I think that its definitely on the right track! A few thinks of note that might help; Texture: You've started to show texture in the hair and headband but you could continue this into the shirt. Look at reference of these materials and try to figure out how they work in space, then imagine how they would fit in your drawing. Form: You are getting some nice shadows in the face but try pushing those same shadows in the hair. Look at reference of a young mans face and look at all the different planes there are, i'd say you are hitting the basic ones and it could be pushed further. Edges: If you are trying to go for realism, relook at how sharp your edges/outlines are. Push the painting away from lines, especially in the lightest parts. You can try using color and shadows to help with this. If you want to use lines in your drawing, try using different thickness to draw interest into your piece, thicker toward your darks, thinner toward your lights. Hope these tips help! You really aren't that far off.

My submission and the reference photos i used. I really wanted to use elements of the inspo photos to build an original character. I liked the idea of this creature having created armor out of some massive insect beast, the wings oriented in a way to help intimidate its prey. IG: @floridamanart