Stage 1
For any portrait I will usually take between 15 and 20 photographs of the head from many different angles, including close up shots of important areas, particularly the eyes. I work outside in natural light and always try to get on the same eye level as my subject. I will use several of the photographs for reference to colour or any distinguishing markings, but choose one for the pose. Here I have opted for a 3/4 view and composed the picture from this. The head is drawn onto the canvas and I emphasize the most important features.