Veiled

This is my entry for the Color Pencil Magazine monthly challenge for March.

This is my first portrait in color, and I must admit, I ran into a lot more obstacles than I expected to. However, I learned a lot as a result, and hopefully my next color portrait will benefit from those lessons. The biggest issue I had, was blending brown with skin tone to cause a "shadow" effect. Instead it looks more like her face is smudged with dirt. The more I tried to layer and blend to get the brown to look natural, it eventually just looked gray, and I could not correct it any further.

While I have a lot to learn, and I see several issues with this drawing, I am quite proud of it for a first attempt. I am eager to do another color portrait. I do think that my drawing will be considered as a possible winner, though probably not ultimately selected, even in the beginner category. I accomplished my goal

Anyone viewing this picture that has any critique for me, PLEASE offer it. I do not offend easily, and I'm eager to gain some feedback that can help me improve. Thanks.

Reference
Progression

Materials:
11x14 Strathmore Bristol Smooth
Prismacolor Premier Softcore colored pencils
Lyra Rembrandt Polycolor color
kneaded eraser