Stage 3.

Now I will introduce white and start to use thicker paint. I work some of the subject colour into the background, this helps to harmonize the painting. I work over the entire canvas and constantly re-state areas of dark and light, and it's only now that I will begin to think about the colour. At this stage the painting is still quite flat and lifeless, (hopefully this will all change by the time it's completed ). When I've gone as far as I can with this phase of the painting, I put it away for a day or two and work on something different, so that when I return to the work, I can approach it with fresh eyes, and any areas that need correction are easily spotted.