New experience with pastels

I have long said that fabric portraits using inks remind me of oil pastels... SO....my friend Karon Cornell and I decided to actually take an pastel portrait class and this is my first take.... This is a very different medium ofcourse and well... IT's about 10 times messier than working with inks, I haven't mastered pastel for sure, but we'll see how it goes.... It was a half day class starting yesterday for 3 more weeks.... I'm just looking to improve my overall portraiture skills. So far, I've learned I use a lot of paper towels to wipe my hands.... and honestly, it's more expensive than painting with inks... but maybe that has something to do with where I shopped... The Art Supply Warehouse in Westminster California. It's like a candy store for artists... ansd I admit to going a bit nuts. Here's my little man grandson MAX....His preschool put him in a tux for a school portrait. He's a cool dude.. Chicks dig him!