That charcoal handling is strong work. The way you've let some edges stay soft while keeping the structure locked in, that's the same patience I'm chasing when I'm waiting for the right dusk gradient over a pine ridge. Different medium, same discipline.

That charcoal density in the shadows is something I still struggle with in my flower work, believe it or not. Getting true black without losing the mid-tones completely takes a patience I don't always have, especially when I'm arranging stems for an hour and then the light shifts.