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Seenu,
There's a kind of stark, hard-edged quality to this drawing that seems in conflict with the subject's infancy and the very soft and undefined features we'd expect to see. I think there's too much influence here of a flash or a very strong light above the child (the reflection of which we can see in the eyes), which is bleaching out the lights, exaggerating the darks, and creating hard edges.
I recommend that you try to visualize what this subject would look like without the influence of that strong light. Some of the considerations might include:
-- Reduce the size and lighten the value of the dark shape between the lips. At least on the bottom lip, the transition from light to dark would be more gradual (but for that strong light).
-- Have a look at your resource photo to see if the corners of the mouth really are so prominent and turn down so dramatically. At the very least, almost eliminate the dark values in those areas.
-- Soften the edges of the lips, especially the top edge of the upper lip.
-- Very substantially lighten the values of the dark areas within the ears. What we're seeing there now is deep dark cast shadow, from that strong light source.
-- Lighten the value in the nostrils, and darken the form around the nostrils. Right now we're seeing reflected light on those forms that doesn't belong there. The values should be in closer harmony in that base triangle of the nose.
-- In the eyes: lighten and soften the dark thin "outlines" of the eyeball area, as well as the outlines around the irises. Darken the value of the irises -- the strong light passing through them is fooling your eye into believing their value is extremely light. Reduce by 3/4 the size of the catchlights in the eyes -- right now they're but reflections of the excessive light, rather than form-defining highlights.
-- I would greatly lighten -- even return to white -- the background. This delicate subject can't bear the burden of that dark, heavy background.
-- Greatly soften the upper contour of the skull, and allow the value to darken slightly as the skull rounds back away from us. Same with the edges of the jawline and chin.
-- Don't let the halftones below the cheeks get quite so dark. This too is a result of the strong lighting and has the effect of "aging" the infant.
I guess that's enough to make the point that you're being misled by the photograph and you need to "correct" for it. Have a look at this child in normal, ambient daylight and I think you'll see far softer edges and lighter values in the features. That's closer to the look you want in this subject.
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