(Updated) Needs more Ummph?
 

This is a work in progress, and my first paid :) portrait commission.

For some reason, I feel like this portrait is just lacking impact... Not sure if it's the lighting (it was very neutral/gray in the original reference photos, so I pushed it to more warm/cool - was that the wrong decision?) or just that the eyes lack a highlight (should I add one? - there was none in any of the reference photos taken that day) Any other ideas?

(I should note that their hair, limbs and his shirt are still very rough!)

Acrylic on Canvas,
20" x 24".

Thought close-ups of their faces might be helpful.
Him. . .

. . . and her.

You've got a nice start here. Congratulations on your first commission!

What distracts me about this is the placement of her arms. What is she doing with her hands behind his back? It's awkward. If there is any way to change that, I would.

Hi Kim - Thanks!

You're right about her arms... her hands were actually folded over each other on the rock. I've been wondering if I can just tuck them in closer across her belly so that the arm is foreshortened from her elbow to wrist as if it's across her tummy there and have the folded hands showing on the rock in that little gap between them... I'll have to play with it.

They're just roughed in, but here's what I was thinking I'd do with the arms...

I like that much better - looking good.

I think you need a wider range of values in their faces. Look at the picture in black and white and you'll see that there is very little change in value at all. You used different colors to indicate shading, but kept the same values. Am I making sense?

Someone once said that the values do all the work, but the colors get all the credit.

Jeff, I think you hit the nail on the head, that's why the painting seemed flat. The underpainting had a lot more value variation in those shaded cheeks, - didn't realize I had lost it when applying fleshtones. Hadn't thought of converting the image back to greyscale to recheck the values - will make that a habit from here on out!

Thanks so much!

Updated image (progress as of 10/26), with a wider value range in the faces, also the arms and legs further along. Still working on the faces.