Gosh, where to start?

It's my first really satisfying attempt at a realistic portrait. When I started, I didn't expect it to turn out so good at all- so, unfortunately I started on really low-grade paper in this crappy sketchbook held together by rubber bands and sticks. It ended up on two sheets, which I had to cut out of the sketchbook to scan in. If you squint real hard at the top half, you may be able to see the lines of the picture that was on the back of this one. But there was no way I was leaving this in that crappy sketchbook, so it could sit on a shelf in my art class all day and get all smudged up from the TONS of graphite #2 pencil on it. >>. I need to grow out of my fear of sophisitcated art supplies.

Anyway, this is more Jrock stuff. (Not orignial characters, boo hoo. T_T) Shinya from Dir En Grey, to be precise- but he's a nice subject, and it turned out great, so I'm not complaining. Drawn with [link] as a reference- I had a small printed version of this picture near my sketchbook for most of it, but there were a few times where I had to wing it. It was a lot of help for the eyes and nose.

I guess I don't have anything else much to blab about, except for the fact that I'll have to be painting this for the final grade- not on the original, mind you! @_@. I'll print out a different one, tape it to my bedroom window and trace out some lines to paint once the sun starts going down. >w<. Low-budget art is usually the most rewarding.

I'm really excited, because this is going to be my first time really using paints, too!

Bah, I bet you've had enough of me yapping. I'll stop now.