It’s okay to copy someone else’s work, just don’t claim it as your own.
We learn by copying – understanding the artist’s technique can improve our own, and we understand better how the artist created the mood/feeling he/she wanted in the painting. In this example I believe the mood is captured primarily by the shapes such as the tilt of the head, the colour is mostly decorative. tell me what you think…
Friends painted by Ann Fitch
Friends painted by Alan Brain