These Are Days, darks

Background / wash
I managed to work in a background wash using a mixture of Burnt Sienna and Ivory Black thinned down with turp. I blocked in the hair using the same mixture.

Laying in darks
I came back through a few minutes later (the background dries quickly when it’s thinned out with lots of turp) and darkened with an Ultramarine / Alizarin mixture. With the background slightly damp, the Sienna mixture mixed with the shadow color right on the canvas.

Pulling out the lights
Finally, I cleaned my brush and, while it still had some thinner in it, pulled out the highlights. In a few places, I used a paper towel to pull off even more paint. I was going for the strong contrast of the lightest lights against the darkest darks.

Goals
I’m pushing contrast in this piece. And I’m simplifying, though it’s hard, man, it’s really hard to stay simple and not paint what I see. But it’s art, not Xerox.

(the shadow at the top is the upper clamp on my easel)

Still plenty to do.