Portrait of teenage boy
 

This is a portrait in progress of a teenage boy. It is a commission of somebody that I have only met once and at this point I have lost critical perspective on whether it looks like the boy. I really want this to turn out well, so I would really appreciate even the harshest critiques. Thank you so much, in advance.

Leah,

Sometimes we all lose that "critical perspective" after we've looked at something so long. I like your overall color harmony. This is coming along nicely!

I have uploaded a photoshop comparison side-by-side that I hope is helpful. I would check not only the drawing but also the values of all your shadows--especially the shadow side of the face. Look closely at the values of the forehead compared to the cheek and on the eyes. Squinting helps with this. The features of the boy in your painting are smaller than the features on the boy in the photo--or at least less "full" (as in the lips and eyebrows). The nose needs to be larger and the eyes a slightly different shape. Don't be afraid to be a little darker in that shadow of the lid under the eyes.

Keep up the good work!

Natalie,
Thank you so much for your quick and tremendously helpful response. I see what you mean about the values and the placement and size of the features. I am going to try to fix those things after I get the kiddies to bed tonight!