I am excited to be presenting a demonstration at Sam Flax Atlanta, Saturday, September 26, from 1-3 pm, on making the strongest start to a great portrait. From the teaching of my mentors Nelson Shanks and Steven Assael, I have distilled 6 key points to make a strong start.

1. Establish the eyeline or horizon for proper perspective

2. Rely on geometry for most effective placement

3. Work from general to specific; defer details until a head is well constructed

4. Everything we create at early stages is approximate and will be adjusted

5. Think in terms of opposing elements: light/dark; warm/cool; hard/soft.

6. Construction sets the stage for studying the complex forms that make up the human head.