At the end of the day, I can say with satisfaction that I never would have been able to paint a person that resembled the person (... more like a stick figure..) when I first started my journey to practice and study art.
This is Danny after a three-hour attempt to paint him yesterday.  I'd say the painting looks like the model and I have begun to feel better about practicing on the features like the eyes so they don't look so cartoony.  My teacher is always patiently emphasizing the importance of getting the values right and while I'm sure I have a long way to go, I'm making some progress.
The best part is I enjoyed the journey!
So, here's to Danny!