Yeah, Tank does look a little sadder, doesn't he? (And we're not as used to seeing it from him either.)

I added a link to the tutorial.

Steal away. I think it's a great tool for storytelling. You can tell so much in just the background "junk" this way. Using it in your crossover is a great idea.

I also like the idea that these could exist for generations after the sims are dead, in a long running series. I guess that's the idea behind the heir portraits in a legacy.