The rough underpainting of the jacket is now complete with the fabric texture and small areas of colour to be overpainted when dry.
It is a very textured 'winter' coat and will provide contrast with the smoother texture of the face.
I have shown the stage photograph to a few interested friends and they have shown a tendency to want to turn the picture around to make the face upright, but this is a painting where he is lying down, head on a lap and listening to the story being read. In this sense, the portrait is also telling a story.
The pages of the book shown on the left are in full sun and very well 'lit' and it concerns me a little. I want it to appear very bright in the sunlight but I also want it to be recognised for what it is. I may add more of the 'creamy' suggestions of page separations at a later stage but I suspect that I shall leave it until the end to make the final decision.

I think that the book that is being listened to is now obvious to most as long as you recognise the colour and the 'ear'!
Of course it is the tales of Peter Rabbit.
Only very slight adjustments will be needed at the end of painting.
I shall add the 'almost white' area next, which has a little shadow on it from the head. It is this little shadow that will help it to make sense in the composition.

The book is beginning to get the feel that I am after. I am not attempting to paint every page but to just give a suggestion of pages. There is more light on the top page and I shall add some more light 'creeping' in on the far left edges.
Some adjustments need to be made to the edges of the upper pages and the section of the pages in full sunlight will be almost white with little suggestion of the colour of paper.
After the book is complete I shall start to add texture and form on the jacket, leaving the refinements to the portrait itself until last.

I have added the underpainting to the book pages that are in shadow.
Stage one in the top photo, and stage two in the lower photo. Also in the lower photo, the underpainting to the lambswool collar has been added.
There are a few more stages, with refinements of tone and line still to be added, along with more glazes of paint on the face, in particular in the shadows.

I have given the background its second layer and added many more tones to the hair.
I will need to allow the hair to dry before putting in other highlights, so I will continue with the foreground in the next session.
I always feel that a photograph of a painting makes it look better overall but it can also highlight faults, so it is a great tool in this respect.

I have started to add hair texture and the underpainting to the coat.
I am not content yet with the hair tone, but this is only the beginning. I don't paint each hair, but will add a few single fine hair strands on top of the texture and on the edges of the head when complete.
The background will need another layer too with some details in the shadows.

More tone added to the shadow part of the face along with minor tone changes to the mouth. I'm getting closer to the effect that I am trying to achieve but not there yet.
I shall begin to add the first layer of hair soon along with the mid-tone underpainting to the jacket.