Help your model pose

[Linda Brandon]

Another thing that is helpful is to make sure your model understands the difference between head rotation and tilt. What often happens is that models tend to slump in the direction of the tilt and then overcorrect during the couse of the pose.

Make sure to help your model line up the tilt at the beginning of every sitting. Do this by checking placement of the ears and the angles of the corners of the eyes and the nose and mouth lines. It can help to have a long-haired model pull back hair to locate the tops of the ears so that you can set the pose back up. The amount of ear that you see will also help you to set the foreshortening of the features.

[Debra Jones]

It always seems the model will jump and look at you if you begin to give directions. I think the fastest easiest way to avoid the over compensation is to stand in their vision range and hold the brush up (like how they bring in planes sort of) and put it at the angle of the head is THEN tilt the top back or toward her, or tilt left or right. Sort of guides them more subtly and there is not such a jolt from the quiet of the posing ambience,

Not to mention beginning your own painting with a small thumbnail with all the basic angles blocked in will help YOU re-orient and don't paint over it until you are done using it. Especially the distances from the edge of the nose to the face. Marking edge shapes are a great way to know you are always correcting to the same pose, not necessarily the one they sank into.

[Clayton J. Beck III]

Originally Posted by Debra Jones

... hold the brush up (like how they bring in planes sort of) and put it at the angle of the head is THEN tilt the top back or toward her, or tilt left or right.

A brush! Great idea. I always use my finger and it is not as precise as a brush. The landing a plane analogy is pure gold. Thanks Debra