Hi Dave and everyone else
I really like the cat piece you're working on, Dave! And I really like that you've set the background so early in the process - just as you said, I myself tend to throw some background in the end, which as it seems from what I've experienced so far is a potential recipe for failure. Another thing is that I usually am so impatient in the end that I rush said background and it shows severely. So, I admire you for having the courage (yep, to me that is about courage) to do what you did
However, there are a few things with the painting that bug me a little, and since I noticed them, and since for me this community is about mutual help as we grow together as artists, I'd like to point them out.
The one thing that I noticed ever since I saw the sketch and that keeps bothering me is her left (our right) hand. Now, my vocabulary is a bit poor but I'll try to explain as best I can.
The way you've painted it so far deceives me into thinking her arm is quite short, which I know it isn't. I believe her palm should be placed in a similar way to her other one, as her arms are more or less on the same planes and in similar positions. Either this, or you need to create the illusion of her elbow being much more retracted than it looks now. To achieve this I'd personally move her wrist closer to the panther's head and would definitely make the whole hand bigger, as it looks too small to me now.
Another solution, if you don't wanna pain her arms and hands in similar position, would be to extend the problematic arm a bit so it doesn't look out of proportion, and then let her gently rest her palm on the panther's back, as you've already done.
I hope at least a fraction of my explanation was clear
Another thing I noticed is that there's a liana that seems to be growing out of the top left (ours) feline. And the outer edge of the top right feline's head could overlap the tree in the background just a tad more in order not to create a tangent.
And the last thing I just noticed is that the main character's tail may be pointing out of the painting. You might like to change that.
I would love to see the painting finished soon!