On the teeth, I'm not really thinking of a "blended" look, just a narrower range of lighter values, and more simplification (less detail).
As far as doing surprise portraits from existing photographs, you might want to explain to your clients that they (and you) will me much happier with the result if they give a certificate as the surprise, or an empty frame wrapped up with the certificate in it. Then you can take your own photos, produce a much better portrait and they'll have a truly original work of art, and not just a large copy of a photo they already have.
Also, you'll find that the recipients often enjoy becoming involved in the collaborative process of making the portrait. They get to help decide what the subject will wear, where the setting should be, whether to go with an introspective or more upbeat expression, etc.
You can obviously draw and nail down the values well. You could, however, begin to take your work to a much higher level by working only from your own photos.
Good luck, and I look forward to seeing more of you work on the forum in the future!
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