Hey! Good work so far, and you already have a solid base! :D If you want a more dramatic lighting setup, I’d recommend pushing the contrast between light and shadow much further. Right now, the shadows feel a bit too subdued. You could also try making the background darker so the character stands out more and you have more room to play with stronger light-and-shadow contrast. Remember: If the background is bright and the subject also stays within a high value range, the character won’t stand out as much. It’s usually better to aim for “light over dark” or “dark over light.” As for the rendering, I think you relied a bit too much on a soft brush for the transitions between light and shadow, and for the transitions in general, which makes some areas feel a little muddy. I’d recommend studying other artists and observing how they use hard and soft edges to control form more effectively. As a general rule: Use hard edges for cast shadows, and softer edges for transitions between light and dark planes. That rule alone can help you gain much better control over your forms while painting. Remember that there are tools like the Asaro head, which will help you better understand the planes of the head and achieve better lighting in your portraits Hope this helps!
