Working quickly and loosely seems to help create character in my work but then when I start to apply more detail, the character gets lost very easily. Is there a simple way of avoiding this? Compare these two and you will see what I mean.

ONLY looking at the examples I got the impression that you CHANGED the face characteristics, not only added details: look at the eyes and the mouth

Knowing when enough has been done is a tricky thing and also a mark of a good artist. You have some good work Erisian. You will know what to do.
Also, an idea?! maybe you could add your detail and then merge the original with it so what character you originally wanted to show, does. (Just an idea, I am not one to criticize).

It looks changed but I didn't set out to change it and that is my problem.


Thank you for believing in me.


It might be worth looking into. I'm thinking I might end up having to work at recreating the character though but thank you for the suggestion - I'll give it a try.

the mouth, at least, can be easily -IMO- adjusted to get back to the original

This happens to me too, how I avoid it is not go for a so realistic style (kinda a cop-out), but seeing what you've done, maybe do smaller, softer lines and smudge them. I think where your problem lies is that you do too many stiff lines. Still looks better realistic wise than I can, though.

What I see is that you are getting too focused on the outline of a shape, trying so hard to "detail" each individual part that you lose sight of the whole. The lips, which have a wonderful 3-dimensional quality in the first example, become flattened, and stand out separate from the face as a whole in the second. You do a great job of suggesting form through shading. The problem is, you can't connect every dot -- the face should take form in the imagination of the viewer. Forcing detail where it is not needed to achieve effect spoils it. Strengthen the hints where they will support and build the illusion, rather than trying to create reality from the top down. Go slowly.

Check out this page -- it explains the rules of shading clearly:
http://www.learn-to-draw-expressively.c ... ading.html

Thank you everybody and thank you for the link Matera. It seems I need to practice keeping things simple - something I find very hard to do.

Me too! I like to go as detailed as I can, it's actually harder for me to keep it simple.

Yeah, if I know something is there, I have to paint it. I seemed to have rescued this one and AnMal has given it a lot of praise but there is still work to be done.