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Alicia, this is a lovely portrait and is very true to the reference photo. I would prefer to have seen somewhat more serenity in her face, because to the uninitiated the expression does read as angry. But since it is their child, they have a history behind that look and it's probably quite meaningful for them. Sometimes the expression I would prefer for a portrait sends a totally different message to the client than it does to me, and if I don't know the subject well I have to respect the client's judgment.
Rebecca, your suggestion about printing a transparency borders on genius. I struggled mightily with a posthumous portrait from a 1940's sepia photo reference, and could not figure out what might be off in comparing the reference with the painting. Upside down and every other way the pictures looked exactly the same, but somehow they read differently when I viewed them side by side. Possibly this was simply because I was adding depth and color to a very flat picture. I don't know. The client was thrilled with the picture, but I still wonder.
In my efforts to check my finished portrait I tried using tracing paper to compare proportions and the lines of the forehead and jaw, but it was too opaque. I was even thinking of adding a projector to my studio tools for situations like these. I had no idea that transparency paper existed. You wouldn't even have to print the exact size of the painting, since it could be held up at the proper distance; that would have been sufficient in my case to point out any errors. Thanks for the idea.
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