There are three important points in today's fast paced world of art,
question the teachers, embrace using reference images over full canvas, and make use of 3D models.

One, on the subject of teachers, I will say that Art does not need computers,
and a good artist can still perfectly capture a person's appearance.

It is cruel to throw logs at the student's feet,
especially those who are new to art.

They are being purposefully and artificially delayed,
with concepts like hand-eye-coordination, and the promise of art is never fulfilled at graduation anyway.

We are all artists, and we should all start with realistic portraits,
from there everyone will find a different calling.

Two, we must ask what is better, a fanciful painting of an imaginary face,
or the perfect painting of a real person.

A real person will smile,
and truly appreciate the work.

And imaginary faces,
are trivial to generate on a computer.

By extension,
can we paint a face free hand, with a line model, or even with a grid...

Given that a high resolution digital painting hay hold 10 to 20 intricate details,
in the nose a alone.

A keepsake holds a snapshot of a person,
but without any of the burdens of a photo, and with all benefits of art.

That means, the eyes, the eyebrows, the lips, the nose,
must be exactly right, as that is the foundation of the portrait.

Everything else can be a dream,
but the face must be true.

Because in 50 years the person in the portrait will look back at their younger self,
and they they will recognize their youthful nose, and all features of the face.

They will contemplate their history,
and daydream through all their adventures.

A photo can't capture a person's face,
but it has all the information an artist needs to create the artwork worthy of the person in the painting 50 years from now.

And now,
three.

The future of art, is already here, it is called Photogrammetry,
beyond taking the photo of the subject, you should also consider a scan of their pose.

Offer them a range of locations,
that you can generate a preview for.

Technology will only improve,
but only a human will be able to artistically present the person in the photo or a virtual scan as the case will soon be.

The world of art is evolving,
but no machine will ever replace a poet.

We are all artists,
and art is an important part of our heart.