Hi, Jenny,
Thanks for this well-written and encouraging article.
"I drew what I saw, not what comes to my brain out of imagination..."
I think you've discovered and stated one of the most important fundamentals of drawing. Conveying what you actually see is really the key to developing your artistic talent. Stylizing your work can always come later.
When I compare the eyes in these real-life studies with the eyes in your earlier sketches, the improvement is very clear. Nice work!
Thank you very much! Very encouraging words and I really did try to take from the fundamentals and it really helped in the end.