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I had a bit of evolution in that area. I have boxes of oversized heads from being in the very back row when I used to come from work, but I think I ended up doing mostly portraits because the rest of the body was so hard to see through the other painters! I dance too much for a horse, which most studios have in the front. I also have a bunch of big chinned people that come from being shortish anyway and when I get too close, I really tend to distort.
For some reason I think it is just better to be standing and walk up to look for the detail. Or better yet, fake it.
Another think I noticed, especially in portrait group where more novice posers are recruited, being TOO careful about details tends to make you chase the pose. The exercise of deciding what I want in the picture before I paint has helped me a lot in overcoming a model who sinks and straightens. By setting all my landmarks early and working hard to paint to the first pose, I often have to make up the details. There is just too much migration and working looser tends to make for better paintings.
You are making me feel even hungrier! I started trying to make a reasonably priced life class once a month or so, but the model tends to keep a pose for three or four weeks. I just can't afford even studio like I did. BUT it is so freeing and I really need it when I find myself glued to my photos. Lose the sense of breathing.
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