I recently heard from my first art teacher, John Paul Thornton.  John Paul is a busy guy with an active art career, a job with the city promoting the arts and helping the community, serving as president of a local art club and being a good father and husband.  I was pleased to have him give me his advice. ... It's advice that he's given before ... all the more valuable this time because as we all know, at different times of our lives we hear the same message differently.
John Paul was giving me feedback on that self portrait I attempted a while back.  It was good feedback for all portraits and most other art as well.  I posted it in my self portrait blog (from January) if you're interested in reading it as they are good suggestions for all of us.
I have a little portrait he did of his daughter as well as a recent promotional card from another artist I like named Michael Maczuga taped to my easel to remind me as I paint this one. 
I can see already that I need to look at the light-dark issue and improve the contrast.  I'd like to create real beauty and interest by letting the light from the window on the left spill in to catch the sides of these faces which will then force me to darken the opposite sides.
I feel good about this painting and will continue to work to darken the darks and lighten the lights... use appropriate warms and cools.  We'll see how it ends up.