On the Steps of the Palace

Cinderella attends three dances over three nights during a festival. Having run away every evening at midnight, her prince gets smart and spreads sticky black pitch on the palace steps the last night.  While she's standing there stuck, she tries to decide if she wants to be caught or not.  Eventually she decides not to decide, leaving one shoe behind.  It's out of her hands if she's found, but she's still findable.

One of the challenges of painting a single show is that I had to design recurring characters. You'll notice my under-drawing looks nothing like the finished character--this is because I hadn't opened up my first night's drawing again for reference.  I remedied that in the first few minutes of  black and white painting. 

I have to admit I had an image of N Asencios' stuck in my head as I started this painting.  It influenced me too much, maybe.  Also, looking back, I question the warm yellow light behind the prince.  Perhaps a more glowing blue? I'd definitely redden up and lighten that background, especially behind her head, but... hindsight is 20/20.