Shakespeare new project

I started making a new doll, but I stopped because I really wanted to get a new and challenging (for me) project going. It has been floating in my mind for a while, but other more immediate (and, let's say it, easier) subjects took priority. Now I think the time has come  to give it a try and see what happens.

Over the years, I have given to each of my close friends a drawing as a present for Christmas or their birthdays. This time, I chose a friend who is a great Shakespeare appreciator. For some reasons, I believe that there is a certain resemblance between this guy and the Bard. So I thought it would be fun to make a portrait of my friend in Elizabethan garb, surrounded by his beloved characters...

In this case, I am going to be able to show you the work in progress, as I am pretty sure G.P. does not read my blog...;). Below you can see the pencil work.
There are some aspects of it of which I am satisfied, for example I am rather happy with the looks of the guys. I am used to depict female subjects and I always feel intimidated when a male figure is required...As for the general composition it came out a rather different from what I had in mind, but my limited skills did not allow me to completely follow my whims...Too bad, hope you and, most importantly, my good friend, will like the final result all the same. ;)

 PS: I apologize for the poor quality of the picture, but I took it at night with rather bad illumination and I had to play around with the levels a lot in order to make the pencil lines visible. I was also very conservative on the amount of pressure I put on my pencil while I was drawing, as I knew I would likely have to make a lot of corrections to faces and costumes. Speaking of which, and since I have not yet inked her, do you think that Juliet's head/face (bottom right) is too small compared to the rest of her body? My hubby thinks so, but I like her profile a lot so I am reluctant to change it. On the other hand if the majority of your dispassionate eyes think I should, please let me know! Thanks and stay tune for the next steps! :)