It's probably the contrast in the shading. I like it too. One of the problems I had when I was younger was to draw things too lightly. If I go all out with the darkening, it looks a lot better.
I actually got an offer for that painting once. They never came to get it, though, which I'm okay with, because it's a cool wall decoration.
They have hand models? I might look into that. I've wanted one of those... ah crap, what's the word? It has a name, those wooden mannequin things that you can pose? I almost bought one once, and then I didn't, and now I can't find them again. I might just look online.
Update, more art dump.
This is a reproduction of Ginevra de Benci I did for a contest. The shawl is supposed to be pasta (it was part of the contest). It was extremely rushed, as I had to make a deadline. The hair and face got the worst of it. I got the face shadow the wrong color, and nothing I put over it would cover it up, so she looks sorta corpse-like because of it. ._.
Another more minor detail, there was a little tower in the background that I really liked. I had to trim the painting down to fit on the matting, so the tower got kinda cut in half.
A picture of a statue I have in my bedroom.
And a statue from the living room.