To do proper modelling, one must know this things:
- the basic tools.
- the techniques.
- the topology of the character or object to model.
With your help, in this section we'll make a detailed overview of those 3 points.
- cube modelling.
- plane modelling.
- sculpting.
- Do the whole head at once (i.e. start in a way that you have a shape / volume that more or less resembles a head, and make it more and more detailed.
- Or start with a detail (e.g. mouth) and spread outwards from there to create the rest of the head.
- use the mirror modifier to model only one side of the mesh.
- use the subsurf modifier to have a smoother model with fewer geometry (vertices, edges and faces).
Create collection of topology.
Think in 3D! model in front and on the right side. Since the screen has only 2 dimensions, we are blind about what's happening in the third dimension, sometimes leading to some disastrous (but recoverable) results. Keep checking back and forth between at least two different view points that you are getting what you are expecting. Often use the X, Y and Z constraints to make sure the operation is only in the dimension you want. Also, with a wide monitor, you can open two different view ports at once so that you can check in real time what's happening.
When creating a face, we start with a cube, subdivide it and end up with a criss-cross of vertical and horizontal lines. How do you go from there to having the circles that surround the mouth and the eyes? See the very beginning of 'deTOd_FBfLQ': 1) shape the horizontal lines to have some curvature above and below. 2) extrude the largest faces in the middle and 3) scale them down. Voilà! After that, you can 4) add more circles with CTRL + R (loop cut and slide).
See also vJrZyO3oPVo at around 7'20.
The artists' skills lies in their ability to visualize what they are after. Often compare what you are doing with a reference picture. Compare all the time to get a feel of the proportions, the smallest features, etc. Also, a .blend file is not set in stone, so do what all the artists do: tweak, tweak and tweak until you get something you're happy with.