My first Gouache

I did this piece earlier this year too. I was supposed to do it in acrylic. I had just started painting with an actual brush in October '04, and I started with oils. Acrylics frustrated me (still do) but I also kept hearing about gouache this, gouache that. I was working at DTS at the time with a BG painter named Donna Prince. She went over my color key with me and gave me ALOT of pointers...just pointers. No painting. Thank you, Donna! So, I stayed up late a couple nights at the studio with my pre-mixed cups of gouache from the color key and whipped this out.
And, yes, there's some digital touch ups on the the nose bridge and blur for the FG element...but, that's it. This was published on the cover of a local trade...but, the color saturation was a little much....but, here it is...as I like it...mistakes and all. :)