Guys, any tips for drawing realistic faces?

I can draw anime style faces, but I failed miserably at realistic faces. I been trying to draw my friend for ages, but I just can't seem make it resemble the person or realistic enough. Facing troubles especially at the eye and mouth and the overall shading I should use.

I need to reach a level where other people can see the picture and recognize the person I am drawing.

My skill levels is lower than the quoted Adamiquesce picture above.

I look at some tutorials, but none seem to help me at drawing better.

More info - I draw with purely pencil and paper, I don't use photoshop or anything to touch up.

practice and more practice
various pencil thickness; B, 2B, HB, H, etc...

I also want to get some opinion.
Master seba, please do help.

I think I am still getting the primary sketch wrong. And my tones is still very bad.

Do you mind if I PM you my sketch and the photo I am trying to sketch?

Interesting... Will give it a shot, although I'm an illustrator, not a fine artist XD

very deep, such meaningful, much like

idk if this fits here, just my mural work done during form 3 in secondary school some 15 years ago, not sure if still there. the mural is in front of school library and it's meant for program nilam to encourage students spend more of their time reading.

my friend said the colors look dirty, some mistaken the mural for a beach. it's actually a sea bottom with water caustics in the background. students will submit their drawing of marine creatures and paste it on the mural. that's why most of the space is empty. 

thanks for viewing btw.

thanks for the compliments. mural painting is actually quite flexible, it's easier to mix than water colors.

Hm, I've always had interest in art, but I never practised it during my school years. Like, maybe 1-2 drawings a year? Definitely didn't draw ANYTHING during my SPM/STPM years.

It wasn't until I was around 20-ish, when I have a steady job AND a lot of free time, then I started drawing just to not get bored.

And I'm a competitive perfectionist, so when I do something, I make sure I'm always improving/growing in some way

you are in college or still school kid now?

My strokes lagi messy.
I bodoh lighting, cannot properly imagine and shade my sketches, even more I messed up every time I ink my drawings.

Oh, and thanks for the links.

pandai la dam  

Thanks, but it would be nice if got any advice. Might as well hoping to get any help here and there. Heheheh.

Now that I have grasped the foundation of my style, but it still lack the 'punch' that it need to make it more eye catching. It would be too long if I go find it on my own. The only thing I could do now is improving the background to make it bolder and complement the orb to the subject, but I have no idea how to do it.

Explosion of colors, contrast is still a bit hard for ma to fathom lol. All I can do is google around and make reference from it. Anyway, still a good advice and I really appreciate it. 
Love the calming, cute and happy family drawing. 

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