Why does this portrait look so messed up? Help me get better

colors have no dimensions, with lips leave some completely white areas to show highlight. it's just all too flat. you can add some dimension by outlining with black micropen.

>>2624978
>Eyes too fucking big (almost animu eyes)
>Nose too flat and small in relation to the eyes
>The mouth is too close to the nose, and the lower lip looks kinda swollen
>The hair could be improved (a lot)
>Also, I'm guessing she is supposed to look like an old lady, but if she isn't, too wrinkly

>>2624978
symbol.

lets see the reference.

File: 1469755014896.jpg (60KB, 640x640px) Image search: [Google]

60KB, 640x640px

>3264x2448
>flipped
>symbol drawing

nothing to see here, my dudes

because you want to keep it simple Rebecca. So it will stay simple.
its drawn from full front. its hard to manage for good artists as it flattens out the face. beginners like it, because they cant draw in three dimensions anyway.
you cared not for the actual proportions of the face, nor the values changing sharply and gradually all over the face. the entire thing is in the same value, AND in the same color, whereas in reality it changes from colder tone to warmer tone depending on the place on the face.
composition is silly, the hair cut down for no reason, theres plenty of white space down there. again, dont draw it from full frontal.

id highly recommend you to learn to construct heads, leave complicated painting methods (unless being supervised by good painter), and focus on getting good with drawing, then with charcoal, focusing on values, and proportions.

File: 1377094915602.png (97KB, 263x283px) Image search: [Google]

97KB, 263x283px

>>2624978
Read the sticky, you'll find out.