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Marcus, that's really a tough situation if you cannot get at least one photo session with your subject. Did the liason officer give a reason why he would not permit it? If portraiture is not common in Singapore, he might not realize what is involved. Many people think that the artist can work magic!
I can see where you would be tempted to work from your own features. The photo of yourself has so much more pertinent information in it. However you could pair the head in reference #1 with the planes in reference #2. The building could be flipped horizontally and placed on the right side of the compoition if you need it.
You could photograph yourself wearing a white button-down shirt in the same lighting conditions (from above and our left) as on the officer in reference #1. You will have to use a soft ambient light on your face to mimic the apparent flash that is illuminating the officer's face from the front. Forget trying to duplicate the light on the building as it is now--it's too different from the light on the figure. If you get the light on you as close as you can to the photo you're working from, you won't find yourself using the one of yourself except as a secondary reference and for the shirt.
As for the pthalo blue, I know it's not a popular color these days, but I use it a lot in my landscapes.You have to mix it with a LOT of white! Down near the horizon I also mix it with a tiny bit of cad orange or orange-yellow. because these are, I think, the very best colors for painting light, and the sky is filled with light. Cobalt is a lovely color, best in my opinion for painting distant land, but not so good for indicating light. It goes a bit dead and opaque in skies.
Alex
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