Thanks, everyone, for your input. I will try out some things and post this evening, I hope.

The background will stay as is. I'll darken that hair and ear up a bit. Can't really lighten the lighter areas past the paper itself and don't want to add white, since it's not a toned paper and don't think it would look right. There really is more of a value shift than this shows and I will try on the next round to show it better.

Didn't like the white shirt he wore, so am not going to lighten it up. The shirt did lose a bit of area when I started using charcoal in the background. Now it's really going to be too hard to go back and retrieve it - don't think it's worth the bother.

I am more than ready to let this one go. It was fun, but I'm in the midst of the final end-of-school-year frenzy of paperwork and meetings and am tired.

Julie, I think you did a wonderful job here. I'm just looking at this, musing whether you might have had an easier time if you had used a gray-toned paper and whether you should do this for future commissions like this.

I don't think a dark background necessarily means that the shadow side of the face would have to go so much darker. The photo may have been shot with a fill, for example. I guess you can let personal preference decide for you, Julie.

You Reap What You Sow
 

Thanks, Michelle and Linda. You're right, Linda - gray paper with highlighting would have been really nice for this. I wish I had had a sample of that for the client to choose.

You sure do reap what you sow for portraiture:
"I want it just like that" the client says, looking at your samples. So, if you show pictures of kids, you'll get more of the same, samples of elders - ditto. My goal is to get a variety of types of people and samples of only those drawing and painting styles that I prefer to do.

I think this is final
 

Here it is with some more darkening done, and a few touches here and there.

Julie, you've really captured him! I caught this thread earlier today and considered chiming in, but then it looked like you had so much advice to sift through already. You did a great job on sifting through it all and figuring out what would work for you. Beautiful!

Thanks
 

Thanks, Terri -

I'm glad I kept going. I see a few more things - the changing skin tone on (our) left side of the forehead messes up the values and I may fudge that a bit. Plus the shirt on our right side may need a bit more definition and lightening up here and there.

This is really lovely, you really have captured him, I really love all the detail in the texture of his skin. I think your client will be thrilled :thumbsup:

Carolyn (Bannister)

Thanks, Carolyn
 

It's not quite done - you know how it is? Seeing more and more that could be done better? But there has to be a stopping point!

I'm thinking that it's a tad too dark and consequently flat looking on (our) left side of the face. That plus the other things mentioned. It'll be posted again after those things are done.

Wow Julie, you are really progressing quickly. I am looking forward to seeing it finished.