Mom and Dad

I've been doing a lot of experimentation with custom brushes in Photoshop. I've been fairly unsatisfied with my attempts to replicate that "traditional" look that so many of the digital artists I admire seem to be able to accomplish. Well, yesterday I dusted off my Sargent book and threw in some Lucien Frued for good measure and gave it another go with some life studies. The results are these two portraits of my parents. I think I'm getting closer to what I'm looking for.