Latest Drawing

I thought I would post my most recent drawing with a few progression photos so you could see my process. 

I am still learning how to draw and paint portraits and figures, and although I still have a long way to go, I was actually happy with this charcoal drawing because I feel it looks like the sitter.

Here is the initial stage:

After I got the placement and angle of the face (which was quite tricky!), I began to rough in the shoulders and body, which you can see in the next shot...

At this stage, I felt as though she was 'floating' or lost in the space of the paper, so I added some darks to the background...

Finally, I go in and finish any area I think needs work, still trying to maintain a sense of loosenss and softness.  

Here is the finished drawing.  Feel free to leave any questions or comments!!

-robin