/ic/ - Artwork/Critique

>>3328726
>>3328793

You should try grouping your values. If you are going with graphite, three values should be enough (light of the paper, mid tone and dark). From early on after the lay in of the facial features, establish what is the darkest dark in the reference picture, and put that down on your drawing (graphite is not supposed to do black, or you are not supposed to press down that pencil like crazy, but go as dark as you feel looks good, check out some graphite reference pictures online and find your happy place).

Use that dark area, maybe it's the core shadow or corner between eye and nose, as guidance. mark your highlights (usually cheeckbones, tip of the nose) and then start plotting graphical shapes of midtone shadows in the face. Cast shadow of the nose, lower lip, brow ridge etc. map those out very lightly and when you are done put up your mid tone. If you are going for +3h realistic portrait you need to worry about texture, but as you are practicing, the 20 minute studies would be perfect to learn from, and you can put a medium wash of graphite as your midtone (without worrying about strokes etc).

I know this isn't stylistically something you are looking for, but really helps you push the values and take control of that graphite. Efficient way to study. Go for those strong graphical shapes of shadows so you understand how they fall on the form of the face. After you can place those in relation to each other you can start controlling their edges (and rendering them towards realism or comic book cross hatching etc what you want). Simplify and go with 3 values.

Also you could benefit from studies of just eyes from different perspectives, I can try to find good ref image for you.

Hope I helped (at least someone struggling with portrait studies).