momodot:   I used to shape the mesh in lightwave with front and side images in the background. That would take forever to set up though, so now I just model freehand. I gather up photos of the person's head from every angle possible and look at that as I shape in lightwave.
  I work on the same morph all the way through, the blending method wouldn't hold any advantages for me.
  I usually start with a checklist of the person's features like if they have flaring nostrils or small upper eyelids, and I methodically add those before I even move on to proportions.