to the court jeweller of her majesty, since he was patient enough to deal with the capriciosity of the princess and made her wonderful jewellery, matching perfectly her (only vaguely formulated) wishes, character and style …