It’s been a much better day for painting today, cooler, but still nice and bright and sunny. After trying a few options out yesterday I chose to add a wash of Permanent Rose and Payne’s Grey to the background, graduating it from top to bottom so that it looks like it fades into the background. It worked pretty well but I might still make it a bit darker at the top and bring it further down the page.
I’ve also begun to try and fill the body area, wetting the whole patch and dropping in Gold Ochre on the pale bits and Payne’s Grey with Burnt Umber for the blacker parts. I’m very pleased with how the Gold and the Black have merged, with the lighter colour pushing the other back a bit. It’s almost exactly what I was hoping for, although I still need to make it a bit darker towards his bottom.