Welcome to Gaia! ::

What medium are you working with? It looks like pencil, but I'm not completely certain. sweatdrop

I think you're off to a great start. Drawing people is certainly ambitious (I spent 4 years studying art in college and the human face and body, to this day, remain the most challenging subject matters for me to paint/draw) All I can really recommend there is to practice, practice, practice via self-portraits and to study facial proportions (yes, there is a bit of a science to it, believe it or not).

You have lots of really great detail in your drawings, but some of them are getting lost in your shading, I think. Getting good lights and darks with a pencil can be hard and, again, is something you get better at with practice. I would LOVE to see you try to incorporate some darker and lighter shades in your drawing. If you do this, they'll definitely "pop" more and you'll achieve a more 3-D effect.

These are wonderful! I don't want you to think otherwise! heart Please don't get discouraged with all of my suggestions. I sometimes go into art critique mode in the art arena, and every now and then I get the feeling that I discourage instead of encourage with all of my suggestions. I just think you have a LOT of potential and want to see you grow and flourish as a fellow artist!

On a completely different, yet still related topic, do you prefer painting or drawing? Me, I prefer drawing, although I also have a soft spot for watercolor. heart

Ah yes...the woe that is the cost of art supplies. Good art supplies can definitely set you back a bit money-wise. ESPECIALLY good brushes. Ugh... sweatdrop

Oil paints are the most expensive and acryllic the least. I prefer painting with acryllic as it dries faster, which allows me to get more done in one sitting, I also hate mixing oil paints with linseed oil. It stinks and, after a while, you DO get loopy from it, even with good air flow. crying

Have you tried shopping for art materials online? Sometimes you can get great deals there on quality art supplies/paper. I used to do that in college in order to save some money instead of buying from the small art shop/cafe downtown. (although I still bought my brushes and paper there, because I need to feel those before purchasing to make sure they're what I want)

I completely sympathise with you on drawing hands. They can be difficult.