as it made the best mistakes

This took me at least 49506079 billion hours. *dies* I've been working on it for days and days and days and I started over several times... and I still hate it. >___>

Anyway, it's Cedric Bixler-Zavala from The Mars Volta. I'm a bit obsessed with their new album. It's really grown on me... At first I thought it wasn't as good as Frances the Mute, but now I can't choose between the two. I like both. ^__^ Yeah, and this is Cedric as I like him best. Without frightening facial hair or anything like that.

I'm feeling a little guilty because I used so much reference here. Loads of pictures of Ced and a million others for reference on how to do the skin and shading right since that's the main focus of this, despite it only being half his face. I think I would have died trying to make a face that looked symmetrical enough. I tried to make it looking more painting-y than my picture of Light, so I really went crazy with my pretty shaped brushes. If I didn't have a pressure-sensitive tablet, though, this would look like a vector xD I used a LOT of tools to make it look softer and more realistic... that also makes me slightly guilty, but I did it myself. *woot*

And still I don't like it. Something about it irritates me. But I spent so long on it...