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Sandra,
You have a great deal of ability, but I think you are making mistakes that I made. Rushing into a "portfolio" and not learning the basics of the craft. I cannot tell you how much I had to unlearn.
If you want to be a portrait painter, you must learn first to be a painter.
That does not mean just copying photos, even though you see a lot of work being done that way on this forum.
Most of the pros here, and you will find this with the major successful
figurative artists in this country, learned from working from life and other basic classical training. They learned, form, color, design, art theory, etc. Many of them worked from casts before they even went on to draw from the figure.
There is no way you can understand the true beauty and variations of flesh tone of the figure unless you work directly with the figure.
Then, if you care to, you can go on to "interpret photos", with more knowledge.
Before you enter the very competetive arena of the professional artist, arm yourself with as much knowledge and skill as you can.
Try workshops, find an artist you like and study with him or her. Try ateliers, try extension courses or night school courses.
There are four first rate artists (that come quickly to mind) on the forum who give workshops. Bill Whittaker, Peggy Baumgartner, Marvin Mattelson and Chris Saper. Look up their work on the forum to see whose work seems to jibe with your own.
A good book to start with is, "How to Paint Living Portraits", by Roberta Carter Clark. Get some tapes by Daniel Greene, he also does workshops.
Bill Whittaker has a thread, I believe it is called "Profound Seeing". Look it up. It shows the classical process of working from a cast.
Classical techniques were all but lost in the 20th century. A few brave souls suffered and clung to them, benefitting this and future generations of artists.
Don't be so eager to sell, learn your craft first.
Sincerely,
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