Would love some direction
 

Posting one of MY paintings amidst such talented people is probably THE single bravest thing I have ever done. As I am quite sure you will be able to tell, I have never had a painting lesson and am in need of much help!. The painting I am working on is obviously not finished. The likeness to the child is very real, but I could really use some direction on what needs to be done to finish it. Thank you in advance.

Suggestion
 

I think that this painting could be improved by cropping. Since you chose not to include the child's hand, I would suggest that you crop the painting horozontally just above the sleeve to create a head and shoulders painting.

Also, if you prefer to show a bit more of the figure, you could crop to just an inch or two below the sleeve.

It is risky to crop a figure at the wrist or the elbow (or a knee and and an ankle).

The background is strong and painterly vs. the high key and flattened figure. This tends to make the subject look as though it was cut out. I notice that you attempted to soften some edges but without darker values in the figure it does not easily connect with background. The alternative, if you want to paint the subject in this manner, is to employ a low contrast/high key background.

A few whiffs of loose hair is fine but you may have over done it. I would suggest keeping less than half including that found on the young man's left forehead.

I commend your willingness to submit to the critique. We all made and continue to make mistakes and only grow by learning from them.

Good Luck

Thank You for your critiques....
 

Thank you all for your critiques..Every comment made such obvious sense to me...:idea: I look forward to much improved paintings!

Sincerely,
Mary