Underpainting for military portrait commission

[Barbara Hudson]

Hello, everybody and may I wish you all a Happy New Year.

I have been busy over the Christmas break with this underpainting.

I am attaching the main reference photograph used for the portrait. However, I have used a combination of about 6 photographs to form the composition that my client wished to have.

I feel quite happy so far, but as it is at the underpainting stage, a lot can go pear-shaped!

How far would you wonderful experts take the detail of the uniform? Please bear in mind that he wants his medals added which are many! I have had it suggested to me that I should be impressionistic with his medals so that they don't 'jump out of the painting' and hence dominate it.

Am I right in thinking that if the medals are to be impressionistic that the uniform should be, too?

Any other suggestions/ideas will be gratefully received.

Thank you for looking.

Barbara.