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I read the description of Sargent's method when I was in school. I also happen to be lucky enough to have had a huge show of Sargent work right across the street from the American Academy Of Art at the Art Institute Of Chicago. The third bit of luck that I had was that Richard Schmid had moved back to Chicago a short while before. Between some great teachers at the academy, seeing hundreds of Sargent's pieces for months on end, and having Schmid around to guide me through his opinion of Sargent method I realized I had drawn the right straw in my artistic life. Each time I think about those days I look back and wonder how did I get so lucky. Somebody else in this topic discussion has mentioned Scott Burdick. He too was there in Chicago for all of that.
Working with Sargent's method, from the middle tones out makes perfect sense. By working from the middle tones out you never paint your self into a corner as far as values or edges. You always have that extra punch in reserve of lightest light, darkest dark, and sharpest edge to help pull an area out. Add to that the idea of intensity of color and you really gain a great deal of control over where your viewer's eyes are moving around the composition. By working from the middle tones out the head has a tendency to look as though it is skinned draped over a featureless skull. Sargent understood that much of the likeness was in these large features within the massive areas of the skull. To test this theory take one of you were photographs of a model and continually blur it in an image manipulation program to the point where you lose the likeness. You will find that you will have to blur it an awful lot to get the likeness to disappear. This is the proof that the likeness is not in the individual features but exists in the masses. Sargent understood this very well.
There are advantages and disadvantages to Sargent's method, you will have to work them out for yourself. My advice is to work with is method for at least a few hundred studies to get a great feel for it. I believe you will find the advantages far outweigh the disadvantages in most cases.
This portrait of Eleanor Duse, which was printed in Ratcliff's book on Sargent in black and white, was the key for me to understanding Sargent's method. It is reported that she stood up after less than an hour and left. This is what Sargent accomplished at the very beginning of his sittings. A likenesses absolutely nailed and it appears that he has barely begun.
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