So one of the things I would recommend, if you're focusing on value, is that you learn the difference between hard edges and soft edges. Right now, all of your shadows are kind of mush because they're all soft. Cast shadows (shadows that are projected from an object) usually have hard edges whereas ambient occlusion (how much ambient light a part of the body/face is exposed to based on proximity etc...) tends to have a soft edge. Hard edges are scary because they look too sharp, but without them it's really hard to get the depth and form of anything.
Also, the hard shadows that you do have end too early and at strange points. Do you use lighting references? If not, I really recommend using something like MagicPoser, Blender, or LightDropper to get a sense of lighting and hard v soft shadows.
Yea I have a bad habit of picking references with soft lighting. I feel like I need to do as you suggested even if I use a picture reference use lighting reference from something else.