I liked the contrast between his hair and the white background and I also cropped the painting so that the entire head was not visible. The reference photo had his head centered but I thought mine would have a better composition. It now gives a feeling of safety and security at the left since it is mostly dark and it also accentuates the face more. There's more balance now between light and dark as well.

This is my most realistic portrait to date. I strive for photorealism but sometimes it is difficult to achieve. I came very close with this one. If you look closely, you can even see smoke rising from his cigarette!