Here you must establish something very clearly in your mind. As soon as the head leans to one side, its vertical axis shifts. You must always see the imaginary line, or axis, running from the crown to the chin, and any restless shifting of your subject is bound to alter the angle of that axis. If you don't watch out for this you're going to run into trouble. To safeguard against this you must do two things:
FIRST, in posing your subject, line up his head with the handle of your brush so that the angle of the brush is exactly the same tilt as you perceive the vertical axis of his head to be. Call your subject's attention to this alignment and explain to him why you are doing it—that if the angle of his head shifts from the position you have established for him, this will throw the whole portrait off. By making him conscious of that angle, you will make it easier for him to keep it although it may be necessary to 'line him up" several times during the course of the sitting.
SECONDLY, you must give your subject frequent rest periods so as to avoid overtaxing him. If you are neglectful about this, there is the danger of his falling asleep or becoming so uncomfortable as to lose interest in the whole project,
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