Update - Photoshop is difficult, but I'm getting the hang of it

Here's another update with how my final project is going.  I'm still struggling to get the hang of Photoshop and working with my Wacom tablet, but I've made the process easier by starting with a sketch that I scanned into the program.  Now I'm digitally drawing on top of that and blocking out colored areas and trying to figure out what to do for the background.  I've shown some friends and they have also made some suggestion about color and removing some elements that would connect my drawing to a club on campus, so I'm trying to appeal to what they want as well.  I created a Pinterest board of inspiration for this project, so here's a link to that:

https://www.pinterest.com/tessaamira/badass-self-portrait/

And here are just a few random selections from that board:




As far as my Photoshop process goes, it's a challenge for me to work on the right layer and not overdo it.  I currently have an ungodly amount of layers, but I'm trying to organize them by name and group.  I also have the tendency to select layers without realizing it and then do a ton of work and later realize I was drawing on the wrong layer.  So to prevent this, I've been locking each layer as I go.  I also make them invisible if I think they will distract me from other active layers.

Right now one of my main concerns is that my drawing will become too blended and refined, so after I'm done blocking in colors and shading, I'll go back in with a smudge tool or something and see what I can do.  If that doesn't work (because everything's on a separate layer), than I plan on printing this image out and working on it with pen and/or oil pastel.  I would love that sketchy, comic book illustration feeling that I had with the original sketches, but I also would love to play around with my pastels.   Maybe I'll print out two copies just to experiment with each.  I also am an art education major, so I've been working on unit plans for finals week as well.  I plan on using a slightly less gory and violent version of this picture for my unit plan as well (if my ed teacher lets me).  The problem is that it might be too violent to use as an imaginary student example (not something to show students, but something a student could hypothetically submit).  However, while trying to create this unit plan, I've been looking back at all my old artwork from high school and quite frankly, I'm surprised I was allowed to create any of it at all.  My senior work was particularly screwed up.  From stripper-leprechauns, to a drug/arms dealing Grim Reaper, and Lady Liberty pointing a gun at her own citizens - my artwork should have been censored by the school.   Coming from a school that let me create what I wanted, it's hard to envision what it must be like at Kingston High School (my observation placement) where they have constant police presence and heightened security.

I guess we'll have to wait and see where this project takes me.  I want to do so much more with it and do a collage of images, but I'm afraid I'll only have time for one - but I'm going to make it as detailed and awesome as possible.  Wish me luck, and I hope it turns out as good as I hope it will.