My problem is most of the time I post an image I don't receive feedback. I really need it to improve my skills. There are so many talented individuals - I know I can learn alot from you all. Take this image for example. My goal is to get as close to realism as possible, but I always have problems with hair and skin tone. I also heard that having a wacom tablet helps out greatly. Please critique this image and let me know what you all think. Thank you all so much!

Are you saying you did this with a mouse? If so, that's impressive! And yes, a tablet is a HUGE help. As for feedback, the hair looks good, but the lighting looks a little flat. I think if you went for more dramatic lighting, you'd achieve more depth in the painting. Just imagine you have two or three light sources -- maybe a warm key light, a cool rim light, and then a filler light. You might need to use photo references to get the shadows right, but really, lighting's the best feedback I can give on this piece. It'll add realism to the skin tone. Hope that helps. :)

Thank you. Yes I did use a mouse and thank you for the lighting tips. I usually try to work from no references but to achieve realism I know I will have to.

yeah, you need some shadow lights and high lights in there. It really looks too flat. Also, darken the background a bit