[Henry Wienhold]

Barbara with out a doubt I think that you have done a good job capturing the likeness of these two children.

One thing that I have noticed is the extreme sharpness of the girls shoulder, the strong diagonal where it meets the background. This sharpness is the one thing I find disturbing about this portrait, otherwise you have done a great job with the supplied reference photo.

You made the background light in color and value, almost the same value as the photo. The only suggestion I have is to soften the edge of this shoulder area, create a lost edge. You can do this by blending of course, or you could darken the value of the background and try and match the existing value of the girls shirt. This is what I would do with a portrait such as this, create a much darker background then I could lose a few edges making a more natural appearance.

Also I have noticed if you darken the background on the shoulder side and leave the opposite side somewhat lighter you will emphasize an already existing strong diagonal by the position and combination of the two figures. So by eliminating the sharp diagonal of the shoulder area you will still have a good diagonal design element on the opposite side. Diagonal design elements often add interest to a portrait.

You may want to look at some of the work of John Howard Sanden he always manages to create such a natural look with his ability to control values and edges, his work is a prime example of what I am trying to say.

Think soft with just a few sharp edges to break up the monotony, keep it changing.

Henry