Just a comment before you even begin modeling, I wanted to point out that you did a good thing with your side image plane, so that you keep it in mind for the future.

It was a good call to get an image with the hair pulled back away from the side of the head so that you can get a better view of the detail of your reference.

Keep that in the back of your mind in the future, in case you're ever called upon to do something with long hair, or an exotic headdress of some sort (think Padme, Star Wars Episode 1).