I did it about a month ago and after finishing it my teacher suggested i put it away for a couple of days before putting a patina on, when I looked at it again I could only see my errors..
@bruce, It may look a bit like me because I used a mirror to define the proportions(like where to put the ear etc), but other than that it's just a made up face. I did try to use as little as the original profile as possible so i would have a ton of practice leveling the field and making it look right.
I also tried to change the face a bit by changing the cheeks and the jaw, now that I know how the nickel is laid out I would probably do it a bit differently so I don't have to carve it the same way.
Congratulations on your first (of many, I hope) Hobos! I rather like the smooth, almost Art Deco surface handling. If you want a little more info on facial proportions, go to a tip that I posted a while back. ( http://www.engraverscafe.com/showthread.php?9354-Facial-Proportions-by-Doc-Mark} Your ear is not in proper position, nor is it anatomically correct. But, remember this is a stylistically rendered profile and you can cheat a little. But, if there is only one item out of proportion, then it just looks out of place and distracting.
Thanks a lot, my arts background is very little, almost nonexistent, and the "rolling" of the ear is due to a transfer error, I noticed it only after the nickel was finished
Your article has been bookmarked and will go into my notes.