Step 2 -Continuing the Still Life

Now while the underpainting is drying, it's time to lay out my palette.  Clockwise starting in the lower left corner is yellow ochre pale, transparent red oxide, cadmium red light, cobalt blue, ultramarine blue, burnt umber, raw umber, and olive green.   At the bottom is Maroger (my medium), titanium white, and my special color that I can't live without--Neutral 3 from John Sanden's Pro Mix Colors.  More about this wonderful color later.

I always lay out my white in a linear fashion so I can cut off what I need without contaminating the rest of the pile.  After I took this image, I realized I need my cadmium yellow light.

Step 2-  After mixing my colors to get the values I see on the major objects, I paint small areas to check my color notes to see how they resonate together. 

Step 3-  This is easy.  Block in your darks using thin paint.  Then block in the lights.  Here is where I use the Maroger as a thinner.  It will be dry to the touch by tomorrow.  Step back about ten feet and check the overall pattern.  Does it have a strong design that holds together from a distance?  After much deliberation, I decided to put in the red squares at this stage.  I hope I won't regret this move down the road.