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The first pictures executed by Modigliani after his sculptures - the portrait of the sculptor Henri Laurens (1885 -1954) and that of Picasso (1915,) - show a fleeting, free brushwork style and a very restrained use of colour. As in the paintings of the caryatids, the surface of the picture is not entirely covered, so that one sees the cloth of the canvas and the eye is caught by exactly those areas where the painting begins and ends. Only a short time later, Modigliani covered his canvases completely, often sealing them with several layers of varnish. These portraits were painted with the help of the many drawings and sketches of his acquaintances which Modigliani took every opportunity to make. Some of the subjects also sat for him and it was not unusal for Modigliani to use photographs.
excerpt from Modigliani by Doris Krystof
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