Rendering tips? Urgent help needed..

[potent coyote]

I’m more used to traditional art, so I’m really not used to the whole rendering process. Any and all tips are very needed… trying to better my art style since I want to start taking commissions

[rocky ferry]

I like to make multiple brushes with varying soft edges, and then use a blur or blender to smooth into the face. That's one option - you put in the shading spots like a cel anime drawing and then you smoothed it in, being mindful of soft vs hard edges in rendering

I also recommend experimenting with brush modifications

You can also use the lasso tool to draw your shading spots and then use a brush or gradient. The experimentation is up to you