Oops. Well, fortunately the paintings I've been keeping on separate layers, so flipping it back isn't too difficult...
Thanks for the words on the background hatching. And my obsession with hatching is in fact the result of Wrightson, specifically his FRANKENSTEIN drawings, as well as Totleben and Sim, two others who I will never match. I agree that it's probably too much. I've been going back & forth on whether to do it there but it seems to me after reading your comments I'd be better off just going painterly on the backgrounds and letting greys do the work there to avoid some of what you mention. Besides, it's extra work and very tedious and I'm gathering it's not going to any better effect.
And also, I spent 6 years when I was doing VITRIOL(my first big work and the reason I spent 4 years after on something far less work-intensive) doing that style and I should probably move on. It's hard to break habits.
I gotta say, I was starting to consider dropping this out of doubt before posting it here, and you folks have encouraged me to continue. Thanks.