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Janel,
I am the world champion slow learner. If there is a dumber way to do it, I have tried it out.
Most people work from photos not only for convenience, but because they think it is easier. Once your drawing skills are adequate, that is simply not so. It is then easier -- and better -- to work from life whenever possible. All you have to do is paint what you see.
There is indeed a spirit that you can only see from life. Portraits from life are alive!
So many contemporary "realistic" portraits suffer because they are painted from photos.
In the last quarter of the 19th century, many painters turned to photo reference for their paintings and their work looks pretty lifeless to us today.
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