Portrait Practice

Hello Pastabrother,

 I really love your portrait. You really did manage to make it as lively as you could and capture the atmosphere and mood of the person. You can tell that you put a lot of work into it. When I look at it, I really do understand the mood and the sense of liveliness. To make it flow more, maybe you could add some more blending - some more values that are in between the very contrasting dark and light. Also, don't be afraid to put some color (like shades of gray) in the "whites of the eyes" and teeth. I hope this helped at least a little (I'm relatively new to critiquing). Keep up the good work!

Looks like your proportions are good, and you've got a solid grasp on the concept of shading. It seems like you might be relying too much on line though around the nose and mouth that might be making them appear a bit aggressive. For example, don't outline each tooth. Really focus on blocking out your values in these areas to create the depth like you did around the hairline. This will also help around the eyes to help them sit into the brow rather than on the surface of the face. You have a good start to it so far. Let your mark making start with soft, light, and broad then work your way to more dark and precise. Then you can pull out the highlights with an eraser. Keep up the great work!!