That is some VERY good stuff!

WOAH!
Those are all amazing!
Definately proffesional looking.

WOW u r awesome!! 8D!!

damn good art you got going on there...i rarely use this word on anyone but those sketches/drawings are superb

thanks a bunch everybody!!!
here's a portrait series i did a couple years ago:

apart from the Goya-esque drawings you had in your original post, is your main inspiration taken from the Italian Renaissance period?

oh yeah in regards to anatomy and the modeling of light the Italian Renaissance would definitely be my main influence, but mostly because that was the tradition that has been passed down and which my mentor passed onto me; however, I would say that my biggest influence from the Renaissance would be the northerners, particularly the Germans because although their approach to anatomy was flawed, they just had so much more style than the Italians.

The people sketches look like photographs, frickin awesome!

I love the shading you did, it makes the people look mysterious in a way.
And the hair is mega good ^_^

Waaay better than what I can do

Like Albrecht Dürer?
His portaits are stunning. His self portrait is one of my favorites. its so awesome due to the fact that he pretty much painted himself facing the audience like with some soft lighting...like Jesus...

Exaclty like Albrecht Dürer!!! He's probably my favorite artist of all time. I also heard that when he finished that particular portrait his dog freaked out and started barking at it because it thought it was him. And as you can see here I've clearly been ripping off his signature

and adopting it as my own :P