DrawWithMike.net

At the moment I am trying to be less photo rralistic but more drawing. Focus less on detail but more on impression. Paper is unfortunately sketchbbok, so value range is a tad limited.
Cheers, Reinhard

You have those facial features so well sculpted that I really feel the paper itself is bending and curving that way.

Bearing your aim in mind, I think that's a direct result of focusing more on impression. I find the same when I'm drawing hair, or trees, or anything that isn't mimicking a reference. Because there isn't a reference, everything has to be from your imagination.

So those features you're drawing are the features your mind expects to see, and illuminated from the direction your mind understands the light to be coming from.

You don't need to know any of that when you're copying - and I class photo-realism as 'copying', if the aim is to recreate a photo.

well,
this is BRIILLIANT Reinhard!
You have captured the soul of the sitter, it is realistic without being 'photo' realistic. Wonderful.
Personally I think this is a big leap forward for your art journey. You have drawn the person, not the photo.
Hope all is well with you and Regina,
regards,
Linda

I think that's wonderful that you have brought out the essence of the person! It makes it so artistic, rather then just copying a photo. Nice work!