My earliest self-portraits - all photos taken myself using a timer on a digital camera, then drawn on paper with graphite pencils and all the erasing required!

Why all balled up? Fear and extreme discomfort caused by self-judgement.

The evolution of technique is obvious over time - originally drawn free-hand while referring to the photos, later, contours traced and highlights worked and reworked for more realistic illustrations. The more you draw... the better you see.

No shame in tracing shapes or copying exactly from a photo, as this is more about the process than results. A process that allows one to see something (oneself) from a completely different angle.