Step 5 - Adding Red Tones & Alcohol

After the previous layer of colour has dried completely, prepare a 4:1 ratio mixture of medium and Quinacridone Magenta and cover any areas that have not been painted except areas you want to keep white in the foreground. Watch for the reaction of the red and yellow; red and violet and where all three have combined. This is your key to feeling out what you need to do next to get the oranges, purples and neutral tones you are looking for in the painting. Where you put it and how is up to the composition and you the artist.

As I work on small sections I drizzle rubbing alcohol from a dropper or spritz it on with a spray bottle leave it for a moment and dab or rub at the areas sprayed to lift off the paint. Alcohol is a marvelous tool to create textures in the paint surface but practice this before tackling a large composition, it is tricky and fickle. Alcohol can also be used to remove paint from areas that are covered by mistake be careful rubbing to vigorously may remove too much of the layers underneath.