When sculpting real life objects, look for edges that can be rounded by either staggering some bricks (as in the sphere example) or by using slopes. Also keep in mind that things like faces, statues, or mountains may not be completely symmetrical. That is to say, one side or another may be shaped slightly differently than the others. If you can reproduce some of that organic quality, it will add a great deal of depth to your creations. The stagger technique will help you greatly when trying to reproduce more natural shapes.

Remember also that I built the Sphinx model using trial and error and worried more about overall look and feel than about strictly following a blueprint. On the other hand, the sphere, required some careful planning to make sure that the shape was very precise. You will want to use a bit of both techniques to build sculptures. How much of each you use will depend on your subject. In the end, it comes down to how the model looks to your eye; this is what decides whether or not it has been a successful build.