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Understanding Need
Bill,
What a great thing you have posted. It's a much needed spark for me. I need to hear this because I use photographs in about 90% of my illustration work and in my brand spankin new portrait commission work. But, here it is! Your statement for us to grab something really special. We are now admonished to reach and strive for that one-in-a-million prize of having the skill to completely do portraiture that captures a striking likenes of the subject without the use of photos - at all. This is obviously a gem to dig for with great lust and fervor that includes many hundreds and thousands of painstaking practice hours.
But, I perceive an already mentioned dilemma with regard to doing what has been laid before us. For instance, nearly 100% of the full time professionals I see use photo references to get the work done. In fact, I see all but one here in this thread (so far) that states quite clearly in their websites and on posted works in the other sections, that specifically use photos in their portraits. And I believe we all would know why. It's as Sharon just stated. "It's what the client wanted."
So, my question to myself is, what do I do....use the photos for my "day job" then, practice like a maniac at every other spare moment for the true prize of mastering a pure free hand?
~Gear
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