Fifty-five hours and counting. (wip obviously) Help? I'm frustrated.

[x]

This is Tom Smith of "Editors". Which you knew if you know me (obsessed. xD), or if your awesome enough to know that band. <3

I need your help picking apart his face and making sure my proportions and muscle structure work out properly in the end. I know they're off now, but exactly how is beyond me. Staring at it for so long I've lost much of my objectivity, even flipping it horizontally every few hours hasn't prevented that.

Somewhere between his upper lip and jaw something went horribly wrong I think...

(Please, ignore the front arm and hand, and his right hand's palm. I know those are royally screwed up ><. I'm working on it. Oh. And that friggen guitar too... grrr...)

I haven't got a photo ref, but I've got a few simple shots of his face if anyone feels the need to see him fer reals. If you so desire, ask and I'll link. Googling pulls up quite a few pictures as well.

That's pretty frigging awesome. I'm staring at his face, trying to find out what you think is wrong, but I can't really find it. xD;; Might be because I haven't seen the real guy's face, but still. It's really good.

I think getting rid of some of the veins and wrinkles in his hands and arm would probably make them look better.

The back of his neck needs to lighten up some more or something too, cause his ear looks kinda like an elephant ear swinging out into an inky abyss.

Ugh, now I hate the lines I'm working on and feel the need to do some lineless painting just to see if can not suck at it. xD

The main things I see.
His shoulder seems awfully narrow, especially for a man. Give him a bit more shoulder, and it will fit a bit better.

The veins in his arm really pop out. I would try and tone them down a tad, just a little.

As Solin said, his ear tends to put out a bunch. I don't think it's at the right angle for the view you have. It would be more to the side, rather than facing us, or make it so it isn't as...deep? So that the value isn't so dark in the inner part of the ear. Also, you may want to add some definition of the hair behind the ear, so it doesn't just look like it's at the end of the head.

The hair is looking nice so far, but try and give it a tad more definition in areas. Above the ear, it sort of looks scribbly. There aren't locks of hair, like you have more towards the bangs. Remember not to switch it every now and again.

UMM
There would probably be a few forehead wrinkles, and some at the corners of the eyes. Very lightly, though. Nothing too deep.


The mic could use some light reflecting off it, too. It's hard to see it as it is now. It would probably be a shiny black plasticly-metal material, and it would be much more reflective. You'd be able to see more like off it, especially if the man there is so bright.

Keep it up, it's looking good~

Thanks much guys!

Hair isn't really a problem point for me, it's just not done. It's going to take a few more layers to light it properly. I'm going to have to defend my use of stringy vs. shaggy hair. It definitely requires more definition as I continue, but eventually the point is that around his temples and such he's sweating. That'll be intense detailing towards the end.

I shall fix this ear issue. I had not caught that. I think it's remnant from a former version at a slightly different angle. Thanks.

Nice call on the forehead wrinkles too. I'm working on a study on how to get those in there properly. And eye stuff too... maybe that's part of what's bugging me. Putting those crows feet back in might give it the tension it needs.

Issue on the shoulder is that it's an attempted gesture, but I haven't spent a lot of time on that section yet. Eventually, it should be a short of tense shrug, but for now it just looks too short. Ugg. Forshortening kills me. I guess I'll work on that next, when I feel vaguely comfortable with the position of this hand.

I know it looks odd, but I swear by Grapthar's Hammer his arms and hands really are that way. He's just got crazy veins and really intense hands. I'd show you a photo, but photobucket is down. Which reminds me, he needs hair there too...

I've been putting off the mic because I've been moving around the front hand a lot, and I didn't want to detail something that might get in my way or get trashed.

Thanks again!