Marianne, do you have Photoshop? I'm learning that software but there are quite a few people on the forum here can probably shed some light on helping you make the photo more helpful to the image you want to create. Good luck
Hi Marianne--
Let me say first that the diffuseness and direction of light in the reference makes this a difficult image to work from. A stronger, more directional light source would be a better place to start. You might want to check out the discussions on photo references...
Just a couple of quick observations, on what you've got here. I think the palette seems to be working fine. But there are discrepancies in the drawing/proportions. Her hands and head seem too small for the rest of her... and her hips too large. The values should be darker on our right of her face... shaded areas around her eyes/under her brows, down the side of her face on our right and under her chin/along her neck again on our right. Also her arm on our left needs shading to give it form. The painting shows a very strong shadow behind her on the chair, (that doesn't seem consistent with the way the light is modeled on her) while the reference has a very faint shadow and very diffuse almost straight-on light.
The likeness in her face is a little off, haven't measured but first impression is that her eyes are not quite so wideset as in the painting... in general the face/features seem broader or shorter than the reference.
The thin yellow straps (from a bathing suit?) could be skipped on the painting. I like that you've altered her shorts to a skirt.
Hi ..
Somehow I seem to always get bad or small pictures to work from.
Will look it up, on the forum as it says in the earlier message.
I did know about the hands, that they was a bit to small, but hadn