Select the front viewport, make sure it's rendered format so you can see your reference and place one plane from the 0 point of the vertical axis towards the side you plan to work on. Go to the modifier panel and right mouse click on the listing and select Editable Poly. Press Alt-x with your object selected to go into ghost mode (making your object semi-transparent) and then press F4, to see the edges of your polygons.
This is the stepping stone to the rest of your model :) There are many ways to start, I start with one plane and build up from that, many start with a box, as that gets into the 3rd dimension from the onset and then refine it from the basic shape of the outlined 3D object. Personally, especially for Low poly models, every polygon matters, therefore I MAKE every polygon :) Slower, but MUCH more controlled :)
First stop low poly character, next stop the WORLD!!! *insert evil laugh here*
I generally make things using the Edit Polygon / Edit Mesh tool. These tools have a wealth of creation abilities that allow you to build up your character as I do. I can't cover ALL the methods, but I can certainly cover the main ones.
Firstly, and equal most importantly, is the edge tool ( ). Using this I hold shift, and move, in order to create more and more polygons. In this case, what we need to do is follow the flow of the face in order to get the desired result, and within the poly budget. I'm alotting 3500 polygons MAXIMUM for my character, preferably getting it around the 3000 mark. With computers as they are though I say you could get away with a 4000 poly character (but it would want to be a good one).
Note that when you are using Editable Poly, the poly count isn't necessarily in Triangles, which is what matters. To see what your ACTUAL poly count is, convert your model to editable mesh and then go to File | Summary Info. This has a lot of details that your scene contains. There is also a small utility that comes with max in the Utilities Panel | More called Polygon Counter (this also depends on if it is triangles or otherwise).
Here is the first area I have edited simply by Shift/moving the edges you can also note you can select multiple edges and shift / Move them all at once. Most important was following the line of my eye, and considering the depth of my face as I go along, in particular the nose and side of the head. This is still all on one plane though. We will be going to the 3rd dimension once we have developed this dimension further. Knowing the best lines to follow comes with practice, and a lot of tweaking once you start moving them into the z axis. I basically work from reference One then reference Two and then free hand tweaking.
Using the vertex mode ( ) I then move my vertices around to suit the face better, joining vertices as I need to. I use both Target Weld and Weld (by selection / area) in the modify panel as both have their uses.
I generally work around the easy areas first (that have less detail and therefore less polys) and then start working the detailed areas into those from there. You can tweak the easier areas a lot easier then the detailed.
I also use the Polygon tool ( ) to create polys by hand if need be using the vertices I have created by Shift / Moving edges and vertices.
There isn't much point in me taking you through every single step as I go along, as in truth all I do is use the edge, polygon and vertex tools to create the front of the face on the one plane. I will however go through any bits I find of interest as I go along.
So here goes! :)
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The poly count on this so far is probably going to be too high, but I'll keep it at that anyway until I know what the end result will be. I'd like to have a fair amount of detail as I plan to have facial animations in game.
As you can see I have left out the most detailed areas, the mouth nose and eyes. These areas have a lot more depth use, so they will need careful planning and potentially work into the Z axis.
This is the detail in the eye. The eyelid has actually been doubled up as I plan to make my character blink in game for that subtle effect. Once I start to go into the Z axis, this will probably change, but the basics are there to flesh it out initially.
The nose and mouth detail is displayed here. THe nose will need a lot more work once we start going to the Z axis, but the polys here should give me a good head start. The mouth I have only done to this point as I plan on making a semi-complex internal mouth, so the mouth can move and make expression of at least a basic nature.
Not how there is a small square like poly at the side of the mouth. A mouth, if it is to be opened, is not recommended to have a one point side of mouth it makes animation harder and doesn't look as right as would this. So keep that in mind.
That will pretty much wrap up this section. I could possibly do the neck now, but instead I will leave that until I get the main area done in the 3rd axis.
). Using this I hold shift, and move, in order to create more and more polygons. In this case, what we need to do is follow the flow of the face in order to get the desired result, and within the poly budget. I'm alotting 3500 polygons MAXIMUM for my character, preferably getting it around the 3000 mark. With computers as they are though I say you could get away with a 4000 poly character (but it would want to be a good one).
) I then move my vertices around to suit the face better, joining vertices as I need to. I use both Target Weld and Weld (by selection / area) in the modify panel as both have their uses. 
) to create polys by hand if need be using the vertices I have created by Shift / Moving edges and vertices. 
