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Aarghhh! Not the palette, the Winton! Bad student stuff, your work is too good for this. Get the good stuff if at all possible, you will be amazed at the difference.( And get a good arm-held palette too.)
Here's what I think: you have really good painting and drawing skills and a strong affinity for outdoor work. Please work from life outdoors before you decide what colors to put on your palette. I vote for an impressionist palette. Don't try to make up something from your photos. The great beauty of outdoor light and shadow on human skin is the color complexity in the shaded side.
I don't like this photo because I don't think it would be a very attractive pose for a typical American family to choose for their child, and I want you to start painting work that will win them over to YOU. Think: happy, innocent, wistful, charming, free, fresh, all those adjectives beloved by Americans. I hate to write this but I think it's true. I am a big fan myself of "serious", even grim, children's portraiture but fresh and winsome generally takes the cake.
By all means keep this lovely portrait hanging around - you may have found your own style and have tons of buyers flocking to you and that would be terrific - but I think your next one should be more "commercial" in intent.
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