Still counts as yesterday if I didn't sleep, right?

6 AM... just as I was about to hang it up in defeat around 5, something clicked. I gave up on that other thing I was working on earlier and went back to working from a reference photo.

I don't know what it is... I can draw from sight pretty well, and I can draw shapes fine... but not on their own. It's like how spelling bee kids have a surprisingly difficult time with easy small words. At least I have an understanding of the process. I watched another tutorial that I might give a shot tomorrow that approaches it a different way: Ahmed Aldoori's 'Drawing Figures and Poses QUICK TIP #1'

I struggled with this painting for quite a while, throwing so much at it... I ended up erasing about 40% of the painting's under layers that made up the hair/ear/back areas and kept all the 'no hope for it' parts in an 'in progress' kind of look, while refining the main face triangle (eyebrows to the mouth). I think it draws the focus to the eyes a lot more this way.

I have to keep reminding myself that for a second painting, it's not really that bad. Especially knowing that I didn't take any formal painting courses, so just running off of instinct, experimentation and aid from watching painters (primarily Sycra and Ahmed Aldoori).

 Here's another gif going through the layers - at least the visible ones... think there's about 8 layers that are just red, blue or cream ones like the 2 red layers.

Here's a bonus pic of all active layers from when I was about to quit... does not include erased areas around the hair, ear and back, but isn't that ugly? Yikes.