Girl With A Red Hat WIP After Vermeer

I haven't done a WIP in quite a while.  But thought I would try to do this Old Master's and would love it if others suffer with  me.   This is Girl with a Red Hat, by Vermeer in 1665-1666, and is one of my favorite paintings at the National Gallery.   The National Gallery actually has two-three rooms of little gems of Dutch paintings and I always have to go several times while we are there to spend some quality time.  

This is a very small painting 9"x7" and I am doing as an 8"x10" - and boy, can you say small?  Anyway I was going to do as I did the last one, Girl with a Pearl Earring, using chircusso.   But  as I was adding my gesso layers to the canvas, I got the bright idea of using a black layer so I would already have the black dramatic background.  Duh - no can do gray tones and then glaze the face.  

So instead am going to try to get the block in and then lighten as needed.  We'll see how that works out - worst case I can paint her face all white and reestablish my guidelines and then do the chircusso.  Anyway, I am hoping she turns out as I will love to have her on my wall and I always learn so much about color mixing.  I also do like the way he has the composition with what I believe are tops of the chair and then the diagonal that leads you right up to her back and of course that beautiful red hat.

As you can see I am already in trouble with the eyes, her right one isn't on the correct angle, so got some more work to do there before I go in and finally establish it.  It is kind of fun though how the face and clothing is just popping out of the black.

Anyway, thanks for stopping by and have a super week.