This is one of the pieces where I first successfully pulled my "chalkboard drawings" and painting together into one style. (See David III, 1990 (pencil on paper~44k) for an example of the chalkboard style, which is really white pencil on black paper.). I' m also just trying to figure out how to use photographs for painting-- I much prefer to draw & paint from life, and almost always do. But the light' s not always the same, the model' s not always available... In this case I made the drawing from life and then worked from a photograph for the painting. This was also a rather quick painting for me-- one night for the drawing and one night for the painting. Last but not at all least, I tip my hat to Alice Neel, whose work I look at as closely and as often as I can...