Awesome! I see a huge improvement from your first to second attempt, especially in value control and shape simplification. A small detail to note in the portrait is that sometimes knowing the literal color/value of an object we're familiar with (like the knowing the eye sclera is white) can lead us to portray it that way in our art even when it's different in reality, like the eye sclera actually being a light grey due to the shadow. One trick I like to use is to squint at (or blur) the image, to assess the general abstract masses of value/shape without being distracted by more complex details/ideas. It's a good habit to carry forward as it also helps with assessing pictures from a larger overview perspective. Hope this helps, keep up the good work :)