Here is the start of one of my 6"x8" head studies.

...moving along massing in the lights and shadows

Diane with scarf - 6"x8" oil on panel

  Here is a sequence of one of my head studies.  This one was done on December 3rd at the Open Studio Sale.  I am using a 6"x8" panel with a gray tone.  These panels were made during the summer at a panel-making class my husband taught.  

I began with a loose umber sketch followed by massing all of my shadows.  In the second picture down, I have pitched the background, and I massed my lights and shadows in relation to the background.  At this stage, the massing is very flat and general.  These basic masses are then developed as I model, edit and draw with the brush, working from the general shapes to more specific shapes.  As I continued to add details, I look to the "whole" to make sure that my painting has a unified light effect.