It is a bit of a vast difference isn't it XD I kind of went the other way from cartoony/illustration towards realism (I say because I never got there and I eventually gave up and decided that while I shall continue massively admiring everyone who can pull off realism I'll just have to take a photo XD) and then doubled back rapidly.

When the eyes are that big you can get away with putting them a bit closer together than one eye-width (just in case you don't want to make big heads to accommodate :))

It's a very cheerful Disney princess expression, love the hair tumble :)