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I just got back from California and I am so pleased to see this wonderful piece. Don't you just love the Golden's Acrylic Medium for Pastel!. It can be adapted to just about any pastel technique and made into unlimited sizes! The only limits are ways to frame it!
You have a well thought out piece that is well designed. One thing I have learned over the years and is really helpful to portraiture is editing. When you use a photograph for a reference, it is hard to know when to stop with the detail. Leaving out or enhancing details is a subtle art that can really add a personal aesthetic to a painting.
That said, I find The eyes and the eyebrows a little harsh, especially the eye to the left. It does seem stretched out and could use a softer edge. The left cheek could be simplified and softened a bit as well. The frown marks between her eyes could be eliminated as well as the throat line, as Linda pointed out. You don't have to put every thing in.
I usually work on a photo print, with oils, adding cheek and lip color if needed and modifying and softening areas until it still looks like the subject but better.
One of the best ways to help with this process is to continue working from life. You are usually limited by time and money to make quicker decisions and are usually farther away so you are not concentrated on the details. It will also help you define a more personal style.
I hope this helps.
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