Girl With Feathered Friend
 

This was done from a couple of digital photos I took at a family reunion. I had all but given up on watercolor portraits until I 'discovered' Fabriano Uno paper. This was the first portrait done using the cold press paper. Its size is 19 1/2 x 21.

I like her sassy pose and the bird is a nice touch too.

Could you post the reference photo you used to work from?

The first thing that I see from the painting itself, though, is that the lighting in the photo was from the camera's flash, taken at very close range, which serves to completely flatten the form and gives you no opportunity for representing volume and depth. Because the flash was so close to her, all the color has bleached out of the skintones.

Check out the Forum threads on creating good reference photos and you'll find a goldmine of information on how to photograph, and especially on how to light, your subjects. Strong source material to paint from will make ALL the difference in your work.