A good stylist judges work by checks, not by mood. Makers should do the same. Five checks, run in the same order every time, against the salon card written before the session began — under a minute a frame.
The five checks
1. Likeness. Is she the muse on the card, or a near relative? Judge against the card, not the previous frame.
2. Hands. Hands, joints, anything the pose bends. Anatomy errors announce themselves at thumbnail size.
3. Light. One source, consistent across skin, fabric and background.
4. Edges. Hair against drapes, lace against skin, fingers against props.
5. Purpose. Does the frame do the one job it was briefed for?
The threshold that saves money
Score each check out of two. Eight of ten earns finishing spend — an edit at 21 credits, a swap at 26, an upscale at 61. Below eight, the frame returns to the generator at 6 credits, where correction is cheapest. Keep dated scores with the set; they show which habit is actually improving.