What's the Point?

1) I had other solutions for What's the Point besides a lion. I thought of drawing things such as a rose with thorns, a treasure map with an X, a pineapple, and more. I was literal with the concept.
2) The solution I chose was a lion bearing his teeth which was the idea behind the What's the Point theme - since the teeth are sharp and pointy, it works as a solution.
3) I showed contrast in my work by being extremely dark in some places (like the mouth and nose) and light in some areas (middle of the face, teeth, etc.) I also had different shading with the mane - it isn't all just one shade.
4) The medium I chose was charcoal; it is easier than other mediums to shade and create contrast.
5) The techniques I used were shading with different charcoal pencils; medium, soft, and extra soft. Once I had a basic shape drawn, I shaded and blended out a lot. Blending was the main technique used.
6) The risk I took with this was making the mouth almost completely black; I could have shaded it lighter, but I thought doing it all black would add better contrast.
7) The message I am conveying with this picture is being literal with the concept.