This one was a real challenge. I’m trying to get better at colour and value, but I found this one just kept not looking balanced. Self-critique: I think I failed to block in the larger lights and darks up front. I sort of did for each bit I was painting, but then lost it as I went on. The background… I think I couldn’t get it to look right because the values on the wasp are not consistent throughout? Wasps are hard, such small things that there aren’t large forms with clear light separation! The flowers in the photo reference were all blown out, so I tried to keep that look but with some clarity added and softened, otherwise I’d have to add all the little blown out specular highlights on the wasp too, which I don’t think would work. Critique I’m looking for here is the fundamental things I’ve gotten wrong, as I feel there’s some bigger things I’ve missed cause it to not feel ‘right.’