B&W to color
 

I am currently working on a portrait of a deceased Air Force general. I was given very few pictures to work with, but I still want to produce a great portrait. I have only one color photo and the rest are black and white. I will attach the reference photo next. I would love any opinions to help me!! This is a quick color study I did - also to get me use to oil. I've never worked with oils before. I'm not fond of the smile, but the story behind this portrait is the wife of this individual dislikes the current painting that was made of him. She felt the current painting did not look like her husband, especially the eyes. She wanted everyone to know he was a very compassionate man who dedicated his whole life to medicine and the military. I had one B&W photo of him smiling, so I explored with that one.

This was the photo I used.

Smile or not
 

The next two photos I also have and I'm thinking of combining the two.. use the color photo, but lift the mouth to more of a nonfrown expression like the black and white. What do you think? Smile or not to smile??

Photo # 2
 

Photo #2

Here's my cold blooded two cents. I would think that a portrait of this important man hanging in a great public place (just a couple of miles from where I grew up) would transcend the sentimental memories of a wife. This will hang long after she has retired from service. My guess is that she is not commissioning this portrait. I would also question whether the first photo portrays qualities of compassion and dedication or simply a man having a good time at a cocktail party. I might vote for curtain #2 with some reference to the eyes in #3. Boy that sounds way harsh but I'm going to leave it.

I would agree with Mike. What you try to convey about a subject depends a lot on who is commissioning it and where it will hang. That will determine which reference photos you use.

Also a big word of caution: it's almost impossible to combine aspects from three photos with three completely different lighting schemes, as you have here.

Thanks for the much needed advice! This portrait is being done because I wanted to do it. I actually believe the wife is also deceased.

Truth of the matter is that the portrait hanging is not a good one. After reading the biography www.whmc.af.mil/manbehindthename/page13.htm
www.whmc.af.mil/manbehindthename/page14.htm, I decided I would paint a watercolor for my cross-training package. (see my intro to the forum). After I sent my package in, I decided to donate the picture to the hospital. The current general was so impressed, he wanted to take down the oil and replace it with my watercolor. I then offered to paint an oil of the same size to replace the old picture - all I asked was for someone to pay for the suppiles. The commander agreed and now I'm doing this.

I have my reasons for doing this:

1. I really don't like the portrait personally and I feel that at least it needs to look like Gen. Hall.

2. This will be a great way to get the attention of the people that keep declining my package to cross-train into the art field!

Again - I really love the advice! I understand about the light contrast, but the only two pictures I wanted to "combine" was the B&W with the color. I feel the color is not so bad, but he just looks so depressed. I was thinking of making the mouth less of a frown like the B&W.