The texture on the left side of the head has now been added. There may be one or two more brushstrokes before I finish the area, but I will decide that at the end. I have darkened the background to the ear and added some subtle tonal changes in the left eye.
The background will be a 'fuzzy' range of greens to suggest a field or meadow. It will have enough interest in the variety of colours but, like in photography, shortening the focal range helps to concentrate the focus on the subject, and too much background detail will detract from it.