Michele, it's like you're reading my mind. Everything you said is right in line with what I plan to do. Problem is, I can't tell whose technique is compatible with mine by seeing the finished paintings. I need to watch the artist work to know if I can apply their methods to my work.
Fortunately, I have found a site that rents good videos, and I have Burton Silverman's "Jenny" DVD in the mail to me as we speak. I've also watched M. Weistling's (which I bought), and Scott Burdick's. If anything, my approach would be a hybrid of those two, but I'm still on such shaky ground, it's too hard to tell.
A while back, I came across two sheets of quarter inch cabinet grade plywood that had fallen off a truck. They were brand new, and sitting on the roadside. They've been in my way for too long, and they're about to become a collection of little paintings. If I were an accomplished painter, I might not take a chance painting on road kill of unknown origin or species, but it'll be good for practice, and to unclutter my workshop
I won't post the results here, as they won't be portaits, but hopefully the lessons learned will show up in my portrait work over time. There are people at my office who want portraits, and I'd like to do them in oils, but I don't know if I can. Regardless of the medium I use, I'll post the results here.
Threaded Mode
