Magnolia Blossom acrylic portrait magnolia flowers

Well put some hours into this over the weekend and here is where I stand today, it isn't getting faster for me unfortunately.  I had to take a day away so reviewed some Youtube tutorials on acrylics and started the cone flowers below.  I will try get back on the Grand Canyon tomorrow.  First off, I want to thank all of you who have left me a comment, it truly helps so much.  The more I live with a picture I have a tendency to lose my objectivity and because it's not coming down the way I wish I get too critical.  Know this is really detailed, and wish I could get looser but always seem to end up not leaving much to anyone's imagination.  Well, maybe next picture I can edit out and get the effect, not the details.  I pretty much have a plan in place now on how to finish this and hoping that by end of week I will pretty much be there. 

 Like I said I thought I needed to do something else for a break from rocks and really like cone flowers.  I thought these were interesting as they have petals on the crowns of the cones and I liked the pop of colors.  Trying a  different paper, it's the canvas paper, thought it might be good to practice on before I try the switch to canvas boards.  Since this is coated and textured paper it tends not to absorb the water and liquid in the paint, so the paint sits up and slides around even though I am not adding a lot of water.  So it was pretty simple to lift out paint in the background to create leaves.  But downside is that I am now having to fill more paint into those spaces to darken so the negative shapes pop.  Am sure I'll have to do more layers on the petals, but think I'll lay them all in first and then adjust - then again - maybe it should stay as it and not get overworked.   Learning to make my own pinks.  Color mixing in paint is so different than pastel or pencils. 
This is a small size, 5x7", so hoping this can get completed this week as well.
Hope you have a great painting week and thanks for stopping by.