The irregular cyan outline make me think you've just cut'n paste you face from another paint you have done earlier but the result is so nice... I can't punish you for that ;)

I did the background layer first, continuing the line frome above in a bezier curve (to just under where my chin wound up). Painting over that, however, I wound up losing the cyan as it moved down the tile, so I brought the colour into my face with reflected light (intending something of a mad monk or devious magician look). The 'bloom' at the edges were there from the start in greyscale as a means of enhancing the edge line separating my head from the background. Since I wanted to bring the cyan across I used it in the bloom as well, taking additional advantage of the high colour contrast against the ruddy tones of flesh and hair.

Thank for the explanation... I beleive you ;)

you're not talking about mr. emery, are you? uh... never mind