DrawWithMike.net

What to do with his right arm, actually it's his left arm. this mirror image stuff has me confused as the lettering is correct but the rest is as if you were looking through his back, I think.
Anyways the arm, render it similar to the photo, make it substantially lighter, put him in long sleeves although I'd =rather not loose the watch, crop it thus losing the arms but keeping the fingers, ??
since most of the drawing is complete I will definitely scan it and do some practice stuff.

Suggestions are appreciated.

It might be not much of help my friend, but I'm thinking like you, I like the whole as it is, defo not chopping arms off, and I'm after to keep that watch in for sure.
I think the way he's holding the hands is adding a lot to the picture.
Once cut off (cropped) all we have here is face only.
Also the portrait would have to be in landscape position if you may decide to crop off the hands, as his western hat is so wide, so to fit it in, the drawing would need to be shifted from portrait to landscape mode.
It's going to be very impressive drawing for sure dear friend!

Thx PogArt, I guess I see the problem that the arm is the only thing other than the backgroud that is in total shadow, shade. NOt much detail as in the rest of the portrait. Maybe try to lighten it a little and add some detail to it.

I know you mean, but I can't see it as an issue TBH.
You can simply draw it matching the other hand, taking all the details needed from the lighter side, copy them over the *darker arm as much as needed...
Or just make the darker arm as light as the dark sided chick?
The chick is also on darker side, but much lighter than that arm in comparison...
I know you can do masterpiece from what you have

I've delayed commenting on this to give myself time to think, and...

Personally, I'd represent the left-hand arm as it is.

There's a very useful line running from the front edge of the hat, through the name tag, to the angle of the watch. His nose echoes the same angle. And they combine to present an ideal route for the eye to take.

Stretching that thought a little further: His raised left-hand shoulder and dark edge of the left-hand arm complete a triangle with the previous line.

In brief: that arm isn't itself important, but it forms a solid base for everything above it. If I imagine that arm being as light as the right-hand arm, it all seems to fall apart.

And I agree with Artur: the watch and hands are important to the overall feel.

The arm is done, so is the rest of it. I think the solution I chose is sympathetic to all your comments especially Mikes, leave it mostly alone. . Do you realize how it is to get a picture of your arm in that photo? No chance with a selfy, Had to asked Sally to help. It's a reverse, not actually. I still think the sleeve idea would really work, to put the only focus on his face. Maybe I'll try it. In looking at the preview the arm still needs some work. More to come.

I'm following