
When I worked in colored pencil, I usually used a French Gray grisaille under the color. You can see this process at Paintings in Progress on my website. In oil, I use a mixture of several colors then lift pigment with brush or paper towel where I need more light.
A nice surprise this morning. I got a mention on Katherine Tyrrell's Making a Mark site for Who's made a mark this week (11 January 2009). Painting is such a solitary vocation, connections like this one mean a lot.