My Amazing Son - Oil Painting

Overall this is a spectacular portrait. The use of light and shadow is dynamic and adds a dramatic touch. This also translates well to to the hair. Not only do you excel at using color to accentuate the movement of the locks of hair, but the shading also helps allow the hair to look tousled while still not looking flat or an undistinguished mass.

The only issue that I see is a lack of fine details. And for some reason I think this is more a characteristic of oil painting more than anything. To give you an idea of what I mean is the skin is too smooth. I'm assuming that he has stubble on not only his face but on his head. But those areas have smooth shadows that completely obscure those details that would take a really good painting to potentially great. The eyebrows hint at the potential, and fine details can also be hinted at. There is a fine balance, too few details and it is bland and general. Too many details and it is overworked and takes forever to finish a piece. So beware of a pendulum swinging too far the other direction.