I managed to finish off that face I started days (week?) ago, and I am… alright with the end result.

I added that second eye and eyebrow. Added a bit more definition, and voila! A piece I am keeping for learner’s sake only.

My art teachers in high school absolutely hated it when we smudged. It is messy, and where I made the most mistakes, too.

Smudging is essentially using the natural oils your hands secretes to blur or rub the pencil around. (It works best with the B series of pencils, I have found).

However it means the pencil grays your hand, and when you touch the piece, you must be careful. Otherwise, you end up with errors like the smudge in the hair, or on the neck. It is also difficult to erase. All of which I remember from high school art class, and chose to do anyway, because I got impatient.

May have to pick up some of those ‘Teach Yourself’ books to get a better grip on shading outside of smudging.

I do love smudging. It will always have its place, but I definitely need to get away from it.

Also need to practice proportions and placement. My eyebrows definitely don’t line up, and I am unsure if my eyes do, because of placement.

At least I tried, right?

P.S. I welcome ANY tips, or practical videos on the subject. As much as I try to overcome my perfectionist side of myself, it does win on occasion.