man, i can tell you it's the pic.
in a couple days i'll post some decent pics and you will see that the paint isn't thick at all. it was taken in my basement with low res. camera...
dude, its pretty good so i dont see why this would be down in the 4's. your pic blows.....
you have all the beginings of great painting though.....all you need to do is thin those paints more (with water) and just go slower. it's a pain i know, but very rewarding at the end..
good luck