REALLY amazing artists: NOT my art....obviously

I just thought I would post some of my friends' work from the Sharpies. They are exceedingly talented and very inspiring. Two of them so far are going for NFAA to Florida for Arts Week!!

The jig is up

yeah...so i hid my concentration in the post below, because I was scared. Just highlight in the dark areas and it will magically appear.....

the concentration train

So...the concentration train is still parked at the station.


And the train couldn't start chugging because the conductor thought he was driving a submarine, not a train. Meaning, in my quest to "produce" a piece of art this weekend, I actually forgot how to paint and over analyzed the entire process.
My concentration idea, though it is probably exceedingly stupid, and I'm only posting this because Ms. McBride made me and she knew I would say this, so woo there goes my element of surprise,
I was wondering if anyone who generally paints in acrylics could tell me if they work their pieces holistically or sectionally, and if they go for accuracy as the piece progresses, in the drawing stage, or in the original painting layer.
but it probably will be portraits in some form, and I want to focus on people's characteristics. When one day I saw two teachers out of their element, the classroom, at a gas station and at the library, it scared me.
Maybe if the conductor sees how the caboose functions, the rest of the function of his train will materialize....
And there it appeared. The secret lives of teachers. It's actually the most embarrassing thing ever...and I still am so confused, especially since I can't seem to do art anymore. Realistic portraits in the foreground, contour for their secret lives in the background?
I'm not sure if that made sense, but anyone with suggestions about how they work a piece would be great. For some reason, I feel as though I need a formula.

close and far

So close, but yet so far, from stopping me from ruining my piece: thanks for the comments, but I had already marred the background.

So close is the deadline for the concentrations, but yet, so far am I from a decision (33 hours 14 minutes).

colors and background?

So I guess I'm still not quite sure what to do about the background and the beard on this piece:

1. My first concern about the piece is the background. I have a really nasty habit of ignoring it and just focusing on the subject matter in the front. I am trying to improve my composition as well in pieces. The image on top that I posted has a second figure I drew in that I am considering adding. I would add another figure as well for a total of three in the piece. It would add some diagonal lines and interesting negative shapes which may help the piece. However, I am not sure if these would be distracting. Adding them would also bring up the issue of color and whether it would be distracting to the central figure in the foreground.
2. My second concern is the beard, hair, and glasses. I am still conflicted about whether to add color. Right now I feel like there is too much white space. It may add to the piece to have some of the subtle hair wisps. I would not be adding any new colors and I would be keeping with the same color scheme. The hair would be a light lavender color for areas of gray and white hair in the photograph. Traces of brown hair would have the same shades as the eyebrows (a dark forest green). I feel like if I colored the hair, I would need to also color the background. I was thinking of doing a large blend of colors. Overall, they would appear to be a dark brownish black (the same color as the eyes). It would neutralize the bright colors I have in the face.
3. Another concern I have is about my use of color in the piece. My original intention with the piece was to use color to represent different shapes on the face and to exaggerate and abstract them. I then intended to darken areas with more neutral shades to show the shading and contours of the face. I think though that I have lost that a bit when the piece is viewed from more than two feet away. Color here is not supposed to replace shade. Do I need to amplify my darks a bit more? It could certainly add some roundness to the head and the nose. I am just confused about whether the function of color in the piece is clear.
4. My last worry (for now at least...) is about the mood that is conveyed by the face. I kind of am looking for what the expression people think the portrait is giving off. Is it a grandfatherly look of warmth and concern? Is it a cynical look? Is it a condescending glance? I don't know whether what I intend to portray is actually being represented.
   
5. Kudos to anyone who was actually able to get through reading all of this...that is exceedingly impressive.
   

I'm really glad I was able to be so concise.

Fretting over spilled milk...

I'm really not sure what to do with this piece. The shapes of the bridge seem just a bit too sharp and distinct for my liking. The background also seems very plain. I worked on this light years ago and I just never really liked it. Please....rip the piece to shreds, because it needs it.