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One from the peanut gallery (since no one else has weighed in) ...
I'm just a student, merely an amateur, and I only have about one year in oils, so I'm probably way off track. But what I've been doing from the beginning is copying my backgrounds and clothing from Old Master prints - albeit usually with modifications - and then I'll set up a mirror on a spare easel at head-height to do my noggin. I'll arrange the mirror and the light source to match the background/clothing reference and then dive in.
I too, would be interested in how the more advanced portraitists do it. And also to know whether or not the pros still do self-portraits once they're working at a level which allows them to make a living at it.
I really enjoy trying to copy facial expressions that convey certain emotions. I have a long way to go, but I'm certainly enjoying the process.
Minh
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