@ItsMeChrisWade when it came to portraits and master copies, I would ask myself,

"why *doesn't* mine look like the original?"

and then make the changes *without* being critical or harsh to myself about it

using a big piece of graphite/charcoal (or a big digital brush) for sketches so I don't get obsessed with details right away

using references

otherwise just making art from ideas *I* think are cool/nice/interesting/whatever instead of worrying what other people thought about my art