Great to see the mirror recommendation here. It really is a must-have for any studio.

As for photo reference, that’s always tricky. Here’s some advice I’ve been given by far more talented people than I:

1) Shoot your own reference whenever possible for consistency. Shoot every angle from as close to the same distance as possible. For headshots, set up the camera position first and swivel the model to maintain an equal plane of position and set distance. This will help create a turnaround map for head/face sculpting.

2) Enlarge your reference as close as possible to the size of your sculpture. This can be harder for 1:1 work where certain elements such as arms, profile head shots, etc. want/need more space than available on a printed page. This might require some setup.

3) For faces, create rough anchors/landmarks that can easily be adjusted: cheekbones, chin, nose, lips, brow, and ears. For bodies, remember the rules of proportion and make landmarks according to head height. Once you have your anchors in place, break those rules for surreal effects.

4) If you’re not purposely creating a likeness, don’t fixate on the reference. It’s reference after all. Just refer to it for a sense of direction. Always look for openings to defer to your imagination.

You’re really passing along some great recommendations here, Grim. This site is a wonderful resource and I hope more people discover it.