One Day (3hour) Underpainting/study

9"x12" oil on panel.

Our model that was originally scheduled had a family emergency and could not make it, so we practiced doing an underpainting study with James. An excellent model.
Panel was double primed - first layer of gesso primer in a light grey with a little yellow ochre. Second layer was created by making a neutral mix of three primary colors (red, yellow and blue) into a thinned out "sauce". I brushed that over the grey gesso ground. I then drew with the brush for the darker areas and wiped out with a cloth rag to create lighter areas. The instructor said this is a similar ground to what Rubens used for his paintings. That was kinda cool to think about. I'm considering doing the next step - which would be adding the next painting layers (with color). But what I'd do would be make a copy of this piece (Kinkos or somewhere like that) and then put a layer of GAC on it, and happily paint right over the copy...